Shloka 44
एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline
भविष्यति प्रमाणं वै एतन्मदनुशासनम् । 'ब्राह्मणो! जैसे मेरे प्रसादसे उत्पन्न ब्रह्मा प्रमाणभूत हैं एवं जैसे क्रोधसे उत्पन्न रुद्र
bhaviṣyati pramāṇaṃ vai etan mad-anuśāsanam | brāhmaṇa! yathā mama prasādasa utpannaḥ brahmā pramāṇabhūtaḥ, yathā ca krodhasa utpannaḥ rudraḥ; yathā ca yūyaṃ sarve prajāpati-sūrya-candrama-vāyu-bhūmi-jala-agni-sarva-nakṣatrāṇi tathā anyāny api bhūtanāmadhārīṇi padārthāḥ brahmavādinaś ca ṛṣayaḥ sva-svādhi-kārānusāreṇa pravartamānāḥ pramāṇabhūtā manyadhve, tathā yuṣmābhiḥ kṛtam idaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ śāstram api prāmāṇikaṃ manyiṣyate—eṣā mama ājñā || tasmāt pravakṣyate dharmān manuḥ svāyambhuvaḥ svayam; śukrācāryo bṛhaspatiś ca yadā prādurbhaviṣyataḥ tadā tau api yuṣmad-buddhi-niṣpannaṃ śāstram idaṃ pravakṣyataḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：“我此训诫，将立为权威之准。婆罗门啊，正如由我恩泽而生的梵天（Brahmā）被奉为权威之源，正如由忿怒而生的鲁陀罗（Rudra）亦被奉为权威；又正如你们诸位——诸般生主（Prajāpati）、日、月、风、地、水、火、群星宿曜，以及以各自名号而著称的种种有情与诸奉梵（Brahman）之圣仙（ṛṣi）——各依其职分与所司而行，皆被视为可信之权威；同样，你们所撰此最上论典（śāstra），亦将被世间承认为权威。这是我的命令。因此，自生者摩奴（Svāyambhuva Manu）将依此书亲自宣说法（dharma）；而当乌沙那（Śukrācārya）与布里哈斯帕提（Bṛhaspati）出现之时，他们也将阐释这部由你们智慧所生的论典。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma establishes that a dharma-śāstra gains binding authority when it is sanctioned within the cosmic hierarchy of recognized pramāṇas: deities, progenitors, and Brahman-knowing seers each function as authorities in their domains, and likewise the composed treatise will be accepted as a standard for dharma.
In Bhishma’s discourse on dharma, he addresses a Brahmin and proclaims that his injunction will make the newly composed śāstra authoritative; he further foretells that future lawgivers and teachers—Svāyambhuva Manu, Śukra, and Bṛhaspati—will teach dharma in accordance with that very text.