Shloka 39
एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline
कृतं शतसहस््रं हि “लोकानामिदमुत्तमम् | लोकततन्त्रस्य कृत्स्नस्य यस्माद् धर्म: प्रवर्तते,“मुनिवरो! तुमलोगोंने एक लाख श्लोकोंका यह उत्तम शास्त्र बनाया है। इससे सम्पूर्ण लोकतत्त्रका धर्म प्रचलित होगा
kṛtaṃ śatasahasraṃ hi lokānām idam uttamam | loka-tantrasya kṛtsnasya yasmād dharmaḥ pravartate ||
Bhīṣma said: “O best of sages, you have composed this supreme treatise for the good of the people—one hundred thousand verses in extent. From it, the dharma that sustains and regulates the entire order of society and governance will be set in motion and made to prevail.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A well-composed śāstra (authoritative teaching) is presented as the foundation for dharma in public life: it enables the full social and political order (loka-tantra) to function rightly by establishing and propagating norms of duty, justice, and ethical governance.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Bhīṣma praises a sage for composing an extensive, supreme work (described as one hundred thousand verses) intended for the welfare of people, emphasizing that from this teaching the dharma governing society and polity will be activated and sustained.