Shloka 96
प्रजापतयः देवगणाश्च दिशि-दिशि स्थिताः ऋषयः
Prajāpatis, Deva-Groups, and the Ṛṣis Assigned to the Directions
यथा च देहाच्च्यवते शरीरी पुन: शरीरं च यथाभ्युपैति । अतः आप सामान्य और विशेष शब्दोंद्वारा इस सम्पूर्ण विषयका मेरे निकट वर्णन कीजिये। तत्त्वज्ञान होनेपर कौन-सा फल प्राप्त होता है? कर्म करनेपर किस फलकी उपलब्धि होती है? देहाभिमानी जीव देहसे किस प्रकार निकलता है और फिर दूसरे शरीरमें कैसे प्रवेश करता है?--ये सारी बातें भी आप मुझे बताइये
yathā ca dehāc cyavate śarīrī punaḥ śarīraṃ ca yathābhyupaiti | ataḥ sāmānya-viśeṣa-śabdair dvārā asya sampūrṇa-viṣayasya mama nikaṭaṃ varṇanaṃ kīrtaya | tattva-jñāne sati ko phalaṃ prāpyate? karma-karaṇe kasya phalasya upalabdhiḥ bhavati? dehābhimānī jīvo dehāt kathaṃ niṣkrāmati punaś ca anye śarīre kathaṃ praviśati? etāḥ sarvāḥ kathā api tvaṃ me vada ||
毗湿摩说道：“请以总说与别说，向我详尽阐明：具身之我如何从一身脱离，又如何再取另一身。真实的实相之智生起时，得何果报？行诸业时，得何果报？而那执身为我之灵识，如何离身，又如何入于他身？愿汝尽为我说。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a philosophical inquiry central to Śānti Parva: the mechanics of transmigration (leaving one body and entering another) and the comparative fruits of true knowledge (tattva-jñāna) versus action (karma). It sets up a dharmic-ethical discussion on liberation-oriented insight and the causal results of deeds.
Bhishma, speaking as a teacher in the Śānti Parva discourse, asks for a systematic explanation—both in general principles and specific details—about death, rebirth, and the outcomes of knowledge and action. The verse functions as a prompt that leads into a more detailed doctrinal exposition.