Shloka 5
प्रजाविसर्ग-तत्त्वनिर्णयः | Cosmogony of Elemental Emergence
Bharadvāja–Bhṛgu Dialogue
पुत्र बवाच धीर: किंस्वित् तात कुर्यात् प्रजानन् क्षिप्रं ह्मायुर्श्श्यते मानवानाम् । पितस्तदाचक्ष्व यथार्थयोगं ममानुपूर्व्या येन धर्म चरेयम्,पुत्र बोला-पिताजी! मनुष्योंकी आयु तीव्र गतिसे बीती जा रही है। यह जानते हुए धीर पुरुषको क्या करना चाहिये? तात! आप मुझे उस यथार्थ उपायका उपदेश कीजिये, जिसके अनुसार मैं धर्मका आचरण कर सकूँ
putra uvāca dhīraḥ: kiṃsvit tāta kuryāt prajānann kṣipraṃ hy āyuḥ kṣīyate mānavānām | pitas tad ācakṣva yathārtha-yogaṃ mamānupūrvyā yena dharmaṃ careyam ||
The son said: “Father, knowing that the lifespan of human beings is swiftly being consumed, what should a steadfast and discerning person do? Tell me, dear father, the true and fitting method—step by step—by which I may live in accordance with dharma.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Awareness of life’s brevity should lead a wise person to seek a true, practical discipline for living dharmically; the verse frames dharma as something to be learned methodically and practiced deliberately.
A son respectfully questions his father, asking for step-by-step instruction on the correct means to practice dharma, motivated by the realization that human lifespan passes quickly.