Shloka 12
आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः
Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca
भीष्म उवाच त्वदयुक्तोडयमनुप्रश्नो युधिष्ठिर सुखोदय: । शृणु मे पुत्र कार्त्स्न्येन गुह्यमापत्सु भारत
bhīṣma uvāca tvad-yukto 'yam anu-praśno yudhiṣṭhira sukha-udayaḥ | śṛṇu me putra kārtsnyena guhyam āpatsu bhārata ||
ಭೀಷ್ಮನು ಹೇಳಿದನು— ಯುಧಿಷ್ಠಿರ, ನಿನ್ನ ಈ ಅನುಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ ಯುಕ್ತವಾಗಿದೆ; ಇದು ಕ್ಷೇಮೋದಯವನ್ನು ತರುತ್ತದೆ. ಪುತ್ರ, ಆಪತ್ತಿನ ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಏನು ಮಾಡಬೇಕು—ಇದು ಗುಹ್ಯ ವಿಷಯ. ಹೇ ಭಾರತ, ಇದನ್ನು ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣವಾಗಿ ನನ್ನಿಂದ ಕೇಳು.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma affirms that Yudhishthira’s inquiry is ethically apt and welfare-producing, and he introduces apaddharma—guidance for conduct in emergencies—as a subtle, often confidential domain of dharma that must be learned carefully and in full.
In the Shanti Parva dialogue, Yudhishthira asks a further question about proper action during crises. Bhishma responds by praising the question and preparing to disclose a complete, ‘secret’ instruction on conduct in times of distress.