Shloka 7
Śara-śayyā-sthita-bhīṣma-saṃvāda-prastāvaḥ
The Prelude to Questioning Bhīṣma on the Bed of Arrows
मुहूर्तमिव च ध्यात्वा नारदो देवदर्शन: । उवाच पाण्डवान् सर्वान् हतशिष्टांश्व पार्थिवान्
muhūrtam iva ca dhyātvā nārado devadarśanaḥ | uvāca pāṇḍavān sarvān hataśiṣṭāṁś ca pārthivān ||
Vaiśampāyana said: After reflecting for a brief while, the divine seer Nārada—endowed with celestial vision—addressed all the Pāṇḍavas, along with the other kings who had survived the slaughter. The pause suggests deliberation before counsel, fitting the post-war setting where speech must guide grief and power back toward dharma.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical necessity of thoughtful deliberation before giving guidance, especially in the fragile post-war context. Nārada’s brief reflection signals that counsel to rulers should be measured, dharma-oriented, and responsive to collective suffering.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Nārada, possessing divine vision, pauses to reflect and then begins speaking to the Pāṇḍavas and the other kings who survived the great slaughter, setting up a discourse meant to guide them in the aftermath of the war.