Shloka 18
Janamejaya’s Appeal for Pacification and Śaunaka’s Counsel on Humility (जनमेजय-शौनक संवादः)
कथं नु खलु कर्तव्यमिति चिन्तापरस्तदा । बभूव भरतश्रेष्ठ गर्हयन् वृत्तिमात्मन:
kathaṁ nu khalu kartavyam iti cintāparastadā | babhūva bharataśreṣṭha garhayan vṛttim ātmanaḥ ||
Kemudian, tenggelam dalam renungan cemas—“Apakah sebenarnya yang harus dilakukan sekarang?”—merpati itu menjadi gelisah, wahai yang terbaik daripada keturunan Bharata, lalu mula mencela haluan tindakannya sendiri, menegur dirinya atas cara ia bertindak.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical moment of inner reckoning: when one’s actions appear questionable, dharma begins with honest self-examination—asking what ought to be done (kartavyam) and being willing to criticize one’s own conduct (vṛtti) rather than justifying it.
In Bhīṣma’s narration, the pigeon becomes downcast and mentally preoccupied, thinking, “What should I do now?” He reproaches his own behavior, indicating a crisis of conscience and a search for the correct moral response.