Shloka 17
निष्पत्रमफलं शुष्कमशरण्यं पतत्रिणाम् | किमर्थ सेवसे वृक्ष यदा महदिदं वनम्
niṣpatram aphalaṃ śuṣkam aśaraṇyaṃ patatriṇām | kimarthaṃ sevase vṛkṣa yadā mahad idaṃ vanam ||
Bhishma nói: “Này Shuka! Cây này không lá, không quả, đã khô kiệt; chẳng còn là nơi nương náu cho loài chim. Khi cả khu rừng rộng lớn này vẫn còn đó, cớ sao ngươi lại bám víu vào cái gốc cây này?”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should seek worthy support and wholesome company: clinging to what is barren, dried, and incapable of giving shelter or benefit is irrational when better, life-giving alternatives are available. The verse pushes discernment (viveka) in choosing one’s refuge—materially and morally.
Bhishma addresses Śuka and questions his choice of staying with or relying on a useless, withered tree that cannot provide leaves, fruit, or shelter for birds, despite the presence of a vast forest. The image functions as a moral prompt about why one would attach oneself to an unhelpful support.