Shloka 41
Kośa, Bala, and Maryādā: Treasury, Capacity, and Enforceable Limits (कोश-बल-मर्यादा)
द्रुमा: केचन सामन्ता ध्रुवं छिन्दन्ति तानपि । ते चापि निपतन्तो<न्यान् निधघ्नन्त्येव वनस्पतीन्
drumāḥ kecit sāmantā dhruvaṃ chindanti tān api | te cāpi nipatanto 'nyān nidhaghnanty eva vanaspatīn |
ಹತ್ತಿರ ನಿಂತಿರುವ ಕೆಲವು ಮರಗಳನ್ನೂ ಅವರು ನಿಶ್ಚಯವಾಗಿ ಕಡಿದು ಹಾಕುತ್ತಾರೆ; ಆ ಮರಗಳೂ ಬೀಳುವಾಗ ಇತರ ಸಸ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ಅನಿವಾರ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಕುಸಿದು ನಾಶಮಾಡುತ್ತವೆ.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma highlights that actions—especially those undertaken for a stated purpose—often produce unavoidable secondary harm. Dharma requires awareness of such cascading consequences and careful judgment, not a narrow focus on the initial intention alone.
Bhīṣma uses a concrete example from ritual practice: when a tree is cut for a sacrificial post, nearby trees are also cut, and falling trunks damage other plants. The image illustrates how one act can propagate destruction beyond its immediate target.