Shloka 5
Śiśupāla-janma-lakṣaṇaṃ (Śiśupāla’s birth marks and the prophecy of his end)
इत्युक्तवति धर्मज्ञे धर्मराजे युधिष्ठिरे । उवाचेदं वचो भीष्मस्तत: कुरुपितामह:,धर्मके ज्ञाता धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरके ऐसा कहनेपर कुरुकुलपितामह भीष्मजी इस प्रकार बोले--
ity uktavati dharmajñe dharmarāje yudhiṣṭhire | uvācedaṁ vaco bhīṣmas tataḥ kurupitāmahaḥ ||
When the righteous king Yudhiṣṭhira—knower of dharma—had spoken thus, Bhīṣma, the grandsire of the Kuru line, then replied with these words.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical structure of Mahābhārata discourse: a dharma-grounded statement by a righteous king invites a response from an elder authority. It underscores that dharma is clarified through respectful dialogue, where experience and lineage-based wisdom (Bhīṣma as Kurupitāmaha) interprets and guides royal conduct.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that after Yudhiṣṭhira has spoken, Bhīṣma begins his reply. The verse functions as a transition marker, shifting the speaker from Yudhiṣṭhira to Bhīṣma and signaling the start of Bhīṣma’s counsel in the ongoing discussion.