Shloka 53
ब्राह्मणपूजा-राजधर्मः | Royal Duty of Honoring Learned Brahmins
एतत् तु वचन श्रुत्वा भगोस्तथ्यं प्रतर्दन:
etat tu vacanaṃ śrutvā bhagoḥ tathyaṃ pratardanaḥ | maharṣiṃ bhṛguṃ caiva yathārtha-vacanaṃ śrutvā pratardano bahu prasannaḥ san śanaiḥ śanaiḥ tayor ubhayor caraṇau spṛṣṭvā uvāca— “bhagavan! yadi evaṃ, tarhi ahaṃ kṛtakṛtyo ’smi; atra saṃśayo nāsti.”
Bhishma said: Hearing those truthful words, Pratardana was greatly delighted. With reverence he gently touched the feet of the venerable sages and said, “O Blessed one, if this is indeed so, then my purpose is fulfilled—there is no doubt of it.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Truthful instruction (tathya/yathārtha-vacana) has transformative ethical force: when a seeker receives clear, reality-aligned guidance from a worthy authority, it brings inner completion (kṛtakṛtyatā) and removes doubt.
After hearing the sages’ truthful words, Pratardana becomes pleased, approaches with humility, touches their feet as a sign of reverence, and declares that if what he has heard is true, then his aim is fulfilled and he has no remaining doubt.