Shloka 2
गोशकृन्माहात्म्य-प्रश्नः (On the Merit of Cow-Dung and the Abode of Śrī) / Inquiry into the Sanctity of Cow-Dung
सर्वलोकचरं सिद्ध ब्रह्यकोशं सनातनम् । पुरोहितमभिप्रष्टमभिवाद्योपचक्रमे
sarvalokacaraṁ siddha brahmakōśaṁ sanātanam | purohitam abhipraṣṭam abhivādya upacakrame ||
Bhishma said: “O King, once it happened that the Ikshvaku-descended ruler Saudāsa—renowned among speakers—approached the sage Vasiṣṭha, his family priest: a perfected and eternal seer, a treasury of Vedic wisdom, and one who moved freely through all worlds. Having bowed to him in reverence, Saudāsa began to question him in this manner.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical protocol of learning: a ruler seeking guidance should approach a realized teacher (purohita/ṛṣi) with humility and reverence, and then inquire. Right questioning, preceded by respect, is presented as the proper doorway to dharma and wise governance.
Bhishma begins a past episode: King Saudāsa of the Ikshvaku line approaches his priest-sage Vasiṣṭha, salutes him, and starts asking questions—setting up a didactic dialogue on conduct and duty.