Shloka 51
Adhyāya 270 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on saṃnyāsa; Bhīṣma on calculable time, tamas, and karma
Vṛtra–Uśanā exemplum begins
कामलोभानुबन्धेन पुरा ते यदसूयितम् । मया स्नेहमविज्ञाय तत्र मे क्षन्तुमहसि
kāmalobhānubandhena purā te yad asūyitam | mayā sneham avijñāya tatra me kṣantum arhasi ||
Bhīṣma dit : Jadis, entraîné par l’enchevêtrement du désir et de l’avidité, je t’ai parlé avec amertume. N’ayant pas reconnu l’affection cachée derrière mes paroles, tu dois me pardonner cela.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Desire and greed distort judgment and speech; recognizing this, one should admit fault and seek forgiveness, restoring relationships through humility and ethical self-correction.
Bhīṣma, in his instructive discourse, recalls a prior moment when he spoke resentfully under the influence of kāma and lobha, and he asks the addressed person to pardon him for that lapse.