Shloka 3
Śara-śayyā-sthita-bhīṣma-saṃvāda-prastāvaḥ
The Prelude to Questioning Bhīṣma on the Bed of Arrows
का: कथा: समवर्तन्त तस्मिन् वीरसमागमे । हतेषु सर्वसैन्येषु तन््मे शंस महामुने,जनमेजयने पूछा--महामुने! धर्मात्मा, महापराक्रमी, सत्यप्रतिज्ञ, जितात्मा, धर्मसे कभी च्युत न होनेवाले महाभाग शान्तनुनन्दन गड्जाकुमार पुरुषसिंह देवव्रत भीष्म जब वीरशय्यापर सो रहे थे और पाण्डव उनकी सेवामें आकर उपस्थित हो गये थे, उस समय वीर पुरुषोंक उस समागमके अवसरपर, जब कि उभयपक्षकी सम्पूर्ण सेनाएँ मारी जा चुकी थीं, कौन-कौनसी बातें हुईं? यह मुझे बतानेकी कृपा करें
Janamejaya uvāca: kāḥ kathāḥ samavartanta tasmin vīrasamāgame | hateṣu sarvasainyeṣu tan me śaṃsa mahāmune ||
Janamejaya berkata: “Apakah bicara-bicara yang berlangsung dalam pertemuan para wira itu? Setelah semua bala tentera terbunuh, ceritakanlah kepadaku, wahai resi agung, apa yang diucapkan di sana.”
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
This verse functions as a narrative prompt: Janamejaya requests an authoritative recounting of the discussions that occurred after the total destruction of the armies, preparing the ground for the Shanti Parva’s extended instruction on dharma, kingship, and ethical restoration after war.
In the frame dialogue, Janamejaya asks the sage to describe what was said at the ‘meeting of heroes’ once the fighting had ended and the armies were slain—pointing toward the post-war setting in which Bhishma’s teachings are delivered.