Shloka 13
Devaśarmā–Vipula Dialogue on Ahorātra–Ṛtu as Moral Witnesses (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय ४३)
नतासां रक्षणं शक््यं कर्तु पुंसां कथंचन
natāsāṃ rakṣaṇaṃ śakyaṃ kartuṃ puṃsāṃ kathaṃcana
ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ບໍ່ມີທາງໃດເລີຍທີ່ບຸລຸດຈະສາມາດຄຸ້ມຄອງປົກປ້ອງໄດ້ຢ່າງແນ່ນອນ ແກ່ຜູ້ທີ່ໄດ້ຍອມຈໍານົນ ແລະຝາກຊີວິດໄວ້ໃນການດູແລຂອງຜູ້ອື່ນ. ຄໍານີ້ຊີ້ໃຫ້ເຫັນຄວາມຈິງອັນເຂັ້ມງວດທາງທໍາ: ຄວາມພະຍາຍາມ ແລະເຈດຕະນາຂອງມະນຸດລ້ວນໆ ບໍ່ພໍທີ່ຈະຮັບປະກັນຄວາມປອດໄພໄດ້ເມື່ອຜູ້ໃດໜຶ່ງພຶ່ງພາຢ່າງສິ້ນເຊີງ; ດັ່ງນັ້ນຄວນປະພຶດດ້ວຍຄວາມຖ່ອມຕົນ ຄວາມລະມັດລະວັງ ແລະຄວາມຮັບຜິດຊອບ ບໍ່ໃຫ້ຫຼົງໃນຄວາມໝັ້ນໃຈເກີນໄປ».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma emphasizes that guaranteeing the safety of those who surrender and become dependent is not fully within human control; therefore, one must avoid arrogance, recognize limits, and treat the duty of protection as a grave moral responsibility requiring constant care.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma is speaking in a didactic mode, reflecting on the practical and ethical realities of protection and guardianship—especially the heavy burden incurred when others entrust their safety to someone.