Shloka 6
तच्छुत्वा कुरुवृद्धो हि बली संवृतलोचन: । शनैरुद्वीक्ष्य सस्नेहमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्
tac chrutvā kuru-vṛddho hi balī saṃvṛta-locanaḥ | śanair udvīkṣya sa-sneham idaṃ vacanam abravīt ||
Sañjaya dit : Entendant ces paroles, le puissant Bhīṣma — l’aîné des Kuru, les yeux encore clos — les ouvrit lentement et leva le regard avec tendresse. Voyant l’endroit retiré, il fit éloigner les gardes et, d’une main, étreignit Karṇa avec l’affection d’un père pour son fils. Puis il prononça ces mots.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid war and political hostility, the epic highlights the ethical weight of personal bonds and elder responsibility: Bhīṣma’s tenderness toward Karṇa shows that counsel and compassion can coexist with harsh duties, and that a leader’s words should be spoken with discretion and care.
Sañjaya narrates that Bhīṣma, after hearing what was said, slowly opens his eyes, ensures privacy by removing guards, embraces Karṇa affectionately like a father, and then begins to speak—setting the stage for a confidential, emotionally charged counsel in the midst of the Kurukṣetra war context.