Shloka 96
आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः
Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca
अकाले विप्रमुक्तान्मे त्वत्त एव भयं भवेत् | तस्मात् काल प्रतीक्षस्व किमिति त्वरसे सखे
akāle vipramuktān me tvatta eva bhayaṁ bhavet | tasmāt kāla-pratīkṣasva kim iti tvarase sakhe ||
Bhishma berkata, “Jika engkau dilepaskan sebelum waktunya, aku bahkan bisa merasa takut kepadamu. Karena itu, sahabatku, tunggulah saat yang tepat—mengapa begitu tergesa?”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Acting at the right time (kāla) is part of dharma: even a potentially beneficial action, if done prematurely, can create danger. Patience and timing are ethical disciplines, not mere delay.
Bhīṣma addresses a companion as “friend” and urges restraint: he warns that if the other is ‘released’ or acts before the proper moment, it could become a source of fear or harm to him; therefore he insists on waiting for the appropriate time.