Shloka 22
Kṛṣṇa’s Dhyāna and the Prompt to Question Bhīṣma (कृष्णध्यानं भीष्मप्रश्नप्रेरणा च)
अतः महाराज युधिष्ठिर! आप भयानक पराक्रमी गंगानन्दन भीष्मके पास चलकर उनके चरणोंमें प्रणाम कीजिये और आपके मनमें जो संदेह हो उसे पूछिये ।।
ataḥ mahārāja yudhiṣṭhira! āp bhayānaka-parākramī gaṅgānandana bhīṣma-ke pāsa calakara unake caraṇoṃ meṃ praṇāma kījiye aura āpake mana meṃ jo saṃdeha ho use pūchiye || cāturvidyaṃ cātuhotraṃ cāturāśramyam eva ca | rājadharmāṃś ca nikhilān pṛcchainaṃ pṛthivīpate || pṛthvīnatha! dharma, artha, kāma aura mokṣa—ina cāroṃ vidyāoṃ ko, hotā, udgātā, brahmā aura adhvaryu se sambandha rakhanevālī yajñādi-karmōṃ ko, cāroṃ āśramōṃ ke dharmōṃ ko tathā sampūrṇa rājadharmōṃ ko unase pūchiye |
Vāsudeva said: “Therefore, O great king Yudhiṣṭhira, go to Bhīṣma—the mighty son of the Gaṅgā—bow at his feet, and ask whatever doubts remain in your mind. O lord of the earth, question him about the fourfold aims of life—dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa; about the sacrificial disciplines connected with the four principal Vedic priests (hotṛ, udgātṛ, brahmā, and adhvaryu); about the duties of the four āśramas; and about the entire body of royal law and kingly conduct.”
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
True governance and personal clarity arise from humble inquiry: Yudhiṣṭhira should approach a qualified elder (Bhīṣma), show reverence, and learn systematically—covering life’s aims (puruṣārthas), ritual responsibilities, āśrama-duties, and the full scope of rājadharma.
After the war, Yudhiṣṭhira is burdened with doubt about duty and rule. Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva) directs him to the dying Bhīṣma, renowned for wisdom, to receive authoritative instruction on dharma, social-religious order, and statecraft.