Shloka 47
आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः
Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca
हन्तास्मै सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि हेतुमात्माभिरक्षणे
hantāsmai sampravakṣyāmi hetum ātmābhirakṣaṇe
毗湿摩说道：“好——如今我将向他分明阐释：为护持自身，应依何因何则。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma signals a shift from general counsel to a reasoned explanation: ethical guidance should rest on a clear ‘hetu’ (rationale). Here, the topic is ātmābhirakṣaṇa—how and why one should safeguard one’s own self (life, integrity, and moral agency) within dharma.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Bhīṣma continues advising the inquirer (implicitly Yudhiṣṭhira) and announces that he will now set forth the underlying reason/principle concerning self-protection, preparing the listener for a structured argument rather than a mere injunction.