Shloka 20
कपिलगोसंवादे गृहस्थ-त्यागधर्मयोः प्रमाण्यविचारः
Kapila–Cow Dialogue: Authority of Householder and Renunciant Dharmas
तस्य सम स्थाणुभूतस्य निर्विचिष्टस्य भारत । कुलिड्भशशकुनौ राजन् नीडं शिरसि चक्रतु:,भरतनन्दन! वे चेष्टाशून्य होनेके कारण किसी ढूँठे पेड़के समान जान पड़ते थे। राजन! उस समय उनके सिरपर गौरैया पक्षीके एक जोड़ेने अपने रहनेके लिये एक घोंसला बना लिया
tasya sama-sthāṇu-bhūtasya nirviciṣṭasya bhārata | kuliḍbha-śaśa-kunau rājan nīḍaṃ śirasi cakratuḥ ||
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai Bhārata, dia telah menjadi tidak bergerak seperti tunggul pokok, sama sekali tidak memberi reaksi. Wahai Raja, sepasang burung kecil membuat sarang di atas kepalanya sebagai tempat tinggal.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates extreme stillness and withdrawal from outward activity: when a person becomes utterly motionless and unreactive, even nature treats him like an inanimate support. It serves as a narrative marker for deep detachment and self-mastery, often used to highlight the power (and potential risks) of intense ascetic absorption.
Bhīṣma describes someone who has become so motionless—like a stump—that a pair of small birds builds a nest on his head, assuming he will not move. The image emphasizes how completely inactive and unresponsive he appears.