Shloka 27
Śakra–Śambara Saṃvāda: Brāhmaṇa-sevā, Anasūyā, and Vāg-bala (शक्रशम्बरसंवादः)
दुर्ग्राह्मो मुष्टिना वायुर्दु:स्पर्श: पाणिना शशी । दुर्धरा पृथिवी राजन दुर्जया ब्राह्मणा भुवि
durgrahmo muṣṭinā vāyur duḥsparśaḥ pāṇinā śaśī | durdharā pṛthivī rājan durjayā brāhmaṇā bhuvi ||
Bhīṣma nói: “Tâu Đại vương, cũng như thật khó nắm bắt gió trong nắm tay, chạm tới mặt trăng bằng bàn tay, hay nhấc bổng trái đất lên, thì trên cõi đời này, việc khuất phục các Bà-la-môn cũng khó khăn đến thế.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should not presume that spiritual authority and dharmic strength can be subdued like worldly opponents; brāhmaṇas, protected by learning, austerity, and dharma, are ‘hard to conquer’ and must be approached with respect and restraint.
Bhīṣma is instructing the king (Yudhiṣṭhira in the Anuśāsana Parva context) on proper conduct and governance, using vivid impossibilities—grasping wind, touching the moon, lifting the earth—to emphasize the futility and danger of trying to overpower brāhmaṇas.