Shloka 7
बक-गौतमाख्यानम् / The Baka–Gautama Account
On Gratitude and Friendship Ethics
वैशम्पायन उवाच तस्य तद् वचन श्रुत्वा माद्रीपुत्रस्य धीमतः । स तु कौशलसंयुक्तं सूक्ष्मचित्रार्थसम्मतम्
vaiśampāyana uvāca | tasya tad vacanaṃ śrutvā mādrīputrasya dhīmataḥ | sa tu kauśalasaṃyuktaṃ sūkṣmacitrārthasammatam |
Vaiśampāyana said: Hearing those words of the wise son of Mādrī (Nakula), Bhīṣma—learned in dharma and fully accomplished in the science of archery, lying upon his bed of arrows—recognized that the statement was not only skillfully framed but also subtle and rich with nuanced meaning. He then began to reply to Nakula, the high-minded disciple trained by Droṇa, in speech marked by a pleasing tone and well-formed syllables.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical ideal of thoughtful discourse: a good question or statement should be skillful in expression and subtle in meaning, and a true teacher responds with clarity, refinement, and dharma-grounded understanding.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Nakula has spoken; Bhīṣma, lying on the arrow-bed, recognizes the quality of Nakula’s words and begins his reply, setting up Bhīṣma’s forthcoming instruction in the Śānti Parva.