Shloka 14
भृगु–भरद्वाजसंवादः: वर्णभेदस्य कर्माधारितव्याख्या
Bhrigu–Bharadvaja Dialogue: A Karma-Based Account of Varṇa
अथ येषां पुन: पाणी देवदत्तौ दशाड्गुली । उद्धरन्ति कृमीनड्रादू दशतो निकषन्ति च
atha yeṣāṃ punaḥ pāṇī devadattau daśāṅgulī | uddharanti kṛmīn aḍrādū daśato nikaṣanti ca |
Bhīṣma disse: “Mas aqueles que possuem duas mãos —dádiva divina, providas de dez dedos— usam os próprios membros para afastar ou esmagar os vermes que os mordem.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
When one has been endowed with ability and means (symbolized by two ten-fingered hands), one should exercise personal effort to remove harm. Dharma here emphasizes responsible agency—using one’s capacities to prevent or end suffering rather than yielding passively.
In Bhishma’s instruction discourse in the Śānti Parva, he uses a concrete image: a person with hands can brush off or crush biting worms. The example supports a broader ethical argument that the capable should act to counter threats and protect life.