Shloka 13
भृगु–भरद्वाजसंवादः: वर्णभेदस्य कर्माधारितव्याख्या
Bhrigu–Bharadvaja Dialogue: A Karma-Based Account of Varṇa
अपाणिव्वाद् वय ब्रह्मन् कण्टकं नोद्धरामहे । जन्तूनुच्चावचानड्े दशतो न कषाम वा
apāṇivat vayaṁ brahman kaṇṭakaṁ noddharāmahe | jantūn uccāvacān daśato na kṣāmā vā ||
Wahai Brahmana, kami bagaikan makhluk tanpa tangan: bila duri menancap di tubuh, kami tak mampu mencabutnya. Berbagai makhluk kecil maupun besar yang menggigit dan menyengat kami pun tak dapat kami usir.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that without the proper instruments—strength, resources, self-control, or wise counsel—one cannot remove even clear causes of pain. It highlights human limitation and the ethical need to seek right support and cultivate the means to counter harm rather than merely endure it.
Bhishma, in his Shanti Parva instruction, uses a vivid analogy: beings ‘without hands’ cannot extract thorns or brush away biting creatures. He employs this image to illustrate a condition of helplessness and to frame a broader moral reflection on how suffering persists when one lacks the capacity or guidance to remedy it.