Shloka 26
Sandhi–Vigraha in Āpada: The Mouse and the Cat (सन्धिविग्रहापदि—मूषकमार्जारसंवादः)
न भयं तस्य भूतेभ्य: सर्वेभ्यश्षैव भारत । नासतो विद्यते राजन् स हारण्येषु गोपति:,भारत! उसे सम्पूर्ण भूतोंसे भी भय नहीं होता। राजन! किसी दुष्टात्मासे भी उसको डर नहीं लगता। वह तो वनका अधिपति हो जाता है
na bhayaṁ tasya bhūtebhyaḥ sarvebhyaś caiva bhārata | nāsato vidyate rājan sa hāraṇyeṣu gopatiḥ ||
Bhīṣma bersabda: “Wahai Bhārata, dia tidak takut kepada mana-mana makhluk sekalipun. Wahai Raja, dia tidak gentar bahkan terhadap orang jahat. Sesungguhnya, dia menjadi tuan dalam kalangan penghuni rimba—laksana penguasa kawanan di belantara.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
True inner steadiness and dharmic integrity yield fearlessness: one who is not shaken by beings or by the wicked becomes naturally authoritative and secure, even in harsh settings like the forest.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma addresses Yudhiṣṭhira and describes the qualities and resultant stature of a person who has overcome fear—portraying him as becoming a leader even among forest-dwellers.