Shloka 7
बक-गौतमाख्यानम् / The Baka–Gautama Account
On Gratitude and Friendship Ethics
वैशम्पायन उवाच तस्य तद् वचन श्रुत्वा माद्रीपुत्रस्य धीमतः । स तु कौशलसंयुक्तं सूक्ष्मचित्रार्थसम्मतम्
vaiśampāyana uvāca | tasya tad vacanaṃ śrutvā mādrīputrasya dhīmataḥ | sa tu kauśalasaṃyuktaṃ sūkṣmacitrārthasammatam |
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Mendengar kata-kata anak Mādrī yang bijaksana (Nakula) itu, Bhīṣma—yang arif tentang dharma dan sempurna dalam ilmu memanah, sedang berbaring di atas hamparan anak panah—menyedari bahawa ucapan itu bukan sahaja tersusun dengan mahir, malah halus dan kaya dengan makna yang mendalam. Lalu baginda mula menjawab Nakula, murid Droṇa yang berjiwa besar, dengan tutur kata yang merdu dan sebutan yang jelas.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical ideal of thoughtful discourse: a good question or statement should be skillful in expression and subtle in meaning, and a true teacher responds with clarity, refinement, and dharma-grounded understanding.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Nakula has spoken; Bhīṣma, lying on the arrow-bed, recognizes the quality of Nakula’s words and begins his reply, setting up Bhīṣma’s forthcoming instruction in the Śānti Parva.