Shloka 37
एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline
आदावेव हि तच्छास्त्रमोंकारस्वरपूजितम् । ऋषिभ: श्रावितं यत्र तत्र कारुणिको हासौ
ādāveva hi tacchāstram oṃkārasvarapūjitam | ṛṣibhiḥ śrāvitaṃ yatra tatra kāruṇiko hāsau ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Dès l’origine, cet enseignement sacré est honoré par le son Oṃ. C’est la doctrine que les rishi ont eux-mêmes fait entendre ; et partout où elle est transmise et reçue ainsi, naît une joie douce et compatissante.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sacred instruction (śāstra) is to be approached with reverence, beginning with the sanctifying utterance of Oṃ, and understood as a living oral tradition handed down by ṛṣis; such a mode of learning cultivates a gentle, compassionate disposition rather than harshness.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues teaching by praising the sanctity and proper reception of authoritative doctrine: it is traditionally introduced with Oṃ and transmitted through the seers’ recitation, producing a mood of humane, compassionate joy in the listener.