Shloka 7
Adhyāya 118: Saciva-parīkṣā
Testing and Appointment of Ministers/Servants
अथाजगाम तं देशं केसरी केसरारुण: । गिरिकन्दरजो भीम: सिंहो नागकुलान्तक:
athājagāma taṃ deśaṃ kesarī kesarāruṇaḥ | girikandarajo bhīmaḥ siṃho nāgakulāntakaḥ ||
Bhīṣma nói: Rồi một con sư tử đến vùng ấy—bờm nó ánh đỏ vàng. Sinh ra trong hang núi, con sư tử ghê gớm ấy như một tai kiếp được định sẵn cho các bầy voi, kẻ diệt vong dòng giống của chúng.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse evokes a moral contrast between mere power and righteous restraint: a fearsome predator can become ‘death’ for entire groups when strength operates without dharmic governance. In the broader Śānti-parvan context, such imagery supports reflection on how rulers and the strong must curb destructive impulses and protect communities.
A tawny-maned lion arrives in a certain region. It is described as cave-born, terrifying, and a destroyer of elephant clans—setting a vivid scene of impending devastation and establishing the lion as a formidable, ominous force within the story.