Shloka 9
शल्मलि–पवनसंवादः
The Dialogue of Śalmali and Pavana
उदतिष्ठत संघर्षात् सुमहान् हव्यवाहन: । तद् वन॑ वृक्षसम्पूर्ण लताविटपसंकुलम्
udatiṣṭhata saṅgharṣāt sumahān havyavāhanaḥ | tad vanaṁ vṛkṣasampūrṇaṁ latāviṭapasaṅkulam ||
Bhishma berkata: Daripada geseran yang ganas itu bangkitlah api yang amat besar—Havyavahana, pembawa persembahan korban. Hutan yang padat dengan pepohon serta berselirat dengan sulur dan rimbunan dahan itu disambar nyala, memperlihatkan bahawa daya yang tidak dibendung dapat dengan cepat menghanguskan bahkan apa yang tampak melimpah dan kukuh.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the image of fire born from friction to suggest that conflict and uncontrolled force can quickly escalate and destroy even a flourishing environment; it implicitly commends restraint and foresight as ethical safeguards.
Bhīṣma describes a great fire arising from intense friction and spreading into a forest thick with trees, creepers, and branches, setting the scene for an illustrative example about how destructive power can propagate through dense conditions.