Shloka 25
राजधर्मस्य नवनीतम्—रक्षा, दण्ड, चार, उत्थान
Rājadharma’s ‘Essence’: Protection, Punishment, Intelligence, and Royal Diligence
वैशम्पायन उवाच ततो व्यासश्न भगवान् देवस्थानो5श्म एव च | वासुदेव: कृपश्चैव सात्यकि: संजयस्तथा
vaiśampāyana uvāca | tato vyāsaś ca bhagavān devathāno ’śma eva ca | vāsudevaḥ kṛpaś caiva sātyakiḥ sañjayas tathā ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Hearing Bhīṣma’s statement, the venerable sage Vyāsa—along with Devathāna and Aśma—and also Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa), Kṛpa, Sātyaki, and Sañjaya became greatly pleased. With faces bright with joy, they voiced their approval and repeatedly praised Bhīṣma, the lion among men and foremost among the righteous.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical authority of dharma-teaching: when a truly righteous elder like Bhīṣma speaks, wise and eminent figures respond with approval, reinforcing that moral instruction gains strength through recognition by the learned and virtuous.
After Bhīṣma’s discourse, leading figures—Vyāsa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛpa, Sātyaki, and Sañjaya (with Devathāna and Aśma)—are delighted and publicly commend Bhīṣma, offering repeated praise and affirming the value of his counsel to Janamejaya’s listener-context.