Shloka 2
Ālasyadoṣa-nirdeśa (On the Fault of Negligence) — The Camel’s Long-Neck Exemplum
भीष्म उवाच हन्त ते5हं प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु कार्यकनिश्चयम् । यथा राज्ञेह कर्तव्यं यच्च कृत्वा सुखी भवेत्,भीष्मजीने कहा--नरेश्वर! राजाका जो कर्तव्य है और जो कुछ करके वह सुखी हो सकता है, उस कार्यका निश्चय करके अब मैं तुम्हें बतलाता हूँ, उसे सुनो
bhīṣma uvāca: hanta te 'haṃ pravakṣyāmi śṛṇu kārya-niścayam | yathā rājñeha kartavyaṃ yac ca kṛtvā sukhī bhavet ||
بھیشم نے کہا: “سنو، میں تمہیں قطعی طور پر بتاتا ہوں—اس دنیا میں بادشاہ کا کیا فرض ہے، اور وہ کون سا عمل ہے جس سے وہ حقیقی طور پر مطمئن اور خوش رہ سکتا ہے۔”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma frames his discourse as a clear, practical determination (kārya-niścaya) of royal duty: what a king must do and what conduct leads to lasting well-being, implying that happiness for a ruler is grounded in dharma-informed governance rather than mere power.
In the Shanti Parva’s instructional setting, Bhishma begins a new segment of counsel, announcing that he will explain to the king the proper course of action—how a ruler should act in the world and what deeds bring true contentment.