Shloka 16
Śara-śayyā-sthita-bhīṣma-saṃvāda-prastāvaḥ
The Prelude to Questioning Bhīṣma on the Bed of Arrows
कच्चिजज्ञानानि सर्वाणि प्रतिभान्ति च तेडनघ । न ग्लायते च हृदयं न च ते व्याकुलं मनः
kaccij jñānāni sarvāṇi pratibhānti ca te 'nagha | na glāyate ca hṛdayaṁ na ca te vyākulaṁ manaḥ ||
வாயுதேவர் கூறினார்—பாவமற்றவனே! உனக்குள் எல்லா வகை அறிவும் ஒளிர்ந்து தோன்றுகிறதா? உன் இதயம் தளர்ச்சியின்றி உள்ளதா? உன் மனம் கலங்காமல் இருக்கிறதா?
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic concern for inner fitness: true wisdom is not merely possessed but must remain luminous (pratibhānti) and accompanied by emotional steadiness—no dejection in the heart and no agitation in the mind—especially when one is about to teach or uphold dharma after immense suffering.
Vāyudeva addresses Bhīṣma with care, asking whether his knowledge is clear and whether his inner state is stable. The question frames Bhīṣma’s condition in the Shānti Parva context, where the aftermath of war demands calm, lucid instruction and moral reflection.