Shloka 7
राजन्! जब परशुरामजीके साथ मेरा भयंकर युद्ध हुआ था, उस समय वसुओंने मुझे यह कथा सुनायी थी ।।
rājan! yadā paraśurāmeṇa saha mama bhayaṅkaraṃ yuddham abhavat, tadā vasubhir iyaṃ kathā me śrāvitā. pṛcchamānāya tattvena mayā caivottamā tava. katheyaṃ kathitā puṇyā dharmyā dharmabhṛtāṃ vara, dharmātmāsu śreṣṭha yudhiṣṭhira! idānīṃ yadā tvaṃ paramadharmasaṃbandhe māṃ pṛcchasi, taduttarārthaṃ mayā yathārthataḥ eṣā puṇyamayī dharmasammatā śreṣṭhā kathā tubhyaṃ kathitā.
ビーシュマは言った。「王よ！ かつて私がパラシュラーマ（Paraśurāma）と凄絶な戦いをしたとき、ヴァスたちがこの物語を私に語って聞かせた。いま、あなた—人の中の最勝者—が至上のダルマについて真摯に私へ問いかけたゆえ、私はその答えとして、この聖なる、そしてダルマにかなう最上の物語を、ありのままに語ったのだ。ユディシュティラよ、正しき者の中の第一よ。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma frames the teaching as a truthful, dharma-approved sacred narrative given in response to Yudhishthira’s inquiry into the highest dharma—emphasizing that ethical instruction should be grounded in truth (tattva) and transmitted through authoritative tradition.
Bhishma recalls that during his fearsome conflict with Parashurama, the Vasus told him a particular story. He now tells that same story to Yudhishthira as a direct answer to the king’s question about supreme dharma.