Shloka 5
Dasyu-maryādā and Buddhi-guided Rāja-nīti (दस्युमर्यादा तथा बुद्धिप्रधान-राजनीति)
भीष्मजीने कहा--राजन्! राजा ब्रह्मदत्तके घरमें पूजनी चिड़ियाके साथ जो उनका संवाद हुआ था, उसे ही तुम्हारे समाधानके लिये उपस्थित करता हूँ, सुनो ।।
bhīṣma uvāca—rājan! kāmpilye brahmadattasya tv antaḥpura-nivāsinī | pūjanī nāma śakunir dīrgha-kālaṃ sahoṣitā ||
भीष्म उवाच—राजन्! तव संशयनिवृत्त्यर्थं काम्पिल्ये ब्रह्मदत्तस्य गृहे पूजन्या नाम शकुन्या सह यः संवादोऽभवत्, तमहं कथयामि; शृणु। काम्पिल्ये ब्रह्मदत्तस्य त्वन्तःपुरनिवासिनी। पूजनी नाम शकुनिर्दीर्घकालं सहोषिता॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ethical instruction through an illustrative tale: Bhishma introduces an earlier dialogue involving a long-resident, revered bird in a king’s palace, implying that wisdom and dharma can be conveyed through unexpected speakers and remembered exempla.
Bhishma begins a story to address the king’s question: he points to Kampilya, where King Brahmadatta had in his inner palace a bird named Pūjanī who lived there for a long time, setting the scene for the forthcoming dialogue.