Shloka 166
Adhyāya 118: Saciva-parīkṣā
Testing and Appointment of Ministers/Servants
दिश: सम्प्राद्रवन् राजन् भयाज्जीवितकांक्षिण: । राजन! उस शरभसे भयभीत हो जंगलके सभी पशु अपनी जान बचानेके लिये डरके मारे सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंमें भाग गये
diśaḥ samprādravan rājan bhayāj jīvitakāṅkṣiṇaḥ |
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai Raja, kerana takut dan kerana ingin menyelamatkan nyawa, segala makhluk melarikan diri ke semua arah.” Baris ini menegaskan bahawa ketakutan boleh mencerai-beraikan makhluk daripada tertib asalnya, dan naluri mempertahankan diri mengatasi keteguhan serta pertimbangan yang jernih.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Fear destabilizes beings and drives them to disorderly flight; a ruler and a seeker of dharma should recognize fear’s power and cultivate steadiness so that decisions are not ruled by panic or mere survival-instinct.
Bhīṣma describes a scene where, out of terror, living creatures scatter and flee in every direction, emphasizing the intensity of the threat and the natural impulse to protect one’s life.