Shloka 6
Adhyāya 118: Saciva-parīkṣā
Testing and Appointment of Ministers/Servants
कदाचिद् भ्रममाणस्य हस्तिन: सम्मुखं तदा | ऋषेस्तस्योटजस्थस्य कालोडगच्छन्निशानिशम्,कभी-कभी वह हाथी आश्रमवासी ऋषिके सामने भी घूमा करता था। इस तरह उसका कितनी ही रातोंका समय व्यतीत हो गया
kadācid bhramamāṇasya hastinaḥ sammukhaṃ tadā | ṛṣes tasyōṭajasthasya kālo ’gacchann niśāniśam |
Bhīṣma nói: Có lúc, khi con voi lang thang, nó lại đi thẳng đến trước mặt vị ẩn sĩ sống trong am. Cứ thế, đêm này qua đêm khác, thời gian lặng lẽ trôi đi.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how repeated actions and proximity over time can normalize behavior and set the stage for ethical consequences; vigilance and discipline are needed so that habit does not quietly become harm.
An elephant, roaming about, repeatedly comes before a sage living in a hut; as this continues night after night, a significant span of time passes, preparing the context for what follows in the episode.