Shloka 2
Haṃsa–Sādhya Saṃvāda: Satya, Dama, Kṣamā and the Discipline of Speech
भीष्म उवाच अत्र ते वर्तयिष्येडहमितिहासं पुरातनम् । अरिष्टनेमिना प्रोक्ते सगरायानुपृच्छते
bhīṣma uvāca | atra te vartayiṣyed aham itihāsaṃ purātanam | ariṣṭaneminā prokte sagarāyānupṛcchate ||
ഭീഷ്മൻ പറഞ്ഞു—രാജാവേ! ഈ വിഷയത്തിൽ രാജാവ് സഗരൻ ചോദിച്ചപ്പോൾ അരിഷ്ടനേമി പറഞ്ഞ മറുപടിയുള്ള പുരാതന ഇതിഹാസം ഞാൻ നിന്നോട് പറയാം.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ethical instruction through an authoritative ‘ancient narrative’ (itihāsa): Bhishma signals that dharma is best understood not only through abstract rules but through precedent—how wise figures answered concrete royal questions.
Bhishma begins a new exemplum: he tells the listener that he will recount an old story in which King Sagara questioned Ariṣṭanemi, and Ariṣṭanemi responded—Bhishma is about to relay that exchange.