Gautama–Śakra Saṃvāda: Karma, Loka-bheda, and the Restoration of the Elephant
त॑ं दृष्टयवा जीवयामास सानुक्रोशो धृतव्रत: । स तु दीर्घेण कालेन बभूवातिबलो महान्
taṁ dṛṣṭvā jīvayāmāsa sānukrośo dhṛtavrataḥ | sa tu dīrgheṇa kālena babhūvātibalo mahān ||
ビーシュマは言った。「そのような有様の彼を見て、誓戒に堅固なその人は憐れみの心に動かされ、彼を生き返らせた。その後、長い歳月を経て、彼は並外れた力を備えた偉大な人物へと成長した。」
भीष्म उवाच
Compassion guided by steadfast discipline (dhṛtavrata) is presented as a dharmic force: preserving life is a moral act, and such mercy can enable a person’s future greatness to unfold over time.
A compassionate, vow-steadfast figure sees someone in a perilous state and revives him. Later, over a long period, the revived person becomes exceptionally strong and great, indicating the long-term consequences of a single merciful intervention.