Shloka 10
आशा-कृशता उपाख्यानम्
The Episode on the Emaciation Caused by Hope
स मृगो बाणमादाय ययावमितविक्रम: । सच राजा बलात् तूर्ण ससार मृगयूथपम्,वह मृग बहुत तेज दौड़नेवाला था। वह राजाका बाण लिये-दिये भाग निकला। राजाने भी बलपूर्वक मृगोंके उस यूथपतिका तुरंत पीछा किया
sa mṛgo bāṇam ādāya yayāv amitavikramaḥ | sa ca rājā balāt tūrṇaṃ sasāra mṛgayūthapam ||
Bhīṣma disse: “Aquele cervo, de velocidade e vigor imensuráveis, apanhou a flecha e fugiu. O rei, impelido por firme determinação, perseguiu rapidamente o líder do rebanho.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how forceful impulse and fixation (here, the king’s urgent chase) can drive action; in Śānti Parva’s ethical frame, such momentum invites reflection on restraint, proportionality, and the downstream consequences of pursuit.
A deer snatches the king’s arrow and bolts away. The king immediately gives chase, specifically pursuing the herd’s leader, setting up the next events of the episode.