Shloka 3
उपदेशदोषप्रसङ्गः (Upadeśa-doṣa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Risk of Misapplied Counsel
भीष्म उवाच अन्न ते वर्तयिष्यामि शृणु राजन् यथाक्रमम् । ऋषीणां वदतां पूर्व श्रुतमासीत् यथा पुरा
bhīṣma uvāca | anna te vartayiṣyāmi śṛṇu rājan yathākramam | ṛṣīṇāṃ vadatāṃ pūrvaṃ śrutam āsīt yathā purā ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Ô roi, je vais maintenant te rapporter cette affaire dans l’ordre convenable. Écoute avec attention : c’est ainsi que je l’ai entendu jadis, il y a longtemps, de la bouche des sages des temps anciens lorsqu’ils parlaient.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical authority of dharma-teaching as something received through a reliable lineage: Bhishma presents his instruction as faithfully transmitted from ancient sages and promises an orderly, careful exposition.
Bhishma begins a new section of instruction to the king (Yudhishthira), announcing that he will narrate the topic step by step, based on what he previously heard from the sages in ancient times.