Shloka 25
Ānṛśaṃsya–Bhakti: Śukaḥ Śakreṇa Parīkṣitaḥ
Compassion and Devotion—The Parrot Tested by Indra
त्वमेव दैवतै: सर्वे: पृच्छयसे धर्मसंशयात् । अतत्त्वं देवदेवानामाधिपत्ये प्रतिष्ठित:
tvam eva daivataiḥ sarvaiḥ pṛcchyase dharma-saṁśayāt | atattvaṁ deva-devānām ādhipatye pratiṣṭhitaḥ ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Hanya engkaulah yang ditanyai oleh semua dewa ketika timbul keraguan tentang dharma. Karena itu engkau tegak pada kedudukan kedaulatan bahkan atas para dewa dari para dewa—yang mampu membedakan yang benar dari yang tidak benar.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
True authority is grounded in clarity about dharma: the one who can resolve moral doubt and distinguish truth from error becomes worthy of supreme leadership, even in a divine sense.
Bhishma praises the addressee as an unsurpassed arbiter of dharma, saying that even the gods approach him to resolve ethical uncertainty; this acclaim frames the ensuing instruction on right conduct and governance.