Shloka 21
अध्याय १७८ — प्राणवायुगतिः तथा शारीराग्निव्यवस्था
Adhyāya 178 — The courses of prāṇa-vāyu and the regulation of the bodily fire
अहो नु मम बालिश्यं यो5हं क्रीडनकस्तव । कि नैवं जातु पुरुष: परेषां प्रेष्यतामियात्,“अहो! यह मेरी कैसी नादानी है? जो मैं तेरे हाथका खिलौना बना हुआ हूँ। यदि ऐसी बात न होती तो क्या कोई समझदार पुरुष कभी दूसरोंकी दासता स्वीकार कर सकता है?
aho nu mama bāliśyaṃ yo 'haṃ krīḍanakas tava | ki naivaṃ jātu puruṣaḥ pareṣāṃ preṣyatām iyāt ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Aduhai, betapa bodohnya aku—hingga aku menjadi mainan di tanganmu. Jika tidak demikian, bagaimana mungkin seorang yang berakal akan rela menerima perhambaan kepada orang lain?”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A discerning person should not surrender their agency and dignity into another’s control; accepting servitude born of weakness or delusion is portrayed as a moral and practical error.
Bhishma, speaking in the Shanti Parva, reflects with remorse on having allowed himself to be treated as another’s instrument—likening himself to a toy—and condemns the very idea that a wise man would willingly accept such subjugation.