Shloka 4
Adhyāya 118: Saciva-parīkṣā
Testing and Appointment of Ministers/Servants
ततो5नयत् कुण्जरत्वं व्याप्रं तमृषिसत्तम: । महामेघनिभं दृष्टवा स भीतो हाभवद् गज:,तब उन मुनिश्रेष्ने उस बाघको हाथी बना दिया। उस महामेघके समान हाथीको देखकर वह जंगली हाथी भयभीत होकर भाग गया
tato ’nayad kuñjaratvaṁ vyāghraṁ tam ṛṣisattamaḥ | mahāmeghanibhaṁ dṛṣṭvā sa bhīto hābhavad gajaḥ ||
Rồi vị đại hiền ấy biến con hổ thành một con voi. Thấy con voi to lớn, đen sẫm như mây mưa vần vũ, con voi hoang liền hoảng sợ và bỏ chạy.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how dharmic restraint can be achieved through the moral-spiritual authority of a sage: instead of allowing violence to proceed, the seer’s power redirects the situation so that harm is avoided. It points to tapas used for protection and the upholding of order rather than for cruelty.
Bhishma narrates that a foremost sage changes a tiger into an elephant. When a wild elephant sees this huge, cloud-like elephant, it becomes afraid and runs away—showing how the sage’s intervention prevents further danger.