Shloka 143
Varṇa-dharma and Rājadharma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Outline (वर्णधर्म-राजधर्म-प्रश्नोत्तरम्)
भुवि चाधोगतं यच्च तच्च सर्व समर्पितम् | तस्मिन् पैतामहे शास्त्रे पाण्डवैतन्न संशय:,पाण्डुनन्दन! अधिक क्या कहा जाय? जो कुछ इस पृथ्वीपर है और जो इसके नीचे है, उस सबका ब्रह्माजीके पूर्वोक्त शास्त्रमें समावेश किया गया है, इसमें संशय नहीं है
bhuvi cādhogataṃ yac ca tac ca sarvaṃ samarpitam | tasmin paitāmahe śāstre pāṇḍava etan na saṃśayaḥ |
भुवि चाधोगतं यच्च तच्च सर्वं समर्पितम् । तस्मिन् पैतामहे शास्त्रे पाण्डवैतन्न संशयः ॥ पाण्डुनन्दन, अधिकं किं ब्रवीमि—यदिह भूमौ यच्चाधस्तात्, तत्सर्वं पितामहप्रोक्ते शास्त्रे समाविष्टम्; अत्र संशयो नास्ति ॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma affirms the comprehensiveness and reliability of the primordial dharma-teaching attributed to Brahmā: it is portrayed as encompassing all realms of existence (earth and what lies beneath), and therefore as a complete ethical and cosmological authority.
During Bhishma’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira in the Śānti Parva, he emphasizes that the guidance he is citing rests on an ancient, authoritative śāstra of Brahmā, leaving no room for doubt about its scope and inclusion of all matters relevant to worldly order and conduct.