Shloka 7
Chapter 84: Brahmā’s Counsel on Tāraka, the Search for Agni, and the Genesis of Skanda
Kārttikeya
ऋषीणामुत्तमं धीमान् कृष्णद्वैपायनं शुक: । अभिवाद्याह्विककृतः शुचि: प्रयतमानस:
Bhīṣma uvāca: Ṛṣīṇām uttamaṁ dhīmān Kṛṣṇadvaipāyanaṁ Śukaḥ | abhivādyāhvikakṛtaḥ śuciḥ prayatamānasaḥ, niṣpāpa nareśa! asmin viṣaye ’haṁ te purāṇaṁ vṛttāntaṁ śrāvayiṣyāmi | ekadā paramabuddhimān Śukadevaḥ nityakarmaṇo ’nuṣṭhānaṁ kṛtvā pavitraḥ śuddhacitto bhūtvā pitaram—ṛṣīṇām uttamaṁ Śrī-Kṛṣṇadvaipāyanaṁ Vyāsaṁ, yaḥ lokasya bhūta-bhaviṣyaṁ pratyakṣaṁ paśyati—praṇamya papraccha: “pitāḥ! sarveṣu yajñeṣu kaḥ yajñaḥ śreṣṭhatamaḥ dṛśyate?”
ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ກະສັດຜູ້ບໍ່ມີບາບ, ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຈະເລົ່າເລື່ອງໂບຮານໃຫ້ທ່ານຟັງໃນການນີ້. ຄັ້ງໜຶ່ງ ສຸກະເທວະຜູ້ມີປັນຍາຍິ່ງ ຫຼັງຈາກສຳເລັດພິທີປະຈຳວັນ ແລະເປັນຜູ້ບໍລິສຸດ ມີໃຈຝຶກຝົນ, ໄດ້ເຂົ້າໄປຫາບິດາຂອງຕົນ—ກຣິສນະດວຍປາຍະນະ ວຽສະ, ຜູ້ເປັນເລີດໃນບັນດາລະສີ ແລະກ່າວກັນວ່າເຫັນໄດ້ໂດຍກົງທັງອະດີດແລະອະນາຄົດໃນໂລກ; ຫຼັງຈາກກ້ອມກາບແລ້ວ ສຸກະຈຶ່ງຖາມວ່າ: ‘ພໍ່ເອີຍ, ໃນບັນດາຍັດທັງປວງ ຍັດໃດຖືກນັບວ່າສູງສຸດ?’»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames dharma as something to be approached through disciplined practice (daily rites, purity of mind) and humble inquiry to a qualified teacher; it prepares the ground for evaluating which forms of yajña (sacred duty/sacrifice) are truly ‘highest’ in ethical and spiritual terms.
Bhishma tells the king he will recount an ancient episode: Śukadeva, after completing his daily observances, respectfully bows to his father Vyāsa and asks a doctrinal question—among all sacrifices, which is considered the श्रेष्ठतम (highest).