Shloka 9
Janamejaya’s Appeal for Pacification and Śaunaka’s Counsel on Humility (जनमेजय-शौनक संवादः)
तस्य तद् वचन श्रुत्वा शकुनेर्लुब्धको<ब्रवीत् । बाधते खलु मे शीतं संत्राणं हि विधीयताम्,कबूतरकी यह बात सुनकर व्याधने कहा--“इस समय मुझे सर्दीका कष्ट है; अतः इससे बचानेका कोई उपाय करो'
tasya tad vacanaṁ śrutvā śakuner lubdhako 'bravīt | bādhate khalu me śītaṁ saṁtrāṇaṁ hi vidhīyatām ||
毗湿摩说道：听了鸽子的言语，那猎人——沙昆尼的爪牙——答道：“此刻寒冷实在折磨我；因此请为我安排遮护。”在此段故事的伦理框架中，追逐者把诉求从暴力转为自身所需，试探慈悲与责任是否也会施及那威胁他人之人。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic test: whether one’s duty of compassion and protection (saṁtrāṇa) is offered impartially, even when the requester is connected to harm or pursuit. Ethical conduct is measured by consistency under pressure.
After hearing the dove’s words, the hunter—linked to Shakuni—speaks up, complaining of the cold and asking for shelter. The request reframes the encounter from chasing prey to seeking relief, setting up a moral dilemma about how to treat the pursuer.