Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 24
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्तस्तु गाड़ेय: कुन्तीपुत्रेण धीमता । ददर्श भारतान् सर्वान् स्थितान् सम्परिवार्य ह
vaiśampāyana uvāca | evam uktas tu gāṅgeyaḥ kuntīputreṇa dhīmatā | dadarśa bhāratān sarvān sthitān samparivārya ha |
Vaiśampāyana said: Thus addressed by the wise son of Kuntī (Yudhiṣṭhira), Bhīṣma—the descendant of the Gaṅgā—opened his eyes and beheld all the Bhāratas standing around him, encircling him on every side.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames dharma-teaching as a solemn, communal act: the wise king (Yudhiṣṭhira) seeks guidance, the elder authority (Bhīṣma) rouses himself to respond, and the whole lineage stands as witness—implying that ethical instruction is not private opinion but a responsibility borne before society and tradition.
After Yudhiṣṭhira addresses him, Bhīṣma (Gāṅgeya) opens his eyes and looks upon the assembled Bhāratas who are standing around him on all sides, setting the stage for Bhīṣma’s ensuing discourse on dharma in the Anuśāsana Parva.