Shloka 7
राजन्! जब परशुरामजीके साथ मेरा भयंकर युद्ध हुआ था, उस समय वसुओंने मुझे यह कथा सुनायी थी ।।
rājan! yadā paraśurāmeṇa saha mama bhayaṅkaraṃ yuddham abhavat, tadā vasubhir iyaṃ kathā me śrāvitā. pṛcchamānāya tattvena mayā caivottamā tava. katheyaṃ kathitā puṇyā dharmyā dharmabhṛtāṃ vara, dharmātmāsu śreṣṭha yudhiṣṭhira! idānīṃ yadā tvaṃ paramadharmasaṃbandhe māṃ pṛcchasi, taduttarārthaṃ mayā yathārthataḥ eṣā puṇyamayī dharmasammatā śreṣṭhā kathā tubhyaṃ kathitā.
Wika ni Bhīṣma: O hari! Nang minsang nakipaglaban ako sa isang kakilabot na digmaan kay Paraśurāma, ang mga Vasu ang nagsalaysay sa akin ng kuwentong ito. At ngayon, sapagkat ikaw—pinakamaharlika sa mga tao—ay taimtim na nagtanong sa akin tungkol sa pinakadakilang dharma, buong katotohanan kong isinalaysay sa iyo ang banal at makatarungang salaysay na ito bilang sagot, O Yudhiṣṭhira, pinakamainam sa mga matuwid.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma frames the teaching as a truthful, dharma-approved sacred narrative given in response to Yudhishthira’s inquiry into the highest dharma—emphasizing that ethical instruction should be grounded in truth (tattva) and transmitted through authoritative tradition.
Bhishma recalls that during his fearsome conflict with Parashurama, the Vasus told him a particular story. He now tells that same story to Yudhishthira as a direct answer to the king’s question about supreme dharma.