Shloka 42
Dāyavibhāga (Inheritance Apportionment) and Household Precedence — Dialogue of Yudhiṣṭhira and Bhīṣma
ततो मयैवमुक्ते तु वाक्ये धर्मभृतां वर: । पिता मम महाराज बाह्लीको वाक्यमब्रवीत्,महाराज! मेरे ऐसा कहनेपर धर्मात्माओंमें श्रेष्ठ मेरे चाचा बाह्नीक इस प्रकार बोले --
tato mayāivam ukte tu vākye dharmabhṛtāṃ varaḥ | pitā mama mahārāja bāhlīko vākyam abravīt ||
Entonces, cuando hube pronunciado esas palabras, oh gran rey, Bāhlīka—el más eminente entre los sostenedores del dharma, mi pariente mayor por línea paterna—me habló en respuesta. Así el relato se vuelve hacia el consejo del anciano, cuya autoridad se funda en la rectitud y en el deber de la estirpe.
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds dharma as a source of authority: the one who speaks next is introduced as 'foremost among dharma-upholders,' implying that ethical guidance should be received from elders whose life and standing are rooted in righteousness.
Bhīṣma reports that after he finished speaking, Bāhlīka—an elder paternal relative—responded. The verse functions as a transition into Bāhlīka’s counsel or instruction.