Shloka 18
Bhīṣma–Śiśupāla-saṃvādaḥ
Bhishma and Shishupala’s exchange in the assembly
न गाथागाथिनं शास्ति बहु चेदपि गायति । प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि भूलिड्गशकुनिर्यथा
na gāthā-gāthinaṃ śāsti bahu ced api gāyati | prakṛtiṃ yānti bhūtāni bhūliṅga-śakunir yathā ||
Không ai có thể thực sự dạy dỗ kẻ chỉ biết hát lời ca, dẫu hắn có lặp đi lặp lại bao nhiêu lần. Muôn loài cứ theo bản tính bẩm sinh của mình—như chim bhūliṅga vậy.
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts that repeated instruction or recitation does not transform someone whose conduct is governed by fixed innate nature (prakṛti); beings tend to act according to their disposition, illustrated by the instinct-driven bhūliṅga bird.
In Śiśupāla’s speech during the royal assembly context of the Sabha Parva, he uses a proverb-like comparison to argue that counsel is ineffective against ingrained character, reinforcing his critical, dismissive stance toward moral persuasion.