Shloka 12
आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः
Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca
भीष्म उवाच त्वदयुक्तोडयमनुप्रश्नो युधिष्ठिर सुखोदय: । शृणु मे पुत्र कार्त्स्न्येन गुह्यमापत्सु भारत
bhīṣma uvāca tvad-yukto 'yam anu-praśno yudhiṣṭhira sukha-udayaḥ | śṛṇu me putra kārtsnyena guhyam āpatsu bhārata ||
毗湿摩说道：“尤提士提罗啊，你这追问问得恰当而合宜；它能引出真正安乐的兴起。孩子，且听我详尽道来：灾厄之时当行之事，乃秘而不宣之法，并非众人皆知。婆罗多族的后裔啊，听我传授这隐秘的教诲。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma affirms that Yudhishthira’s inquiry is ethically apt and welfare-producing, and he introduces apaddharma—guidance for conduct in emergencies—as a subtle, often confidential domain of dharma that must be learned carefully and in full.
In the Shanti Parva dialogue, Yudhishthira asks a further question about proper action during crises. Bhishma responds by praising the question and preparing to disclose a complete, ‘secret’ instruction on conduct in times of distress.