Shloka 97
आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः
Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca
यदा पश्यामि चाण्डालमायान्तं शस्त्रपाणिनम् | ततश्छेत्स्यामि ते पाशान् प्राप्ते साधारणे भये,“जब मैं देख लूँगा कि चाण्डाल हाथमें हथियार लिये आ रहा है, तब तुम्हारे ऊपर साधारण-सा भय उपस्थित होनेपर मैं शीघ्र ही तुम्हारे बन्धन काट डालूँगा
yadā paśyāmi cāṇḍālam āyāntaṃ śastrapāṇinam | tataś chetsyāmi te pāśān prāpte sādhāraṇe bhaye ||
Bhishma berkata: “Apabila aku melihat seorang Caṇḍāla datang menghampiri dengan senjata di tangannya, maka—sebaik sahaja bahaya yang biasa pun menimpa dirimu—aku akan segera memutuskan ikatan yang membelenggumu.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames timely protection as a dharmic duty: when even a modest, credible threat appears, one should act decisively to remove another’s constraints and ensure safety.
Bhīṣma speaks of a situation where an armed assailant is seen approaching; he promises that at the onset of danger he will quickly cut the other person’s bonds (pāśa), freeing them from restraint.