Shloka 8
Śreyas-nirdeśa (Discerning the Superior Good): Nārada–Gālava Saṃvāda
पितोवाच कथमभ्याहतो लोक: केन वा परिवारित: । अमोघा: का: पतन्तीह कि नु भीषयसीव माम्
pitovāca katham abhyāhato lokaḥ kena vā parivāritaḥ | amoghāḥ kāḥ patantīha kiṃ nu bhīṣayasi iva mām ||
Le père dit : «Mon fils, pourquoi cherches-tu à m’effrayer ? Dis-moi : par quoi ce monde est-il frappé, ou par qui est-il cerné ? Et quelles sont ces forces infaillibles dont on dit qu’elles s’abattent sur nous ici ?»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a philosophical inquiry: instead of yielding to fear, one should identify what truly assails and constrains human life—those inevitable, “unfailing” forces (such as time, death, karma, and suffering) that operate in the world.
In Bhishma’s narration, a father responds to his son’s alarming words. He challenges the son to explain what threatens the world and what unavoidable powers ‘fall upon’ beings, questioning the attempt to frighten him and steering the exchange toward reasoned explanation.