उपदेशदोषप्रसङ्गः (Upadeśa-doṣa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Risk of Misapplied Counsel
एतदिच्छामि तत्त्वेन व्याख्यातुं वै पितामह । सूक्ष्मा गतिर्हिं धर्मस्य यत्र मुहान्ति मानवा:
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: etad icchāmi tattvena vyākhyātuṃ vai pitāmaha | sūkṣmā gatir hi dharmasya yatra muhyanti mānavāḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Grandfather, I wish you to explain this matter in accordance with the truth. For the course of dharma is subtle—so subtle that people become deluded about it.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Dharma is not always obvious; its true course can be subtle, so one should seek careful, truthful explanation from a reliable authority before judging right and wrong.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Bhīṣma as ‘Grandfather’ and requests a precise clarification on a moral issue, acknowledging that people often become confused when trying to determine what dharma requires.