Shloka 84
Varṇa-dharma and Rājadharma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Outline (वर्णधर्म-राजधर्म-प्रश्नोत्तरम्)
अध्यायानां सहसैस्तु त्रिभिरेव बृहस्पति: । संचिक्षेपेश्वरो बुद्धया बार्हस्पत्यं तदुच्यते
adhyāyānāṁ sahasais tu tribhir eva bṛhaspatiḥ | saṁcikṣepēśvaro buddhyā bārhaspatyaṁ tad ucyate ||
ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ତା’ପରେ ସାମର୍ଥ୍ୟଶାଳୀ ବୃହସ୍ପତି ନିଜ ବୁଦ୍ଧିବଳରେ ତାହାକୁ ଆହୁରି ସଂକ୍ଷେପ କଲେ; ତେବେ ତାହା ତିନି ହଜାର ଅଧ୍ୟାୟରେ ରହିଗଲା। ସେଥିଠାରୁ ଏହି ନୀତିଶାସ୍ତ୍ର ‘ବାର୍ହସ୍ପତ୍ୟ’ ନାମେ ପ୍ରସିଦ୍ଧ ହେଲା।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the preservation of ethical and political wisdom through intelligent condensation: authoritative teachings can be abridged without losing their essential guidance, and such a redaction becomes a recognized tradition (here, the Bārhaspatya).
In Bhishma’s instruction during the Shanti Parva, he recounts how Brihaspati reduced a much larger body of material into a shorter work of three thousand chapters, which thereafter was known as the Bārhaspatya treatise on niti (conduct and governance).