Shloka 19
Adhyāya 118: Saciva-parīkṣā
Testing and Appointment of Ministers/Servants
(चिन्तयामास च तदा शरभ: श्वानपूर्वकः । अस्य प्रभावात् सम्प्राप्तो वाड्मात्रेण तु केवलम् ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | cintayāmāsa ca tadā śarabhaḥ śvānapūrvakaḥ | asya prabhāvāt samprāpto vāṅmātreṇa tu kevalam || śarabhatvaṃ suduṣprāpaṃ sarvabhūtabhayaṅkaram || anye 'py atra bhayatrastāḥ santi hastibhayārditāḥ | munim āśritya jīvanto mṛgāḥ pakṣigaṇās tathā | teṣām api kadācic ca śarabhatvaṃ prayacchati || sarvasattvottamaṃ loke balaṃ yatra pratiṣṭhitam | pakṣiṇām apy ayaṃ dadyāt kadācit gāruḍaṃ balam || yāvad anyasya samprītaḥ kāruṇyaṃ ca samāśritaḥ | na dadāti balaṃ tuṣṭaḥ sattvasyānyasya kasyacit || tāvad enam ahaṃ vipraṃ vadhiṣyāmi ca śīghrataḥ | sthātuṃ mayā śakyam iha munighātān na saṃśayaḥ || tatas tena tapaḥśaktyā vidito jñānacakṣuṣā |
毗湿摩说：于是，那沙罗婆——前世本为犬——心中盘算：“凭此牟尼之威德，仅以其一言，我便得此极难得之沙罗婆身，令一切众生皆生怖畏。此处亦有许多鹿群与鸟群，依止牟尼庇护而活，常为象等猛害所惊扰。或许他日，他也会赐予它们沙罗婆之形，使其具足世间众生之上胜力。甚至，他也可能赐鸟类以如迦楼罗（Garuḍa）般的威力。因此，在他因慈悲而悦于他生，尚未将此等力量赐与旁人之前，我当速杀此婆罗门牟尼。牟尼既死，我便可在此无惧而居，毫无疑问。” 随后，牟尼以苦行之力，并以智慧之眼，洞知其意。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power gained through another’s grace can breed arrogance and fear-driven cruelty; plotting harm against a benefactor—especially a sage—is portrayed as grave adharma, and spiritual insight (tapas, jñānacakṣuṣ) is shown as a safeguard that exposes hidden malice.
A creature who has been transformed into the formidable Śarabha by a sage’s mere words becomes anxious that the sage might grant similar power to other protected animals; to preserve his dominance, he resolves to kill the sage, but the sage perceives the intention through ascetic knowledge.