Shloka 58
Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā
Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative
ऋणशेषमग्निशेषं शत्रुशेषं तथैव च । पुन: पुन: प्रवर्धन्ते तस्माच्छेषं न धारयेत्,“ऋण, अग्नि और शत्रुमेंसे कुछ बाकी रह जाय तो वह बारंबार बढ़ता रहता है; इसलिये इनमेंसे किसीको शेष नहीं छोड़ना चाहिये
ṛṇaśeṣam agniśeṣaṃ śatruśeṣaṃ tathaiva ca | punaḥ punaḥ pravardhante tasmāc cheṣaṃ na dhārayet ||
Bhīṣma nói: Nếu còn sót lại chút nào của món nợ, của ngọn lửa, hay của kẻ thù, thì nó sẽ nhiều lần bùng lên và lớn mạnh trở lại. Vì thế, chớ giữ lại “phần dư” của ba điều ấy—đừng để chúng dang dở.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Unresolved dangers and obligations tend to return and intensify: an unpaid debt accumulates, a half-extinguished fire flares up, and a partially defeated enemy regroups. Hence, one should complete what must be completed—settle debts, fully put out fires, and do not leave hostile threats in a state where they can revive.
In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and statecraft. This verse is a concise maxim within that counsel, emphasizing prudent, preventative action in governance and personal conduct.