Shloka 13
Puruṣaikatva-vyākhyāna: The One Virāṭ Puruṣa and the Many ‘Puruṣas’
Rudra–Brahmā Saṃvāda
भीष्म उवाच देवानां तु मतं ज्ञात्वा वसुना पक्षसंश्रयात्
bhīṣma uvāca devānāṁ tu mataṁ jñātvā vasunā pakṣasaṁśrayāt
Bhishma sprach: Nachdem er den Willen der Götter erkannt und bei der Seite Vasus Zuflucht genommen hatte (sich also Vasus Partei anschloss), handelte er im Einklang mit jenem göttlichen Entschluss—und zeigte, wie die Wahl der Gefolgschaft, wenn sie von höherem Rat geleitet ist, den Lauf von Pflicht und Dharma prägt.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that discerning higher counsel (the gods’ intention) and then choosing one’s alignment accordingly can be a decisive ethical act; ‘taking a side’ is not merely political but can be framed as a dharmic commitment shaped by insight into a larger moral order.
Bhishma, continuing his instruction in the Shanti Parva, refers to someone who first understands the resolve of the gods and then aligns with Vasu’s side—indicating a deliberate choice of faction based on perceived divine intention.