Shloka 5
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Grief, Kṛṣṇa’s Consolation, and Vyāsa’s Admonition (युधिष्ठिरशोक-निवारणोपदेशः)
श्रुताश्ष॒ राजधर्मास्ति भीष्माद् भागीरथीसुतात् । कृष्णद्वैपायनाच्चैव नारदाद् विदुरात् तथा
śrutāś ca rājadharmās te bhīṣmād bhāgīrathī-sutāt | kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyanāc caiva nāradād vidurāt tathā ||
Vaiśampāyana said: You have already heard the principles of kingship and governance from Bhīṣma, the son of the Bhāgīrathī (Gaṅgā). Likewise, you have received instruction on duty and right conduct from Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa, from the divine seer Nārada, and also from Vidura. The narrative underscores that true rulership is grounded in repeatedly learning dharma from authoritative, ethically exemplary teachers.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Righteous governance (rājadharma) is not self-invented; it is learned through attentive listening to established authorities—Bhīṣma, Vyāsa, Nārada, and Vidura—whose counsel embodies ethical and practical wisdom for rulers.
Vaiśampāyana reminds the listener that they have already received extensive instruction on kingship and duty from renowned teachers. This functions as a transition, situating the current discussion within a broader continuum of dharma-teachings in the epic.