Shloka 5
नृशंस-लक्षणनिर्णयः | Determining the Marks of Cruel Conduct
Nṛśaṃsa
वायुरुवाच अहमप्येवमेव त्वां कुर्वाण: शाल्मले रुषा | आत्मना यत्कृतं कृच्छे शाखानामपकर्षणम्
vāyur uvāca: aham apy evam eva tvāṁ kurvāṇaḥ śālmale ruṣā | ātmanā yat kṛtaṁ kṛcchre śākhānām apakarṣaṇam ||
وایو نے کہا—اے شالمَلی! میں بھی غصّے میں تجھے اسی حال میں پہنچانا چاہتا تھا؛ مگر شاخوں کا یہ دردناک چھن جانا تو تُو نے خود اپنے ہی ہاتھوں اپنے اوپر لے لیا ہے۔
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse stresses moral causality: suffering often arises from one’s own misguided choices. Even when an external force (like Vāyu) is involved, the deeper lesson is to avoid pride and rashness, since one’s own conduct can invite ruin.
Vāyu addresses the Śālmali tree, saying that in anger he intended to punish it, but the tree has effectively brought the painful loss of its branches upon itself; thus it has become subject to Vāyu’s power and force.