Shloka 1263
धर्मस्य बहुद्वारत्वम् — Nārada’s Audience with Indra (Śānti-parva 340)
यानि श्रुतानि सर्वाणि तेषां सारोड्यमुद्धृत: । राजन! तुमने मुझसे जो अन्य सैकड़ों उपाख्यान सुने हैं, उन सबका यह सारभाग निकालकर तुम्हारे सामने रखा गया है
yāni śrutāni sarvāṇi teṣāṃ sāro ’yam uddhṛtaḥ | rājan, tvayā mayi śrutāni yāny anyāni śataśa upākhyānāni teṣāṃ sarabhāgaṃ niṣkṛṣya tavāgre nidhāpitam iti ||
Wika ni Bhishma: “O Hari, sa lahat ng narinig, ito ang diwa na aking hinango. Mula sa daan-daang iba pang salaysay na iyong napakinggan sa akin, kinuha ko ang pinakasentro nitong kahulugan at iniharap sa iyo bilang isang pinadalisay na buod.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma emphasizes that extensive instruction—many stories and teachings—should culminate in a distilled ‘essence’ (sāra). The ethical point is to grasp the central dharmic purport rather than remain lost in sheer quantity of narratives.
In the Shanti Parva’s instructional setting, Bhishma addresses the king and signals a transition or conclusion: after recounting numerous illustrative tales (upākhyānas), he now presents their extracted summary as the key takeaway for the ruler’s guidance.