Shloka 7
Śara-śayyā-sthita-bhīṣma-saṃvāda-prastāvaḥ
The Prelude to Questioning Bhīṣma on the Bed of Arrows
मुहूर्तमिव च ध्यात्वा नारदो देवदर्शन: । उवाच पाण्डवान् सर्वान् हतशिष्टांश्व पार्थिवान्,तब दिव्य दृष्टि रखनेवाले देवर्षि नारदने दो घड़ीतक कुछ सोच-विचारकर समस्त पाण्डवों तथा मरनेसे बचे हुए अन्य नरेशोंको सम्बोधित करके कहा--
muhūrtam iva ca dhyātvā nārado devadarśanaḥ | uvāca pāṇḍavān sarvān hataśiṣṭāṁś ca pārthivān ||
Setelah merenung sejenak, resi ilahi Nārada—yang dianugerahi penglihatan surgawi—berbicara kepada semua Pāṇḍava dan para raja lain yang selamat dari pembantaian itu:
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical necessity of thoughtful deliberation before giving guidance, especially in the fragile post-war context. Nārada’s brief reflection signals that counsel to rulers should be measured, dharma-oriented, and responsive to collective suffering.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Nārada, possessing divine vision, pauses to reflect and then begins speaking to the Pāṇḍavas and the other kings who survived the great slaughter, setting up a discourse meant to guide them in the aftermath of the war.