Shloka 52
उषितं शड्कमानेन प्रमादं परिरक्षता । अन्तःसर्प इवागारे वीरपत्न्या इवालये
uṣitaṃ ṣaḍkamānena pramādaṃ parirakṣatā | antaḥsarpa ivāgāre vīrapatnyā ivālaye
Bhishma berkata: “Hendaklah seseorang hidup dengan kewaspadaan enam lapis, menjaga diri dengan cermat daripada kelalaian—seperti ular yang tersembunyi di dalam rumah, atau seperti isteri pahlawan di dalam kediaman—sentiasa berjaga, menahan diri, dan peka terhadap bahaya.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that one must actively guard against pramāda (heedlessness). Ethical life requires sustained vigilance and self-restraint, because danger and moral downfall can arise subtly from within one’s own environment and habits.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct. Here he uses vivid similes—a concealed snake in a house and the guarded presence of a warrior’s wife at home—to stress constant alertness and careful living.