Shloka 2
Rājā–Rāja-Śabda-Prabhavaḥ — The Origin and Rationale of Kingship and Daṇḍanīti
प्रतिपद्य कुरुक्षेत्र भीष्ममासाद्य चानघ । सुखां च रजनी पृष्टवा गाड्गेयं रथिनां वरम्,निष्पाप नरेश! कुरुक्षेत्रमें जा रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ गड़ा-नन्दन भीष्मजीके पास पहुँचकर उनसे सुखपूर्वक रात बीतनेका समाचार पूछकर व्यास आदि महर्षियोंको प्रणाम करके उन सबके द्वारा अभिनन्दित हो वे पाण्डव और श्रीकृष्ण भीष्मजीको सब ओरसे घेरकर उनके पास ही बैठ गये
pratipadya kurukṣetraṁ bhīṣmam āsādya cānagha | sukhāṁ ca rajanīṁ pṛṣṭvā gāṅgeyaṁ rathināṁ varam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O sinless one, having reached Kurukṣetra and approached Bhīṣma, the best of chariot-warriors, they respectfully inquired whether he had passed the night in comfort.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid the aftermath of violence, dharma expresses itself through humility and care: approaching an elder with reverence and first asking about his well-being is an ethical act that restores humaneness and prepares the ground for instruction.
The scene shifts to Kurukṣetra where Bhīṣma lies awaiting his chosen time of departure; those who come to him approach respectfully and ask whether he spent the night comfortably, marking the beginning of the counsel that will unfold in the Śānti Parva.