Shloka 33
अध्याय ५६ — च्यवन–कुशिकसंवादः
Cyavana–Kuśika Dialogue on Lineage, Conflict, and Transmission
त्रिदण्डं वज़सूच्यग्रं प्रतोद॑ तत्र चादधत् | सर्वमेतत् तथा दत्त्वा नृपो वाक्यमथाब्रवीत्
tridaṇḍaṃ vajrasūcyagraṃ pratodaṃ tatra cādadhat | sarvam etat tathā dattvā nṛpo vākyam athābravīt ||
Bhishma said: There he also placed a goad/whip fitted with three rods, its tip sharp like a needle of adamant. Having thus presented all these items in due form, the king then spoke—signaling the completion of the preparations and the beginning of an inquiry into their proper use and purpose.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the careful, methodical preparation of royal instruments and implies an ethical subtext: power and control (symbolized by the goad/whip) must be handled with deliberation and accountability, not impulsively.
A king completes the presentation/arrangement of equipment—specifically placing a sharp-tipped, three-rod goad/whip—and, after setting everything in order, begins to speak, indicating a transition to questioning or instruction.