Shloka 186
Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment
Parāśara’s Instruction
भूयश्न ते वरं दद्मि त॑ त्वं गृह्लीष्व सुव्रत । प्रसन्नचदनो भूत्वा तदिहैकमना: शृणु,'सुव्रत! मैं पुनः तुम्हें वरदान देता हूँ, तुम इसे स्वीकार करो और प्रसन्नरवदन तथा एकाग्रचित्त होकर यहाँ मेरी यह बात सुनो
bhūyaś ca te varaṁ dadmi tat tvaṁ gṛhlīṣva suvrata | prasannavadano bhūtvā tad ihaikamanāḥ śṛṇu ||
“Once again I grant you a boon; accept it, O steadfast in vows. With a serene face and a single-pointed mind, listen here to what I am about to say.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes the ethical posture required for receiving instruction: accept guidance with humility, serenity, and focused attention. It frames dharma-teaching as something to be heard with disciplined mind and respectful readiness.
In the Shanti Parva’s didactic setting, Bhishma continues advising the listener (implicitly Yudhishthira) and prefaces the next counsel by offering a further ‘boon’—a promise of beneficial instruction—asking him to listen attentively and calmly.