Shloka 20
Pāṇḍu’s Marriages, Conquests, and Triumphal Return (पाण्डोर्विवाह-विजय-प्रत्यागमनम्)
वैशम्पायन उवाच महर्षे: कीर्तने तस्य भीष्म: प्राउजलिरब्रवीत् । धर्ममर्थ च काम॑ च त्रीनेतान् यो5नुपश्यति
vaiśampāyana uvāca | maharṣeḥ kīrtane tasya bhīṣmaḥ prāñjalir abravīt | dharmam arthaṃ ca kāmaṃ ca trīn etān yo'nupaśyati, uktaṃ bhavatyā yac chreyas tan mahān rocayate bhṛśam |
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Tatkala nama resi agung Vyāsa disebut, Bhīṣma pun merapatkan kedua tangan dengan penuh hormat lalu berkata: “Wahai Ibu, sesiapa yang berulang-ulang menimbang tiga perkara—dharma, artha dan kāma—serta mengetahui bagaimana tiap-tiapnya melahirkan buahnya yang wajar, apa yang akhirnya membawa kebahagiaan, dan bagaimana keterlanjuran juga dapat menimbulkan hasil yang berlawanan, dialah yang benar-benar bijaksana. Apa yang engkau katakan itu selaras dengan dharma, dan juga bermanfaat serta membawa tuah bagi keturunan kita; maka amatlah aku berkenan.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
True wisdom lies in repeatedly weighing dharma, artha, and kāma—understanding their proper outcomes as well as the harmful, contrary results that can arise from misuse—and then deciding what is truly śreyas (beneficial) for oneself and one’s community.
As the narrator Vaiśampāyana reports, the mention of the great sage (Vyāsa) prompts Bhīṣma to respond with reverence (joined palms). He then endorses the counsel given by the addressed woman (“Mother”), praising it as dharmic and beneficial for the Kuru family.