Shloka 20
Śara-śayyā-sthita-bhīṣma-saṃvāda-prastāvaḥ
The Prelude to Questioning Bhīṣma on the Bed of Arrows
शिष्टैश्न॒ धर्मो यः प्रोक्त: स च मे हृदि वर्तते । देशजातिकुलानां च धर्मज्ञोडस्मि जनार्दन
śiṣṭaiḥ dharmo yaḥ proktaḥ sa ca me hṛdi vartate | deśa-jāti-kulānāṁ ca dharmajño 'smi janārdana ||
毗湿摩说道：“由博学而端正的长者所宣说的法（dharma），常住我心。我亦通晓因地域、族群与家系而立的习俗之责，哦，阇那尔达那。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma affirms that true dharma is grounded in the teachings and lived example of śiṣṭas (cultured, exemplary authorities) and that dharma also includes context-sensitive norms—those shaped by place (deśa), community (jāti), and lineage (kula). Ethical discernment therefore requires both principled guidance and awareness of legitimate customary duties.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma speaks as an authoritative teacher, assuring Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa) that the dharma taught by the wise is firmly established in his heart and that he is competent to explain even the nuanced, customary obligations tied to regional, communal, and familial traditions.