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 ||
भीष्म ने कहा— पार्थ! प्राचीन काल में किसी स्वाध्याय-परायण द्विज के यहाँ एक अत्यन्त बुद्धिमान पुत्र उत्पन्न हुआ, जो अपनी मेधा के कारण “मेधावी” नाम से ही प्रसिद्ध था।
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.