Shloka 17
Saṃhāra-krama (The Sequence of Cosmic Dissolution) — Yājñavalkya’s Discourse
यथा च शकुना: सूक्ष्मं प्राप्प जालमरिंदम । तत्र सक्ता विपद्यन्ते मुच्यन्ते च बलान्विता:
yathā ca śakunāḥ sūkṣmaṁ prāpya jālam ariṁdama | tatra saktā vipadyante mucyante ca balānvitāḥ ||
भीष्म बोले—अरिंदम! जैसे पक्षी सूक्ष्म जाल को पाकर उसमें फँस जाते हैं तो विनाश को प्राप्त होते हैं, और जो बलवान् होते हैं वे उसे तोड़कर मुक्त हो जाते हैं।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Entanglement (sakti) in a subtle snare leads to downfall, whereas inner strength—understood as discipline, clarity, and resolve—enables one to break bondage and attain release.
Bhīṣma illustrates his counsel with a simile: birds encounter a fine net; those that become caught perish, but the strong escape—implying that in moral and practical life, subtle traps ensnare the heedless while the steadfast can free themselves.