Shloka 9
Gautama–Yama Saṃvāda: Mātṛ-Pitṛ-Ṛṇa (Debt to Parents) and Śubha-Loka Attainment
बलेन महता गुप्त: सामात्य: सावरोधन: । मृगस्तु विद्धो बाणेन मया सरति शल्यवान्
balena mahatā guptaḥ sāmātyaḥ sāvarodhanaḥ | mṛgas tu viddho bāṇena mayā sarati śalyavān ||
Bhishma berkata, “Aku dikawal oleh pasukan besar, berjalan bersama para menteri dan rombongan istana dalam. Namun seekor rusa yang kupanah melarikan diri dari sini, masih menancap anak panah di tubuhnya.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when surrounded by power and protection, one remains accountable for the harm one causes; the image of the wounded deer fleeing with the arrow underscores the ethical weight of violence and its lingering consequences.
Bhishma recounts traveling with a large armed escort, accompanied by ministers and the inner household, when a deer he had shot escapes, still carrying the arrow—setting up the circumstances for what follows in the episode.