Shloka 3
Gopradāna-phalasaṃprāpti: Nāciketa’s Vision of Vaivasvata’s Realms (गोप्रदानफलसम्प्राप्तिः — नाचिकेतोपाख्यानम्)
भीष्म उवाच हन्त ते वर्तयिष्यामि यथावद् भरतर्षभ । गदतस्तन्ममाद्येह शृणु सत्यपराक्रम
bhīṣma uvāca: hanta te vartayiṣyāmi yathāvad bharatarṣabha | gadataḥ tan mamādyeha śṛṇu satyaparākrama ||
Bhishma sprach: „So komm denn — o Stier unter den Bharatas —, ich will dir alles berichten, genau wie es ist. Höre heute, hier, aus meinem eigenen Mund, während ich spreche, o du, dessen Tapferkeit in der Wahrheit gründet.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse establishes the ethical frame for instruction: Bhishma promises a truthful, orderly account (yathāvat) and urges attentive listening. It highlights that dharma-teaching should be transmitted with accuracy and received with disciplined attention, grounded in truth.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instructional setting, Bhishma addresses Yudhiṣṭhira (called bharatarṣabha and satyaparākrama) and signals the start of a detailed exposition, asking him to listen as Bhishma speaks.