Shloka 49
एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline
एतद्ि युष्मच्छस्त्राणां शास्त्रमुत्तमसंज्ञितम् । एतदर्थ्य च धर्म्य च रहस्यं चैतदुत्तमम्
etad hi yuṣmacchastrāṇāṃ śāstram uttamasaṃjñitam | etad arthyaṃ ca dharmyaṃ ca rahasyaṃ caitad uttamam ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Ce traité, composé par vous, sera tenu pour le plus éminent de vos enseignements faisant autorité. Il est tout ensemble un ouvrage qui assure l’utilité concrète (artha), soutient la droiture (dharma) et transmet le plus haut secret intérieur — un excellent compendium de la juste conduite et du gouvernement avisé.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma praises the addressed teaching as a supreme śāstra because it integrates three aims: artha (practical welfare and statecraft), dharma (moral righteousness), and rahasya (the deeper inner principle). The verse highlights that the best instruction is comprehensive—useful, ethical, and spiritually insightful.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Bhīṣma continues his didactic discourse and commends a body of instruction attributed to the listener(s), declaring it preeminent among their teachings and emphasizing its value as a dharma- and artha-oriented text containing an excellent ‘secret’ doctrine.