Shloka 186
Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment
Parāśara’s Instruction
भूयश्न ते वरं दद्मि त॑ त्वं गृह्लीष्व सुव्रत । प्रसन्नचदनो भूत्वा तदिहैकमना: शृणु
bhūyaś ca te varaṁ dadmi tat tvaṁ gṛhlīṣva suvrata | prasannavadano bhūtvā tad ihaikamanāḥ śṛṇu ||
«Oh firme en tus votos, una vez más te concedo un don; acéptalo. Con el rostro sereno y la mente concentrada en un solo punto, escucha aquí lo que voy a decirte.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes the ethical posture required for receiving instruction: accept guidance with humility, serenity, and focused attention. It frames dharma-teaching as something to be heard with disciplined mind and respectful readiness.
In the Shanti Parva’s didactic setting, Bhishma continues advising the listener (implicitly Yudhishthira) and prefaces the next counsel by offering a further ‘boon’—a promise of beneficial instruction—asking him to listen attentively and calmly.