Shloka 8
यदयं परमो धर्मो यन्मां पृच्छसि भारत । आसीदू धीरो हानाकाडक्षी धर्मार्थकरणे नूप
yad ayaṃ paramo dharmo yan māṃ pṛcchasi bhārata | āsīd dhīro hānākāḍakṣī dharmārthakaraṇe nūpa
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai Bhārata! Tentang dharma tertinggi yang engkau tanyakan kepadaku—dahulu kala ada seorang raja yang teguh dan berpandangan jernih; ia senantiasa menekuni pencarian serta pengamalan dharma dan artha.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma frames the discussion as an inquiry into “parama dharma” (the highest ethical duty) and signals that the answer will be illustrated through the example of an ideal ruler who actively practiced dharma together with artha—showing that moral duty and public welfare must be integrated in governance.
In Śānti Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed as Bhārata) asks Bhīṣma about the highest dharma. Bhīṣma begins his reply by introducing a past exemplar—an unwavering king—setting up a didactic story or precedent to explain the principle.