Shloka 9
मुनिर्वाच धर्मनिश्चयसंयुक्तां कामार्थसहितां कथाम् | शृणुष्वावहितो राजन् गदतो मे महाभुज,मुनि बोले--महाबाहो! यह कथा धर्मके निर्णयसे युक्त तथा अर्थ और कामसे सम्पन्न है। राजन्! तुम सावधान होकर मेरे मुखसे इस कथाको सुनो
munir uvāca dharmaniścayasaṃyuktāṃ kāmārthasahitāṃ kathām | śṛṇuṣvāvahito rājan gadato me mahābhuja ||
The sage said: “O mighty-armed king, listen attentively as I speak. This narrative is grounded in a clear determination of dharma, and it is also complete with the aims of artha (worldly welfare) and kāma (rightful desire).”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames the forthcoming discourse as a balanced instruction: it clarifies dharma through firm discernment (niścaya) while also acknowledging artha and kāma as legitimate human aims when integrated under dharma.
A sage addresses a king and invites him to listen with full attention, introducing a story/discourse that will guide ethical judgment (dharma) alongside practical and human concerns (artha and kāma).