Shloka 46
उपदेशदोषप्रसङ्गः (Upadeśa-doṣa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Risk of Misapplied Counsel
वरमिच्छाम्यहं त्वेक॑ त्वया दत्त महाद्मयुते,भरतश्रेष्ठ! फिर पुरोहित राजासे इस प्रकार बोले--“महातेजस्वी नरेश! मैं आपका दिया हुआ एक वर प्राप्त करना चाहता हूँ
varam icchāmy ahaṃ tv ekaṃ tvayā dattaṃ mahādyute, bharataśreṣṭha!
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai raja yang perkasa, yang terbaik dalam kaum Bharata! Aku ingin memohon daripadamu satu anugerah sahaja—anugerah yang engkau akan kurniakan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of royal promises: a king’s word and capacity to grant boons create binding obligations, so requests and grants must be approached with restraint, clarity, and responsibility.
Bhīṣma addresses an illustrious king and formally asks for a single boon to be granted by him, setting up a subsequent exchange where the requested favor will carry moral and practical consequences.