Shloka 176
Adhyāya 118: Saciva-parīkṣā
Testing and Appointment of Ministers/Servants
फलमूलाशनं कर्तु नैच्छतू स पिशिताशन: । शरभ भी अत्यन्त प्रसन्न हो सदा प्राणियोंके वधमें तत्पर रहता था। वह मांसभोजी जीव फल-मूल खानेकी कभी इच्छा नहीं करता था
phalamūlāśanaṃ kartuṃ naicchatū sa piśitāśanaḥ | śarabho 'tyanta-prasanno hi sadā prāṇi-vadhe tatparaḥ | sa māṃsabhogī jīvaḥ phala-mūla-khādanāya kadācana necchati sma ||
ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: ສັດກິນເນື້ອນັ້ນບໍ່ມີຄວາມປາດຖະໜາຈະຫັນໄປກິນໝາກໄມ້ແລະຮາກໄມ້ເລີຍ. ແທ້ຈິງແລ້ວ Śarabha ນັ້ນພໍໃຈຢ່າງຍິ່ງຕາມສັນດານຂອງຕົນ ແລະມຸ່ງໝັ້ນຢູ່ເສມໍໃນການຂ້າສັດມີຊີວິດ. ເປັນສັດກິນເນື້ອ ມັນບໍ່ເຄີຍປາດຖະໜາຈະກິນໝາກໄມ້ແລະຮາກໄມ້.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how ingrained disposition and habitual conduct shape ethical choices: a being devoted to killing and flesh-eating does not naturally incline toward a harmless, restrained diet. It implicitly points to the difficulty of turning from violence to non-violence without deliberate transformation.
Bhishma describes the Śarabha as a carnivorous creature that takes delight in hunting and killing. Because of this predatory nature, it refuses to adopt fruit-and-root eating, reinforcing the portrayal of its constant readiness for violence.