Shloka 31
अध्याय २०८ — इन्द्रियनिग्रहः, सत्याहिंसात्मकवाक्, कर्मफलविवेकः
Restraint of the Senses, Non-harming Truthful Speech, and Discernment of Karmic Consequence
एकततक्ष द्वितश्रैव त्रितश्वैव महर्षय: । अत्रे: पुत्रश्न भगवांस्तथा सारस्वत: प्रभु:
ekatata-kṣa dvitataś caiva tritataś caiva maharṣayaḥ | atreḥ putraś ca bhagavāṁs tathā sārasvataḥ prabhuḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: “The great seers are spoken of as belonging to a single line, a double line, and a triple line of descent; and among them are also the revered son of Atri, and the mighty Sārasvata.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes that dharma-knowledge is preserved and validated through recognized ṛṣi lineages and authoritative transmitters—single, double, and triple strands of tradition—highlighting the importance of reliable succession in ethical and spiritual instruction.
In Bhīṣma’s discourse in Śānti Parva, he is citing or classifying revered sages and their lines of transmission, naming figures such as Atri’s son and the sage Sārasvata to anchor the discussion in established authorities.