Shloka 42
Dāyavibhāga (Inheritance Apportionment) and Household Precedence — Dialogue of Yudhiṣṭhira and Bhīṣma
ततो मयैवमुक्ते तु वाक्ये धर्मभृतां वर: । पिता मम महाराज बाह्लीको वाक्यमब्रवीत्,महाराज! मेरे ऐसा कहनेपर धर्मात्माओंमें श्रेष्ठ मेरे चाचा बाह्नीक इस प्रकार बोले --
tato mayāivam ukte tu vākye dharmabhṛtāṃ varaḥ | pitā mama mahārāja bāhlīko vākyam abravīt ||
Setelah aku mengucapkan kata-kata itu, wahai Maharaja, Bāhlīka—yang utama di antara para penegak dharma, paman dari garis ayahku—menjawabku dengan sabda berikut.
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds dharma as a source of authority: the one who speaks next is introduced as 'foremost among dharma-upholders,' implying that ethical guidance should be received from elders whose life and standing are rooted in righteousness.
Bhīṣma reports that after he finished speaking, Bāhlīka—an elder paternal relative—responded. The verse functions as a transition into Bāhlīka’s counsel or instruction.