Adhyāya 119: Vyāsa–Kīṭa-saṃvāda
Tapas-bala and karmic ascent across yoni
इदमन्यत्तु वक्ष्यामि प्रमाणं विधिनिर्मितम् । पुराणमृषिभिर्जुष्टं वेदेषु परिनिष्ठितम्
idam anyat tu vakṣyāmi pramāṇaṁ vidhinirmitam | purāṇam ṛṣibhir juṣṭaṁ vedeṣu pariniṣṭhitam ||
Bhīṣma dit : «À présent, j’énoncerai une autre preuve faisant autorité en cette matière : un enseignement antique, établi par le Créateur (Brahmā) selon l’ordonnance prescrite, chéri et maintenu par les sages, et solidement enraciné dans les Veda.»
भीष्म उवाच
Bhīṣma frames his next instruction as a pramāṇa—an authoritative validation—rooted in ancient tradition, endorsed by ṛṣis, and ultimately grounded in the Vedas, emphasizing that dharma should be supported by recognized scriptural and sage-backed authority.
In the Anuśāsana discourse, Bhīṣma signals a transition: he is about to present an additional supporting authority for his teaching, citing an ancient, Brahmā-ordained tradition that the sages have upheld and that stands established within the Vedic corpus.