Shloka 29
Śara-śayyā-sthita-bhīṣma-saṃvāda-prastāvaḥ
The Prelude to Questioning Bhīṣma on the Bed of Arrows
यच्च त्वं वक्ष्यसे भीष्म पाण्डवायानुपृच्छते । वेदप्रवाद इव ते स्थास्यते वसुधातले
yac ca tvaṃ vakṣyase bhīṣma pāṇḍavāyānupṛcchate | vedapravāda iva te sthāsyate vasudhātale ||
Wika ni Vāyu: “O Bhīṣma, anumang ipahahayag mo bilang tugon sa Pāṇḍava kapag ikaw ay tinanong niya ay mananatili sa ibabaw ng lupa na ito na parang pahayag ng Veda—tatanggapin bilang may kapangyarihan at gabay sa matuwid na asal.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma’s forthcoming answers to Yudhiṣṭhira are affirmed as enduring, Veda-like authority—implying that dharma taught by a realized elder, grounded in tradition and lived wisdom, becomes a reliable standard for society.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction-setting, Vāyudeva addresses Bhīṣma and foretells that when Yudhiṣṭhira (the Pāṇḍava) questions him, Bhīṣma’s replies will be accepted on earth like established Vedic doctrine.