Shloka 11
Chatra–Upānah Dāna: Origin Narrative
Jamadagni–Reṇukā–Sūrya Saṃvāda
पुरा वेदान् ब्राह्मुणा ग्राममध्ये घुष्टस्वरा वृषलान् श्रावयन्ति | पुरा राजा व्यवहारेण धर्मान् पश्यत्यहं परलोक॑ व्रजामि
bhīṣma uvāca | purā vedān brāhmaṇā grāmamadhye ghuṣṭasvarā vṛṣalān śrāvayanti | purā rājā vyavahāreṇa dharmān paśyaty ahaṃ paralokaṃ vrajāmi |
ភីෂ្មៈបានមានព្រះវាចា៖ «សូមឲ្យខ្ញុំចាកទៅកាន់លោកបន្ទាប់ មុនពេលវេលានោះមកដល់—ពេលដែលព្រះព្រាហ្មណ៍លើកសម្លេងខ្លាំងនៅកណ្ដាលភូមិ សូត្រវេទដើម្បីឲ្យពួកសូទ្រៈបានឮ ហើយពេលដែលព្រះរាជាចាប់ផ្តើមវិនិច្ឆ័យធម៌តាមទស្សនៈនៃការជួញដូរ និងវិវាទតុលាការ។ មុនពេលការប្រែប្រួលបំផ្លាញលំដាប់សក្ការៈ និងកាតព្វកិច្ចរាជសម្បត្តិនេះកើតឡើង សូមឲ្យខ្ញុំទៅកាន់លោកនោះ។»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma warns against two signs of dharmic deterioration: (1) sacred learning being handled in a way he views as improper for its traditional transmission, and (2) a king reducing dharma to mere ‘vyavahāra’—pragmatic business or courtroom procedure—rather than upholding deeper moral and spiritual justice. The verse frames these as markers of a world he would rather leave than witness.
Bhishma, speaking in the Anushasana Parva while instructing on dharma, expresses a grim forecast: if Brahmins publicly proclaim Vedic recitation in the village to be heard by those deemed unqualified (here termed vṛṣalas/śūdras), and if the king starts ‘seeing’ dharma only through transactional or legalistic considerations, then Bhishma says he would prefer to depart to the afterlife before such a time.