धर्मस्य बहुद्वारत्वम् — Nārada’s Audience with Indra (Śānti-parva 340)
वृणीष्व च वर विप्र मत्तस्त्वं यदिहेच्छसि । प्रसन्नो5हं तवाद्येह विश्वमूर्तिरिहाव्यय:,द्विजश्रेष्ठ! मैं अविनाशी विश्वरूप परमेश्वर आज तुमपर प्रसन्न हुआ हूँ; अतः तुम मुझसे जो कुछ चाहते हो, वह वर माँग लो
vṛṇīṣva ca vara vipra mattas tvaṃ yad ihecchasi | prasanno 'haṃ tavādyeha viśvamūrtir ihāvyayaḥ ||
毗湿摩言:“噢,婆罗门,当从我处择取一愿——此间你所欲者,皆可求之。今日我悦纳于你:我乃不坏之主、宇宙之君,以宇宙大形(Visvarūpa)示现;故当向我求你所愿。”
भीष्म उवाच
The verse highlights the ethical power of divine or authoritative grace: when one is pleased by a person’s conduct, learning, or devotion, one may offer a boon. It underscores the ideal of granting requests from a place of goodwill, and the responsibility of the recipient to ask for something worthy.
Bhishma addresses a Brahmin and invites him to ask for any boon, declaring himself pleased and describing the boon-giver in exalted terms as the imperishable, cosmic-formed Lord—language that frames the moment as a solemn, spiritually charged granting of favor.