Shloka 3
राज्ञोऽभिषेकः, अराजकदोषः, दण्डधारणस्य आवश्यकता
Royal Consecration, the Fault of Kinglessness, and the Necessity of Enforcement
यत्तु लिड्रान्तरगतं पृच्छसे मां युधिष्ठिर । धर्म धर्मभृतां श्रेष्ठ त॒त्निबोध नराधिप,धर्मात्माओंमें श्रेष्ठ राजा युधिष्ठि!! तथापि जो तुम विभिन्न लिड़ों (हेतुओं) से रूपान्तरको प्राप्त हुए सूक्ष्म धर्मके विषयमें मुझसे पूछ रहे हो, उसके विषयमें कुछ निवेदन कर रहा हूँ, सुनो
bhīṣma uvāca | yattu liṅgāntaragataṃ pṛcchase māṃ yudhiṣṭhira | dharma dharmabhṛtāṃ śreṣṭha tan nibodha narādhipa ||
Bhīṣma dijo: «Pero en cuanto a ese asunto sutil del dharma—que surge en medio de las condiciones cambiantes y de las formas externas de la vida—sobre el cual me preguntas, oh Yudhiṣṭhira: oh, el mejor entre quienes sostienen la rectitud, compréndelo bien, oh rey.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma frames dharma as subtle and context-sensitive: when outward conditions and social ‘marks’ (liṅga) change, one must still discern the underlying righteous course through careful understanding rather than rigid appearance-based judgment.
In the Shanti Parva dialogue, Yudhishthira questions Bhishma about nuanced aspects of dharma. Bhishma responds by acknowledging the subtlety of the topic and urges the king—praised as foremost among dharma-upholders—to listen and comprehend the explanation that follows.