Śara-śayyā-sthita-bhīṣma-saṃvāda-prastāvaḥ
The Prelude to Questioning Bhīṣma on the Bed of Arrows
वक्तव्यं विदुषा चेति धर्ममाहुर्मनीषिण: । मनीषी पुरुषोंने यह धर्म बताया है कि “श्रेष्ठ विद्वान् पुरुषसे जब कुछ पूछा जाय तो उसे उचित है कि वह सुननेकी इच्छावाले लोगोंको धर्मका उपदेश दे”
vaktavyaṃ viduṣā ceti dharmam āhur manīṣiṇaḥ | manīṣī puruṣo 'neha yaḥ dharmaṃ batāyā hai ki “śreṣṭha vidvān puruṣa se jab kuch pūchā jāya to use ucita hai ki vah sunane-kī icchā-vāle logoṃ ko dharma-kā upadeśa de”
风神曰:“贤者称此为法(dharma):有学之士,被问则当言。其旨在于:当上德之学者受人请问时,理当为真心欲听者宣说法义,并以能利益彼等之方式而教诲之。”
वायुदेव उवाच
That it is a duty (dharma) of the learned to speak and instruct when sincerely questioned—especially to guide willing listeners toward righteous conduct.
Vāyu-deva states a normative rule of conduct: sages regard it as dharma that a knowledgeable person should respond to questions by giving appropriate instruction in dharma to those eager to hear.