Shloka 17
भीष्मदर्शनार्थं प्रस्थानम्
Departure to Behold Bhīṣma
अतो नेच्छामि कौन्तेय पृथग्जनसमागमम् । कुन्तीनन्दन! आजसे गड्जाकुमार भीष्मजी धर्मके अत्यन्त गूढ़ रहस्यका उपदेश करेंगे। अतः मैं भिन्न-भिन्न रुचि रखनेवाले साधारण जनसमाजको वहाँ नहीं जुटाना चाहता ।। १६ ई | वैशम्पायन उवाच स तद्वाक्यमथाज्ञाय कुन्तीपुत्रो धनंजय:
ato necchāmi kaunteya pṛthag-jana-samāgamam | kuntī-nandana! adya te gaṅgā-kumāraḥ bhīṣmaḥ dharmasya atyanta-gūḍha-rahasyam upadiśiṣyati; ataḥ ahaṃ bhinna-bhinna-ruci-yuktān sādhāraṇa-janān tatra na samānetum icchāmi ||
vaiśampāyana uvāca | sa tad-vākyam athājñāya kuntī-putro dhanañjayaḥ ...
Therefore, O son of Kuntī, I do not wish for a gathering of miscellaneous people. O delight of Kuntī, today Bhīṣma, the son of the Gaṅgā, will instruct you in the profoundly hidden secret of dharma. For that reason I do not want to assemble there ordinary folk of differing tastes and inclinations. Vaiśampāyana said: Having understood those words, Arjuna, the son of Kuntī, then…
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
That the deepest instruction on dharma is not mere public discourse; it requires a prepared listener and a controlled setting. The verse emphasizes discretion—protecting subtle ethical knowledge from being diluted, misunderstood, or turned into debate by an indiscriminate crowd.
The narrator indicates that Bhīṣma (son of Gaṅgā) is about to deliver an especially profound teaching on dharma to the Kuntī-born hero. Because the subject is subtle and weighty, the speaker does not want a mixed public assembly present; then the narration continues with Arjuna (Dhanañjaya) understanding the statement and acting accordingly.