Shloka 23
वृत्ति-सत्सङ्ग-दान-धर्म
Livelihood, Virtuous Association, and Ethics of Giving
भगवन् क्व नु यान्त्येते देवा: शक्रपुरोगमा: । ब्रृहि तत्त्वेन तत्त्वज्ञ संशयो मे महानयम्
bhagavan kva nu yānty ete devāḥ śakra-purogamāḥ | brūhi tattvena tattvajña saṁśayo me mahān ayam ||
“O venerable one, where indeed are these gods—led by Śakra (Indra)—going? O knower of reality, tell me the truth precisely, for a great doubt has arisen in my mind.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds dharmic inquiry: when confronted with an unclear divine or moral situation, one should seek clarification from a tattvajña (knower of reality) and ask for an account grounded in tattva (truth), not conjecture.
Bhīṣma addresses a revered interlocutor and asks where the gods, led by Indra, are going. His question arises from a strong inner doubt, prompting him to request a precise, truthful explanation.