Shloka 366
Śara-śayyā-sthita-bhīṣma-saṃvāda-prastāvaḥ
The Prelude to Questioning Bhīṣma on the Bed of Arrows
तस्माद् वक्त व्यमेवेदं त्वयावश्यमशेषत: । राजन्! आप इन राजाओंको उसी प्रकार उत्तम नीतिका उपेदश करें
tasmād vaktavyam evedaṃ tvayāvaśyam aśeṣataḥ | rājan! āp imān rājāno'pi tathā uttama-nīti-kopadeśaṃ kuryāḥ, yathā pitā sva-putraṃ sad-dharme śikṣayati | tvaṃ devān ṛṣīṃś ca sadā upāsitavān asi; tasmāt tvayāvaśyaṃ sarva-dharmopadeśaḥ kartavyaḥ |
Darum musst du, o König, diese Lehre gewiss vollständig verkünden, ohne etwas auszulassen. Wie ein Vater seinen Sohn im rechten Dharma unterweist, so sollst du diese Könige in den höchsten Grundsätzen der nīti, der Staatskunst und der Ethik beraten. Da du stets die Götter verehrt und die ṛṣis geehrt hast, ist es deine Pflicht, die vollständige Unterweisung über das Dharma zu erteilen.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king who has cultivated reverence for gods and sages is obligated to teach dharma fully—especially the highest standards of ethical governance—guiding other rulers as a father guides a son.
Vāyudeva addresses a king and urges him to deliver complete instruction on dharma and sound policy to the assembled kings, grounding the authority to teach in the king’s lifelong devotion and respect for divine and sage traditions.