Shloka 20
भृगु–भरद्वाजसंवादः: वर्णभेदस्य कर्माधारितव्याख्या
Bhrigu–Bharadvaja Dialogue: A Karma-Based Account of Varṇa
इमे मां कृमयो5दन्ति येषामुद्धरणाय वै । नास्ति शक्तिरपाणित्वात् पश्यावस्थामिमां मम
ime māṁ kṛmayo ’danti yeṣām uddharaṇāya vai | nāsti śaktir apāṇitvāt paśyāvasthām imāṁ mama ||
Bhīṣma disse: “Estes vermes estão a devorar-me. Contudo, não tenho poder para removê-los e lançá-los fora — porque não tenho mãos. Contempla com os teus próprios olhos a condição miserável em que agora jazo.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the vulnerability of the embodied condition: even a mighty warrior can become helpless, reminding listeners to cultivate detachment, compassion, and steadiness in dharma rather than pride in physical power.
Bhīṣma, lying incapacitated, describes how worms are gnawing at him and how, lacking the use of hands, he cannot remove them; he asks the listener to witness his pitiable state.