Shloka 2
अहिंसा-आत्मौपम्य-उपदेशः | Instruction on Ahiṃsā and Self-Comparison Ethics
वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! महाज्ञानी युधिष्ठिरने बाणशय्यापर सोये हुए कुरुकुलके वृद्ध पितामह भीष्मजीके निकट जाकर इस प्रकार प्रश्न किया ।।
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | aṅgānāṃ rūpa-saubhāgyaṃ priyaṃ caiva kathaṃ bhavet | dharmārtha-kāma-saṃyuktaḥ sukha-bhāgī kathaṃ bhavet ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : «Ô Janamejaya ! Yudhiṣṭhira, le très sage, s’approcha de Bhīṣma, l’aïeul âgé des Kuru, étendu sur le lit de flèches, et l’interrogea ainsi.» Yudhiṣṭhira dit : «Grand-père ! Comment l’homme obtient-il la beauté et l’heureux éclat dans ses membres ? Comment devient-il cher et aimé parmi les gens ? Et comment un homme, pourvu de dharma, d’artha et de kāma, peut-il véritablement avoir part au bonheur ?»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical inquiry: outer grace (rūpa-saubhāgya), social goodwill (priyam), and inner well-being (sukha) are to be understood as outcomes of a life harmonized with dharma, artha, and kāma—raising the question of what conduct and values make these aims legitimate and fruitful.
After the war, Yudhiṣṭhira approaches Bhīṣma lying on his bed of arrows and asks guidance. Here he begins by questioning how a person gains beauty, becomes liked by others, and enjoys happiness while living in alignment with dharma, prosperity, and desire.