Āpad-dharma and Discernment in Livelihood (आपद्धर्मे विज्ञानबलम्)
भीष्म उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । गौतमस्य च संवादं यमस्य च महात्मन:
bhīṣma uvāca | atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṁ purātanam | gautamasya ca saṁvādaṁ yamasya ca mahātmanaḥ ||
ಭೀಷ್ಮನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಯುಧಿಷ್ಠಿರ! ಈ ಧರ್ಮವಿಷಯದಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಜ್ಞಾನಿಗಳು ಒಂದು ಪುರಾತನ ಇತಿಹಾಸವನ್ನು ಉದಾಹರಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ—ಮಹರ್ಷಿ ಗೌತಮ ಮತ್ತು ಮಹಾತ್ಮ ಯಮನ ಸಂವಾದವನ್ನು।
भीष्म उवाच
That questions of dharma are clarified through authoritative precedents: the tradition preserves instructive dialogues (itihāsa) that the wise cite to illuminate ethical duty.
Bhishma signals a shift into an illustrative story: he introduces an ancient dialogue between the sage Gautama and Yama, which will serve as an example to explain the dharma under discussion.