Shloka 396
Adhyāya 270 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on saṃnyāsa; Bhīṣma on calculable time, tamas, and karma
Vṛtra–Uśanā exemplum begins
यदि दद्यामहं राज्यं तुष्टो वै यस्य कस्यचित् | स भवेदचिराद् राजा न मिथ्या वाग् भवेन्मम । 'यदि मैं संतुष्ट होकर जिस किसीको भी राज्य दे दूँ तो वह शीघ्र ही राजा हो जायगा। मेरी यह बात कभी मिथ्या नहीं हो सकती”
yadi dadyām ahaṃ rājyaṃ tuṣṭo vai yasya kasyacit | sa bhaved acirād rājā na mithyā vāg bhaven mama ||
Bhishma berkata: “Jika aku, dalam keredaan hatiku, mengurniakan kerajaan kepada sesiapa pun, nescaya tidak lama kemudian dia akan menjadi raja. Kata-kataku tidak mungkin menjadi dusta.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical weight of a righteous elder’s word: when grounded in dharma and personal integrity, speech is treated as a binding force that shapes political reality—truthfulness becomes a form of power.
Bhishma asserts the efficacy and reliability of his promise: if he were to bestow sovereignty upon someone out of satisfaction, that person would soon attain kingship, because Bhishma’s word is not capable of becoming false.