Shloka 23
Kṛṣṇa’s Dhyāna and the Prompt to Question Bhīṣma (कृष्णध्यानं भीष्मप्रश्नप्रेरणा च)
तस्मिन्नस्तमिते भीष्मे कौरवाणां धुरंधरे । ज्ञानान्यस्तं गमिष्यन्ति तस्मात् त्वां चोदयाम्यहम्,कौरववंशका भार सँभालनेवाले भीष्मरूपी सूर्य जब अस्त हो जायँगे, उस समय सब प्रकारके ज्ञानोंका प्रकाश नष्ट हो जायगा; इसलिये मैं आपको वहाँ चलनेके लिये कहता हूँ
tasminn astamite bhīṣme kauravāṇāṁ dhuraṁdhare | jñānāny astaṁ gamiṣyanti tasmāt tvāṁ codayāmy aham ||
Lorsque Bhīṣma — le porteur inébranlable du fardeau des Kaurava — se couchera tel le soleil, l’éclat de maintes formes de savoir s’éteindra lui aussi. C’est pourquoi je t’exhorte à t’y rendre dès maintenant.
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wisdom embodied in righteous elders and teachers is time-bound; when such a person departs, access to living guidance diminishes. Hence one should seek counsel promptly, especially when dharma and governance are at stake.
Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) warns that Bhīṣma—likened to a sun whose setting will dim the light of knowledge—is nearing his end, and therefore urges the listener to go to Bhīṣma to receive instruction and guidance while it is still possible.