Shloka 7
नृशंस-लक्षणनिर्णयः | Determining the Marks of Cruel Conduct
Nṛśaṃsa
भीष्य उवाच एतच्छुत्वा वचो वायो: शाल्मलिब्रीडितस्तदा । अतप्यत वच: स्मृत्वा नारदो यत् तदाब्रवीत्
bhīṣma uvāca | etac chrutvā vaco vāyoḥ śālmalī brīḍitas tadā | atapyata vacaḥ smṛtvā nārado yat tadābravīt ||
भीष्मजी बोले—राजन्! वायु के ये वचन सुनकर उस समय सेमल लज्जित हो गया। नारदजी ने पहले जो कहा था, उसे स्मरण करके वह भीतर-ही-भीतर जल उठा और गहरे पश्चात्ताप में डूब गया।
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Pride is corrected by truthful counsel; when one recognizes the weight of wise instruction (here, Nārada’s earlier words) and the rebuke of a higher principle (Vāyu), shame can become a doorway to repentance and ethical self-correction.
Bhīṣma narrates that after Vāyu speaks, the śālmalī tree feels ashamed; recalling Nārada’s prior admonition, it becomes inwardly tormented—signaling a moral turning point prompted by remembered guidance.