Shloka 76
Gopradāna-phalasaṃprāpti: Nāciketa’s Vision of Vaivasvata’s Realms (गोप्रदानफलसम्प्राप्तिः — नाचिकेतोपाख्यानम्)
यतश्न यद् यथा चैव देवसत्रे महामते । कुन्तीनन्दन! तुमने सावित्रीके शुभ वचनको भी सुना है। महामते देवताओंके यज्ञमें जिस हेतुसे और जिस प्रकार जो वचन सावित्रीने कहा था, वह इस प्रकार है--
yataśna yad yathā caiva devasatre mahāmate | kuntīnandana! tvam sāvitryāḥ śubha-vacanaṃ api śrutavān asi | mahāmate devatānāṃ yajñe yasmin hetau yathā ca yat vacanaṃ sāvitryā uvāca, tad idaṃ yathā—
Bhīṣma nói: “Hỡi con trai của Kuntī, bậc trí giả, con cũng đã nghe những lời cát tường của Savitrī. Trong đại tế lễ của chư thiên, vì mục đích gì và bằng cách nào nàng đã thốt ra những lời ấy—hỡi người có tâm chí cao cả—thì đây chính là như vậy.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse functions as a framing device: Bhishma emphasizes that ethical instruction is grounded in authoritative, auspicious speech delivered with a clear purpose and proper method. It prepares the listener to receive Savitri’s words as a dharmic exemplar—teaching that intention (hetu) and manner (yathā) matter in moral counsel.
Bhishma addresses Yudhishthira and transitions into recounting Savitri’s statement. He notes that Yudhishthira has heard of it before and now introduces the context: during a devasatra (a divine sacrificial session), Savitri spoke certain words for a particular reason and in a particular way; Bhishma is about to quote or narrate them.