Shloka 10
आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः
Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca
एतद् वै सर्वकृत्यानां परं कृत्यं परंतप । नैतस्य कश्रिद् वक्तास्ति श्रोता वापि सुदुर्लभ:
etad vai sarvakṛtyānāṃ paraṃ kṛtyaṃ parantapa | naitasya kaścid vaktāsti śrotā vāpi sudurlabhaḥ ||
Dijo Yudhiṣṭhira: «Esto, en verdad, es el deber supremo entre todos los deberes, oh abrasador de enemigos. Para esta enseñanza no se halla orador alguno; y aun un oyente es sumamente raro. Por ello, oh abuelo, examínalo a fondo y cuéntame el asunto entero.»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates a particular inquiry into dharma as the ‘highest duty’ and stresses that true instruction and genuine receptivity are both rare; therefore one should seek an authoritative, disciplined elder-teacher and request a careful, complete exposition.
In Śānti Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira continues his questioning of Bhīṣma (the grandsire) about the highest principles of conduct. He emphasizes the exceptional difficulty of finding a qualified teacher and listener for this subject and urges Bhīṣma to examine it thoroughly and teach him.