Shloka 26
Ānṛśaṃsya–Bhakti: Śukaḥ Śakreṇa Parīkṣitaḥ
Compassion and Devotion—The Parrot Tested by Indra
नाहसे मां सहस्राक्ष ट्रुमं त्याजयितुं चिरात् समर्थमुपजीव्येमं त्यजेयं कथमद्य वै
nāhase māṃ sahasrākṣa drumam tyājayituṃ cirāt samartham upajīvyemaṃ tyajeyaṃ katham adya vai
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai Sahasrākṣa, janganlah engkau berusaha memisahkan pohon ini dariku. Ketika ia masih kuat, telah lama aku mempertahankan hidup dengan berlindung padanya; bagaimana mungkin hari ini, saat ia tak berdaya, aku meninggalkannya?”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should not abandon a benefactor or support-system when it becomes weak; dharma includes gratitude and steadfast loyalty, especially toward those who once sustained us.
Bhīṣma addresses Indra (Sahasrākṣa), asking him not to try to separate him from a tree. Bhīṣma argues that since he long depended on it when it was strong, it would be unethical to leave it now that it is powerless.