Shloka 39
Śara-śayyā-sthita-bhīṣma-saṃvāda-prastāvaḥ
The Prelude to Questioning Bhīṣma on the Bed of Arrows
तस्मात् पुन्रनैश्न पौत्रैश्न धर्मान् पृष्टानू सनातनान् | विद्वाञ्जिज्ञासमानैस्त्वं प्रब्रूहि भरतर्षभ
tasmāt punar naiśnau pautraiś ca dharmān pṛṣṭān anu sanātanān | vidvān jijñāsamānais tvaṃ prabrūhi bharatarṣabha ||
„Darum, o Stier unter den Bharatas, sprich noch einmal die ewigen, uralten Grundsätze des Dharma aus, nach denen gefragt wurde – gefragt von den Enkeln und von Naiśna –, denn du bist weise und sie verlangen nach Erkenntnis.“
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes that dharma is ‘sanātana’—a perennial moral order—and that the wise should articulate it clearly when sincere seekers inquire, especially in response to specific questions.
Vāyudeva urges a respected Bharata elder/teacher to speak again and explain the eternal dharmas that have been asked about by Naiśna and the grandsons, highlighting the teacher’s learning and the listeners’ desire to understand.