Shloka 1123
Dama-pradhāna-dharma (Self-restraint as the Root of Dharma) — Śānti-parva 154
पुत्रस्य नो जीवदानाज्जीवितं दातुमर्हसि । तब वे दुखी मनुष्य भगवान्को प्रणाम करके खड़े हो गये और इस प्रकार बोले --'प्रभो! इस इकलौते पुत्रसे हीन होकर हम मृतकतुल्य हो रहे हैं। आप हमारे इस पुत्रको जीवित करके हम समस्त जीवनार्थियोंको जीवनदान देनेकी कृपा करें”
putrasya no jīvadānāj jīvitaṃ dātum arhasi | tataḥ te duḥkhī manuṣyā bhagavantaṃ praṇamya sthitvā evam ūcuḥ— “prabho! asmin ekaputreṇa hīnā vayaṃ mṛtakatulyā bhavāmaḥ | bhavān asmākaṃ putraṃ jīvayitvā asmān sarvajīvanārthinaḥ jīvadānena anugṛhṇātu” |
Bhishma berkata: “Dengan mengurniakan hidup kepada anak kami, Engkau juga patut mengurniakan hidup kepada kami.” Lalu orang-orang yang dilanda dukacita itu menunduk menyembah Tuhan, berdiri di hadapan-Nya dan berkata: “Wahai Tuan! Tanpa anak tunggal ini, kami seakan-akan sudah mati. Mohon hidupkanlah kembali anak kami, dan dengan perbuatan itu kurniakanlah anugerah kehidupan kepada kami semua yang masih berpaut pada hidup.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage frames compassion as a dharmic imperative: saving one life—especially of a dependent child—can be understood as restoring life and hope to an entire family. It also highlights the ethical power of humility and devotion (praṇāma) in seeking relief, presenting divine grace as responsive to sincere suffering.
A group of sorrowful people, devastated at the loss (or impending loss) of their only son, approach the Lord. After bowing respectfully, they plead for their son’s restoration to life, arguing that without him they are effectively dead; reviving him would be like granting life to all of them.