Shloka 3
Śreyas-nirdeśa (Discerning the Superior Good): Nārada–Gālava Saṃvāda
द्विजाते: कस्यचित् पार्थ स्वाध्यायनिरतस्य वै । पुत्रो बभूव मेधावी मेधावी नाम नामतः,कुन्तीनन्दन! प्राचीनकालमें किसी स्वाध्यायपरायण ब्राह्मणके एक बड़ा मेधावी पुत्र उत्पन्न हुआ, जिसका नाम “मेधावी” ही था
dvijāteḥ kasyacit pārtha svādhyāya-niratasya vai | putro babhūva medhāvī medhāvī nāma nāmataḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : « Ô Pārtha, jadis vivait un “deux-fois-né”, tout entier voué à l’étude sacrée. Il eut un fils d’une intelligence hors du commun ; tant sa clarté d’esprit était renommée qu’on l’appela du nom même de “Medhāvī” (le Sage). »
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds svādhyāya (disciplined sacred study) as a foundational virtue: devotion to learning and recitation is presented as a dharmic excellence that shapes character and becomes the ground for exemplary conduct, introduced through the figure of the wise son, Medhāvī.
Bhishma begins an illustrative account addressed to Partha (Yudhishthira): he introduces a brahmin devoted to svādhyāya and the birth of his exceptionally intelligent son, whose very name, Medhāvī, reflects his renowned wisdom—setting up a moral narrative to follow.