Shloka 23
Adhyāya 272: Vṛtrasya Dharmiṣṭhatā, Indrasya Mohaḥ, Vasiṣṭha-upadeśaḥ
Vṛtra’s dharmic stature; Indra’s disorientation; Vasiṣṭha’s counsel
एतत् ते कथितं तात यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि । पापं धर्मस्तथा मोक्षो निर्वेदश्नैव भारत,तात! भरतनन्दन! तुमने मुझसे पाप, धर्म, वैराग्य और मोक्षके विषयमें जो प्रश्न किया था, वह सब मैंने कह सुनाया
etat te kathitaṃ tāta yan māṃ tvaṃ paripṛcchasi | pāpaṃ dharmas tathā mokṣo nirvedaś caiva bhārata ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Mon enfant, je t’ai maintenant dit exactement ce que tu me demandais : au sujet du péché et de la droiture, et aussi de la délivrance et du détachement, ô Bhārata.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse serves as Bhīṣma’s concluding assurance: he has fully answered the inquiry by laying out a moral-spiritual map—what constitutes pāpa (wrong), what is dharma (right conduct), and how nirveda (disenchantment) supports the pursuit of mokṣa (liberation).
In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira has questioned Bhīṣma on foundational ethical and liberative topics. Bhīṣma, speaking as the elder instructor, closes a section by stating that he has now explained everything asked regarding sin, righteousness, dispassion, and liberation.