Shloka 7
अध्याय ८७: कृष्णस्य हस्तिनापुरप्रवेशः
Krishna’s Entry into Hastināpura and Court Reception
वैशम्पायन उवाच तस्य तद् वचन श्रुत्वा भीष्म: कुरुपितामह: । वैचित्रवीर्य राजानमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! दुर्योधनकी यह बात सुनकर कुरुकुलके वृद्ध पितामह भीष्म विचित्र-वीर्यकुमार राजा धृतराष्ट्रसे इस प्रकार बोले--
vaiśampāyana uvāca | tasya tad vacanaṁ śrutvā bhīṣmaḥ kurupitāmahaḥ | vaicitravīrya-rājānam idaṁ vacanam abravīt |
Vaiśampāyana said: Hearing those words of his, Bhīṣma—the grandsire of the Kuru line—addressed King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the son of Vicitravīrya, and spoke as follows.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of elder counsel in moments of crisis: after hearing a provocative or decisive statement, the patriarch (Bhīṣma) turns to the reigning authority (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) to guide action toward the dynasty’s welfare and dharma.
After Duryodhana’s words are reported/heard, the narration shifts to Bhīṣma. He prepares to address Dhṛtarāṣṭra (identified by his lineage from Vicitravīrya), introducing the counsel that follows in the next verses.