Shloka 1123
Dama-pradhāna-dharma (Self-restraint as the Root of Dharma) — Śānti-parva 154
पुत्रस्य नो जीवदानाज्जीवितं दातुमर्हसि । तब वे दुखी मनुष्य भगवान्को प्रणाम करके खड़े हो गये और इस प्रकार बोले --'प्रभो! इस इकलौते पुत्रसे हीन होकर हम मृतकतुल्य हो रहे हैं। आप हमारे इस पुत्रको जीवित करके हम समस्त जीवनार्थियोंको जीवनदान देनेकी कृपा करें”
putrasya no jīvadānāj jīvitaṃ dātum arhasi | tataḥ te duḥkhī manuṣyā bhagavantaṃ praṇamya sthitvā evam ūcuḥ— “prabho! asmin ekaputreṇa hīnā vayaṃ mṛtakatulyā bhavāmaḥ | bhavān asmākaṃ putraṃ jīvayitvā asmān sarvajīvanārthinaḥ jīvadānena anugṛhṇātu” |
Bhishma nói: “Khi ban lại mạng sống cho con trai chúng ta, Ngài cũng nên ban lại sự sống cho chúng ta nữa.” Bấy giờ những người đau khổ ấy cúi đầu đảnh lễ Đức Chúa, rồi đứng trước Ngài mà thưa: “Bạch Chúa Tể! Mất đứa con duy nhất này, chúng con chẳng khác nào kẻ đã chết. Xin Ngài làm cho con chúng con sống lại, và nhờ hành động ấy, xin ban ân huệ sự sống cho tất cả chúng con—những kẻ vẫn còn bám víu vào đời.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage frames compassion as a dharmic imperative: saving one life—especially of a dependent child—can be understood as restoring life and hope to an entire family. It also highlights the ethical power of humility and devotion (praṇāma) in seeking relief, presenting divine grace as responsive to sincere suffering.
A group of sorrowful people, devastated at the loss (or impending loss) of their only son, approach the Lord. After bowing respectfully, they plead for their son’s restoration to life, arguing that without him they are effectively dead; reviving him would be like granting life to all of them.