Śara-śayyā-sthita-bhīṣma-saṃvāda-prastāvaḥ
The Prelude to Questioning Bhīṣma on the Bed of Arrows
जन्मसे लेकर आजतक किसीने भी आपमें कोई भी दोष (पाप) नहीं देखा है। सब राजा इस बातको स्वीकार करते हैं कि आप सम्पूर्ण धर्मोके ज्ञाता हैं ।।
janmase lekar ājatak kisine'pi āpameṁ koī'pi doṣa (pāpa) nahīṁ dekhā hai. sarva rājā isa bātako svīkāra karate haiṁ ki āpa sampūrṇa dharmoke jñātā haiṁ. tebhyaḥ pitevā putrebhyo rājan brūhi paraṁ nayam ṛṣayaś caiva devāś ca tvayā nityam upāsitāḥ.
“Mula sa iyong kapanganakan hanggang ngayon, wala pang sinumang nakakita sa iyo ng anumang kapintasan—anumang kasalanan. Kinikilala ito ng lahat ng hari: na ikaw ay nakaaalam ng buong saklaw ng dharma. Kaya, O hari, sabihin mo sa kanila ang pinakadakilang patnubay, gaya ng ama sa kanyang mga anak. Sapagkat ang mga rishi at maging ang mga diyos ay palagi mong pinararangalan at sinasamba.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Moral authority in governance arises from a life free of visible wrongdoing and from sustained reverence toward sages and the divine; such a ruler should guide other kings with the highest standard of dharma, like a father instructing his sons.
Vāyudeva addresses a king renowned for faultless conduct and comprehensive knowledge of dharma, urging him to give supreme guidance (paraṁ naya) to other kings, grounding that authority in his lifelong devotion to sages and gods.