Shloka 5
Śara-śayyā-sthita-bhīṣma-saṃvāda-prastāvaḥ
The Prelude to Questioning Bhīṣma on the Bed of Arrows
हतशिष्टाश्न॒ राजानो युधिष्ठिरपुरोगमा: । धृतराष्ट्रश्न कृष्णश्न भीमार्जुनयमास्तथा
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: hataśiṣṭāś ca rājāno yudhiṣṭhirapurogamāḥ | dhṛtarāṣṭraś ca kṛṣṇaś ca bhīmārjunayamās tathā ||
Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: Ang mga haring nakaligtas sa pagpatay—na pinangungunahan ni Yudhiṣṭhira—kasama si Dhṛtarāṣṭra at si Kṛṣṇa, at gayundin sina Bhīma, Arjuna, at ang kambal na magkapatid (Nakula at Sahadeva), ay nilamon ng matinding dalamhati matapos ang digmaan. Lumapit sila kay Bhīṣma, ang lolo ng angkan ng Bharata, na nakahandusay na wari’y araw na ibinagsak sa lupa, at paulit-ulit na inihayag ang kanilang pagdadalamhati sa harap niya—humihingi ng payo at liwanag sa dharma sa gitna ng pagkawasak.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames the ethical aftermath of war: even the victors and survivors are burdened by grief and seek guidance from a revered elder (Bhīṣma). It prepares the ground for Śānti Parva’s dharma-instruction—how rulers should restore order, restrain vengeance, and pursue righteous governance after catastrophic violence.
After the Kurukṣetra war, the surviving leaders—headed by Yudhiṣṭhira and including Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Kṛṣṇa, and the Pāṇḍavas—approach Bhīṣma, who lies fallen and near death. They repeatedly express their sorrow to him, setting up Bhīṣma’s forthcoming teachings on dharma, statecraft, and peace.