Shloka 8
Arjuna’s request to Krishna and the opening of the Kāśyapa–Brāhmaṇa mokṣa discourse (Āśvamedhika-parva 16)
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्तस्तु तं कृष्ण: फाल्गुन॑ प्रत्यभाषत । परिष्वज्य महातेजा वचन वदतां वर:
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: evam uktas tu taṃ Kṛṣṇaḥ Phālgunaṃ pratyabhāṣata | pariṣvajya mahātejā vacanaṃ vadatāṃ varaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai Raja, ketika Arjuna berkata demikian, Kṛṣṇa—yang utama di antara para penutur dan bercahaya oleh kemuliaan besar—memeluk Phālguna dan menjawabnya sebagai berikut.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ethical instruction is most effective when joined with empathy: Kṛṣṇa’s embrace signals reassurance and responsibility, preparing Arjuna to receive guidance not merely as command but as caring counsel aligned with dharma.
After Arjuna speaks, Kṛṣṇa responds. Before speaking, he embraces Arjuna (Phālguna), and then begins his reply—marking a shift from Arjuna’s statement to Kṛṣṇa’s authoritative yet affectionate counsel.