Shloka 18
Kṛṣṇa’s Dhyāna and the Prompt to Question Bhīṣma (कृष्णध्यानं भीष्मप्रश्नप्रेरणा च)
रामस्य दयितं शिष्यं जामदग्न्यस्य पाण्डव | आधार ं सर्वविद्यानां तमस्मि मनसा गत:
rāmasya dayitaṁ śiṣyaṁ jāmadagnyasya pāṇḍava | ādhāraṁ sarvavidyānāṁ tam asmi manasā gataḥ ||
Vāsudeva berkata: “Wahai Pāṇḍava, aku telah memalingkan batinku kepada Baginda Bhīṣma—murid kesayangan Rāma (Paraśurāma), putera Jamadagni—yang menjadi asas bagi segala cabang ilmu. Dengan mengenang baginda, aku merenungi teladan pembelajaran yang berdisiplin serta beban etika yang dipikul oleh seorang yang menguasai senjata dan kebijaksanaan sekaligus.”
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights reverent recollection of an exemplary figure (Bhīṣma) as a ‘foundation of all disciplines,’ implying that true authority in dharma and governance rests on disciplined learning, mastery guided by a teacher, and ethical seriousness—especially for those connected with power and warfare.
Vāsudeva addresses a Pāṇḍava (Yudhiṣṭhira) and says that he was mentally contemplating Bhīṣma—described as Paraśurāma’s beloved disciple and a support of all knowledge—situating Bhīṣma as a central authority whose life and instruction are worth inward reflection in the Śānti Parva’s post-war ethical discourse.