Shloka 79
Śuka’s Guṇa-Transcendence and Vyāsa’s Consolation (शुकगति-वर्णनम्)
सौक्ष्म्यं सांख्यक्रमौ चोभौ निर्णय: सप्रयोजन: । पज्चैतान्यर्थजातानि वाक्यमित्युच्यते नृप
saukṣmyaṁ sāṅkhyakramau cobhau nirṇayaḥ saprayojanaḥ | pañcaitāny arthajātāni vākyam ity ucyate nṛpa ||
Bhīṣma said: “O king, a well-formed statement (vākya) is said to contain five kinds of meaning: subtlety (precision), sāṅkhya (analytic enumeration), proper sequence, clear determination, and a purposeful aim. Speech that carries these is fit to guide understanding and conduct.”
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
A meaningful and ethically useful statement should not be vague or aimless; it should convey (1) subtle precision, (2) analytic clarity through enumeration/classification, (3) orderly progression, (4) a definite conclusion, and (5) a practical purpose. Such speech supports right understanding and right action.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to the king, Bhīṣma continues his didactic guidance, explaining standards for sound discourse—how speech should be structured so that it becomes a reliable vehicle for teaching dharma and policy.