Shloka 1
Adhyāya 55 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Hesitation and Bhīṣma’s Authorization of Inquiry
Rājadharma Prelude
/ अपन का छा | अफड-एक्रा् पञ्चपज्चाशत्तमो< ध्याय: भीष्मका युधिष्ठटिरके गुणकथनपूर्वक उनको प्रश्न करनेका आदेश देना
Vaiśampāyana uvāca | athābravīn mahātejā vākyam kauravanandanaḥ | hanta dharmān pravakṣyāmi dṛḍhe vā imanasi mama ||
毗舍波耶那曰：其后，那大威光者、俱卢族之欢悦者，发言如是：“来吧——今我将宣说诸法（dharma）之要义；于此事上，我之决意已坚固不移。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse signals the formal beginning of a dharma-exposition: the speaker declares a firm resolve to teach multiple dimensions of righteousness—duty, ethical conduct, and right governance—setting an authoritative, instructional tone.
In the Śānti-parvan frame, after the war, instruction is sought to restore moral order and clarity. The narrator introduces the moment when the revered Kuru elder (contextually Bhīṣma) begins speaking, announcing that he will now expound dharma with steadfast determination.