Shloka 88
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
एवमुक्त: सहस्राक्षो भगवान् पाकशासन:
evam uktaḥ sahasrākṣo bhagavān pākāśāsanaḥ
ビーシュマは言った。「そのように告げられると、千の眼をもつ主――パーカを懲らしめるインドラ――は、神としての権威にふさわしく、またダルマの秩序を憂う心にかなって、その件を引き受けて答えた。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse functions as a narrative hinge: when a righteous or significant question is put forward, a higher authority (here Indra) is portrayed as responding in alignment with dharma, underscoring that ethical order is upheld through accountable speech and principled reply.
Bhīṣma marks a transition: someone has spoken to Indra, and now Indra—identified by epithets highlighting his power and vigilance—is about to answer, moving the discourse forward within the Shānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and governance.