Shloka 6
Gautama–Yama Saṃvāda: Mātṛ-Pitṛ-Ṛṇa (Debt to Parents) and Śubha-Loka Attainment
एतदिच्छामहे श्रीतुं कुतः प्राप्तोडसि मानद । कस्मिन् कुले तु जातस्त्वं किंनामा चासि ब्रूहि नः
etad icchāmahe śrotuṁ kutaḥ prāpto 'si mānada | kasmin kule tu jātas tvaṁ kiṁnāmā cāsi brūhi naḥ ||
„Wir wünschen dies zu hören: Woher bist du gekommen, o Spender der Ehre? In welcher Linie wurdest du geboren, und wie lautet dein Name? Sage es uns.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic mode of engagement: before judging or advising, one first seeks proper knowledge—origin, lineage, and name—so that speech and conduct can be appropriate to context and relationship.
Bhīṣma addresses an interlocutor respectfully and asks introductory questions—where the person has come from, what family they belong to, and what their name is—setting the stage for a fuller account and subsequent instruction.