Shloka 40
कांक्षामस्तु वयं सर्वे वरं दातुं महर्षिणा । षष्ठ: शिष्यो न ते ख्यातिं गच्छेदत्र प्रसीद न:,“हम सब लोग यह चाहते हैं कि महर्षि एक वरदान दें, वह यह कि आपका कोई छठा शिष्य प्रसिद्ध न हो। यहाँ हमलोगोंपर इतनी ही कृपा कीजिये
kāṅkṣāmastu vayaṃ sarve varaṃ dātuṃ maharṣiṇā | ṣaṣṭhaḥ śiṣyo na te khyātiṃ gacched atra prasīda naḥ ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „Wir alle wünschen inständig, dass der große Weise einen Segen gewähre—nämlich, dass kein sechster Schüler von dir zu Ruhm gelange. Sei uns hierin gnädig.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral tension around fame (khyāti) and spiritual authority: disciples and onlookers may seek to regulate renown through a boon, implying that reputation can become a source of rivalry, pride, or disturbance, and that restraint over public acclaim is valued in a dharmic setting.
Bhīṣma voices a collective request to a great sage: they want the sage to grant a boon such that the sage’s ‘sixth disciple’ will not become renowned. It is framed as a plea for the sage’s favor, suggesting a negotiated or precautionary request within an ascetic-disciple context.