Shloka 4
Vyāghra–Gomāyu Saṃvāda (व्याघ्रगोमायु संवाद) — Testing Character Beneath Appearances
स त्वायुषि परिक्षीणे जगामानीप्सितां गतिम् । गोमायुत्वं च सम्प्रातो दूषित: पूर्वकर्मणा
sa tv āyuṣi parikṣīṇe jagāmānīpsitāṃ gatim | gomāyutvaṃ ca samprāpto dūṣitaḥ pūrvakarmaṇā ||
भीष्म उवाच—तस्य त्वायुषि परिक्षीणे जगामानीप्सितां गतिम्। गोमायुत्वं च सम्प्राप्तो दूषितः पूर्वकर्मणा॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores karmic causality: when life ends, one’s next state is shaped by prior deeds. Unethical actions can lead to an undesirable destiny, even a degraded rebirth, illustrating that moral conduct (dharma) safeguards one’s future course.
Bhīṣma describes the end of a certain person’s life: as his lifespan runs out, he departs to an unwanted fate. Because he is stained by previous actions, he is reborn as a jackal, serving as a cautionary example within Bhīṣma’s instruction.