एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline
आदावेव हि तच्छास्त्रमोंकारस्वरपूजितम् । ऋषिभ: श्रावितं यत्र तत्र कारुणिको हासौ
ādāveva hi tacchāstram oṃkārasvarapūjitam | ṛṣibhiḥ śrāvitaṃ yatra tatra kāruṇiko hāsau ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „Von Anbeginn wird jene heilige Lehre mit dem Laut Oṃ geehrt. Es ist die Unterweisung, die die Rishis selbst hörbar gemacht haben; und wo immer sie so gelehrt und aufgenommen wird, entsteht eine mitleidvolle, sanfte Freude.“
भीष्म उवाच
Sacred instruction (śāstra) is to be approached with reverence, beginning with the sanctifying utterance of Oṃ, and understood as a living oral tradition handed down by ṛṣis; such a mode of learning cultivates a gentle, compassionate disposition rather than harshness.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues teaching by praising the sanctity and proper reception of authoritative doctrine: it is traditionally introduced with Oṃ and transmitted through the seers’ recitation, producing a mood of humane, compassionate joy in the listener.