Shloka 14
Kīṭopākhyāna: Prajā-pālana as Kṣatra-vrata and the Attainment of Brāhmaṇya
क्षतं च स्खलितं चैव पतितं कृष्टमाहतम् । सर्वभूतानि रक्षन्ति समेषु विषमेषु च
kṣataṃ ca skhalitaṃ caiva patitaṃ kṛṣṭam āhatam | sarvabhūtāni rakṣanti sameṣu viṣameṣu ca ||
ഭീഷ്മൻ പറഞ്ഞു—മുറിവേറ്റവൻ, ഇടറുന്നവൻ, വീണവൻ, ഒഴുക്കിൽ വലിച്ചിഴക്കപ്പെടുന്നവൻ, അടിയേറ്റ് ആഹതനായവൻ—അഥവാ സുരക്ഷിതമോ അപകടകരമോ ആയ ഏതു നിലയിലായാലും—അവനെ സർവ്വജീവികളും സംരക്ഷിക്കുന്നു.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The helpless—wounded, fallen, or endangered—deserve protection; compassion and safeguarding the vulnerable is presented as a universal dharmic principle applicable in both favorable and adverse circumstances.
Bhishma, in his instruction on dharma, states a general moral observation: when someone is hurt or in danger, the natural and righteous response of beings is to protect them, emphasizing duty of care regardless of the situation.