Shanti Parva Adhyaya 336 Shloka 16 - Mahabharata | Lao | Vedapath

Vyasa

Shloka 16

एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच विस्तीर्णैषा कथा राजन्‌ श्रुता मे पितृसंनिधौ । यैषा तव हि वक्तव्या कथासारो हि सा मता

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca vistīrṇaiṣā kathā rājan śrutā me pitṛsaṃnidhau | yaiṣā tava hi vaktavyā kathāsāro hi sā matā ||

Translation

ພີດສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ພຣະຣາຊາ! ນິທານນີ້ກວ້າງຂວາງຢ່າງຫຼາຍ; ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າເຄີຍໄດ້ຟັງມັນຢູ່ໃນທີ່ປະທັບຂອງບິດາຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ. ແຕ່ເລື່ອງທີ່ຈະຕ້ອງເລົ່າໃຫ້ທ່ານຟັງໃນບັດນີ້ ຖືກນັບວ່າເປັນແກ່ນສານຂອງນິທານທັງປວງ—ຖືກຫຍໍ້ໃຫ້ເຫັນນັຍທາງທຳ ໂດຍບໍ່ຂະຫຍາຍເກີນຈຳເປັນ»។

Word by Word

भीष्मःBhishma

उवाचsaid

विस्तीर्णाexpanded, extensive

एषाthis

कथाstory, discourse

राजन्O king

श्रुताheard

मेby me / of me

पितृ-संनिधौin the presence of (my) father

याwhich

एषाthis

तवof you / for you

हिindeed

वक्तव्याto be told

कथा-सारःthe essence of the story (stories)

हिindeed

साthat (story)

मताis considered

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Rājan (the King—Yudhiṣṭhira implied)

pitā (Bhishma's father)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma emphasizes that while traditions may be vast, what matters for ethical guidance is the distilled essence (kathāsāra) suitable to the listener’s present need; authoritative teaching is also grounded in faithful transmission from elders.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma addresses the king and prefaces his instruction by noting he once heard a much longer version from his father; he will now present a concise, essential version for the king’s benefit.