Shloka 16
Gautama–Yama Saṃvāda: Mātṛ-Pitṛ-Ṛṇa (Debt to Parents) and Śubha-Loka Attainment
कि नु ज्यायस्तरं लोके महत्त्वात् प्रतिभाति वः । एतदिच्छामि तत्त्वेन श्रीतुं किमिह दुर्लभम्
ki nu jyāyastaraṃ loke mahattvāt pratibhāti vaḥ | etad icchāmi tattvena śrotuṃ kim iha durlabham ||
Bhishma said: “Tell me—what appears greater in this world when judged by true greatness? I wish to hear the truth of it. If, on one side, there is a man sustained by hope, and on the other, the boundless sky, which of the two do you consider the greater? Having come to you, fortunate and austere sages, what could remain difficult to obtain—especially clarity about this doubt?”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical-philosophical inquiry into what constitutes true 'greatness' (mahattva): is vastness and external magnitude (the infinite sky) greater, or the inner human capacity sustained by hope and aspiration? Bhishma seeks a principled, reality-based answer (tattvena), emphasizing discernment rather than mere appearance.
In the Shanti Parva’s reflective setting, Bhishma addresses revered ascetics/sages and poses a doubt he wants resolved. He asks them to judge, by the standard of greatness, between an ‘hopeful man’ and the ‘endless sky,’ indicating his reliance on their tapas-backed insight to settle a subtle question.