Shloka 35
आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः
Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca
स तथा सर्वतो रुद्धः सर्वत्र भयदर्शन:
sa tathā sarvato ruddhaḥ sarvatra bhayadarśanaḥ
അവൻ ഇങ്ങനെ എല്ലായിടത്തുനിന്നും വളഞ്ഞുമൂടപ്പെട്ടു; എവിടെയോട്ടു തിരിഞ്ഞാലും ഭയം തന്നെയായിരുന്നു; അവൻ തന്നെയും ചുറ്റുമുള്ളവർക്ക് ഭീതിയുടെ രൂപമായി തോന്നി.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral-psychological state that arises when one is trapped on all sides: fear becomes pervasive, distorting perception and conduct. In dharma-discourse, such fear is a warning sign—one should avoid actions that lead to being cornered, and cultivate steadiness and right counsel so that fear does not govern decisions.
Bhīṣma describes a person (contextually, someone under severe pressure) who has been obstructed or surrounded from every direction. In that condition he either perceives danger everywhere or becomes an object of fear everywhere—conveying an intense crisis where escape, clarity, and security have collapsed.