Shloka 58
Vyāghra–Gomāyu Saṃvāda (व्याघ्रगोमायु संवाद) — Testing Character Beneath Appearances
मृगराजं हितैर्वाक्यै: सम्बोधयितुमागमत् | पुत्र नैतत् त्वया ग्राह्मूं कपटारम्भसंयुतम्
mṛgarājaṃ hitair vākyaiḥ sambodhayitum āgamat | putra naitat tvayā grāhyaṃ kapaṭārambhasaṃyutam |
Dia mendekati raja segala binatang (singa) untuk menasihatinya dengan kata-kata yang baik: “Wahai anakku, janganlah engkau menerima hal ini, kerana ia bermula dengan tipu daya dan terikat pada rancangan yang khianat.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not accept proposals or gifts whose very outset is rooted in deception; ethical discernment requires judging the intention and origin of an action, not merely its outward form.
A speaker approaches the ‘mṛgarāja’ (lion) to admonish him with beneficial counsel, warning him—addressed as ‘son’—not to take something that is connected with a deceitful scheme.