Shloka 10
आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः
Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca
एतद् वै सर्वकृत्यानां परं कृत्यं परंतप । नैतस्य कश्रिद् वक्तास्ति श्रोता वापि सुदुर्लभ:
etad vai sarvakṛtyānāṃ paraṃ kṛtyaṃ parantapa | naitasya kaścid vaktāsti śrotā vāpi sudurlabhaḥ ||
যুধিষ্ঠিৰে ক’লে— হে পৰন্তপ! সকলো কৰ্তব্যৰ ভিতৰত এইটোৱেই পৰম কৰ্তব্য। এই বিষয়ে ক’ব পৰা বক্তা মেলে নাহে; আৰু শুনিব পৰা যোগ্য শ্ৰোতাও অতি দুৰ্লভ। সেয়ে, হে পিতামহ, আপুনি ইয়াক ভালদৰে অনুসন্ধান কৰি সমগ্ৰ বিষয়টো মোক কওক।
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates a particular inquiry into dharma as the ‘highest duty’ and stresses that true instruction and genuine receptivity are both rare; therefore one should seek an authoritative, disciplined elder-teacher and request a careful, complete exposition.
In Śānti Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira continues his questioning of Bhīṣma (the grandsire) about the highest principles of conduct. He emphasizes the exceptional difficulty of finding a qualified teacher and listener for this subject and urges Bhīṣma to examine it thoroughly and teach him.