Shloka 36
मृत्यु-काल-प्रबोधनम् (Instruction on Mortality, Time, and Truth) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 169
बाणवेधे परं यत्नमकरोच्चैव गौतम: । चक्राड्रानू स च नित्यं वै सर्वतो वनगोचरान्
bāṇavedhe paraṃ yatnam akaroc caiva gautamaḥ | cakrāḍrānū sa ca nityaṃ vai sarvato vanagocarān |
Bhīṣma disse: “Gautama empenhou-se intensamente na prática do arco, buscando a excelência em atingir o alvo. Depois, vagando diariamente pela floresta em todas as direções como um saqueador, entregou-se à caça—tornando-se hábil na violência, desprovido de compaixão e sempre inclinado a tirar a vida das criaturas.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage contrasts disciplined skill (archery practice) with its ethical misuse: when ability is driven by cruelty and lack of compassion, it becomes a vehicle for adharma. It implicitly warns that technical excellence must be guided by restraint and mercy.
Bhīṣma describes a man named Gautama who trains hard in marksmanship and then habitually roams the forest hunting, behaving like a bandit—skilled in harming living beings and constantly seeking opportunities to kill.