Shloka 9
Adhyāya 179 — Bharadvāja’s Reductionist Inquiry into Jīva and Pañcabhūta Dissolution
सामिषं कुररं दृष्टवा वध्यमानं निरामिषै: । आमिषस्य परित्यागात् कुरर: सुखमेधते
sāmiṣaṃ kuraraṃ dṛṣṭvā vadhyamānaṃ nirāmiṣaiḥ | āmiṣasya parityāgāt kuraraḥ sukham edhate ||
भीष्म उवाच—सामिषं कुररं दृष्ट्वा वध्यमानं निरामिषैः। आमिषस्य परित्यागात् कुररः सुखमेधते॥ तस्माद् भोगामिषत्यागेन स कुररः प्रसन्नचित्तः सुखं विवर्धते; वैराग्योपदेशकत्वात् स गुरुरिवाभवत्॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Attachment to tempting possessions (āmiṣa, ‘bait’) invites conflict and suffering; relinquishing the object of craving removes the cause of harassment and brings peace—an ethical lesson in vairāgya (detachment).
A kurara bird flying with a piece of meat is attacked by other birds; when it drops the meat, the attackers stop, and the bird becomes safe and content—serving as an illustrative ‘guru’ for renouncing enjoyments.