Shloka 2
Rājā–Rāja-Śabda-Prabhavaḥ — The Origin and Rationale of Kingship and Daṇḍanīti
प्रतिपद्य कुरुक्षेत्र भीष्ममासाद्य चानघ । सुखां च रजनी पृष्टवा गाड्गेयं रथिनां वरम्
pratipadya kurukṣetraṁ bhīṣmam āsādya cānagha | sukhāṁ ca rajanīṁ pṛṣṭvā gāṅgeyaṁ rathināṁ varam ||
निष्पाप नरेश! कुरुक्षेत्र में पहुँचकर उन्होंने रथियों में श्रेष्ठ गङ्गानन्दन भीष्म के पास जाकर उनसे कुशलपूर्वक पूछा कि रात्रि सुख से बीती या नहीं।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid the aftermath of violence, dharma expresses itself through humility and care: approaching an elder with reverence and first asking about his well-being is an ethical act that restores humaneness and prepares the ground for instruction.
The scene shifts to Kurukṣetra where Bhīṣma lies awaiting his chosen time of departure; those who come to him approach respectfully and ask whether he spent the night comfortably, marking the beginning of the counsel that will unfold in the Śānti Parva.