Shloka 8
Janamejaya’s Appeal for Pacification and Śaunaka’s Counsel on Humility (जनमेजय-शौनक संवादः)
तद् ब्रूहि मां सुविश्रब्धो यत् त्वं वाचा वदिष्यसि । तत् करिष्याम्यहं सर्व मा त्वं शोके मन: कृथा:
tad brūhi māṃ suviśrabdho yat tvaṃ vācā vadiṣyasi | tat kariṣyāmy ahaṃ sarvaṃ mā tvaṃ śoke manaḥ kṛthāḥ ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Maka, katakanlah kepadaku dengan keyakinan sepenuhnya apa sahaja yang hendak engkau ucapkan. Apa pun yang keluar dari mulutmu, akan kulaksanakan dengan sempurna. Oleh itu, jangan biarkan hatimu tenggelam dalam dukacita.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A dhārmic leader should reassure the distressed, invite truthful speech without fear, and commit to responsible action—removing grief through trust, clarity, and pledged support.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction-setting, Bhīṣma addresses the listener with confidence-building words: he urges them to speak freely and promises to fulfill what is asked, so that sorrow and hesitation are dispelled.