Shloka 10
आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः
Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca
एतद् वै सर्वकृत्यानां परं कृत्यं परंतप । नैतस्य कश्रिद् वक्तास्ति श्रोता वापि सुदुर्लभ:
etad vai sarvakṛtyānāṃ paraṃ kṛtyaṃ parantapa | naitasya kaścid vaktāsti śrotā vāpi sudurlabhaḥ ||
ಯುಧಿಷ್ಠಿರನು ಹೇಳಿದನು— ಪರಂತಪ! ಎಲ್ಲ ಕೃತ್ಯಗಳಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಇದುವೇ ಪರಮ ಕೃತ್ಯ. ಇದನ್ನು ಹೇಳುವ ವಕ್ತಾರನು ಯಾರೂ ದೊರಕುವುದಿಲ್ಲ; ಕೇಳುವ ಶ್ರೋತೆಯೂ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ದುರ್ಲಭ. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಪಿತಾಮಹ, ಇದನ್ನು ಸಮಗ್ರವಾಗಿ ಪರಿಶೀಲಿಸಿ ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣ ವಿಷಯವನ್ನು ನನಗೆ ಹೇಳಿರಿ.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates a particular inquiry into dharma as the ‘highest duty’ and stresses that true instruction and genuine receptivity are both rare; therefore one should seek an authoritative, disciplined elder-teacher and request a careful, complete exposition.
In Śānti Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira continues his questioning of Bhīṣma (the grandsire) about the highest principles of conduct. He emphasizes the exceptional difficulty of finding a qualified teacher and listener for this subject and urges Bhīṣma to examine it thoroughly and teach him.