Shloka 6
तच्छुत्वा कुरुवृद्धो हि बली संवृतलोचन: । शनैरुद्वीक्ष्य सस्नेहमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्
tac chrutvā kuru-vṛddho hi balī saṃvṛta-locanaḥ | śanair udvīkṣya sa-sneham idaṃ vacanam abravīt ||
यह सुनकर कुरुवृद्ध बलवान् भीष्म—जिनके नेत्र बंद थे—धीरे-धीरे आँखें खोलकर स्नेहपूर्वक देखने लगे; फिर उन्होंने इस प्रकार वचन कहा।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid war and political hostility, the epic highlights the ethical weight of personal bonds and elder responsibility: Bhīṣma’s tenderness toward Karṇa shows that counsel and compassion can coexist with harsh duties, and that a leader’s words should be spoken with discretion and care.
Sañjaya narrates that Bhīṣma, after hearing what was said, slowly opens his eyes, ensures privacy by removing guards, embraces Karṇa affectionately like a father, and then begins to speak—setting the stage for a confidential, emotionally charged counsel in the midst of the Kurukṣetra war context.