Shloka 16
Adhyāya 55 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Hesitation and Bhīṣma’s Authorization of Inquiry
Rājadharma Prelude
तव प्रसादाद् गोविन्द भूतात्मा हासि शाश्वतः । वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--राजन्! श्रीकृष्णकी बात सुनकर कुरुकुलका आनन्द बढ़ानेवाले महातेजस्वी भीष्मजीने कहा--“गोविन्द! आप सम्पूर्ण भूतोंके सनातन आत्मा हैं। आपके प्रसादसे मेरी वाक्शक्ति सुदृढ़ है और मन भी स्थिर हो गया है; अतः मैं समस्त धर्मोका प्रवचन करूँगा
tava prasādād govinda bhūtātmā hāsi śāśvataḥ | samatyāgino lubdhān gurūn api ca keśava | nihanti samare pāpān kṣatriyo yaḥ sa dharmavit ||
毗湿摩延那说道：听闻奎师那之言，毗湿摩——光辉炽盛、为俱卢族带来欢悦者——开口道：“噢，戈文达！你是万有众生永恒之自我。蒙你恩泽，我的言辞已坚实，我的心亦安定；因此我将宣说一切法。噢，凯沙瓦！凡刹帝利在战阵中，若师长已堕罪孽——弃正行而为贪欲所驱——仍能将其诛戮者，方是真正知法之人。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is not mere deference to status; a kṣatriya’s duty includes protecting moral order even when wrongdoing is committed by revered elders or teachers. When ‘gurus’ abandon dharma out of greed and become harmful, opposing them in battle can be framed as righteous—provided it is done as duty, not personal hatred.
Vaiśampāyana narrates Bhīṣma’s response after hearing Kṛṣṇa. Bhīṣma praises Kṛṣṇa as the eternal Self of all beings and credits him with stabilizing his speech and mind. He then begins a dharma-discourse, introducing a hard case in war-ethics: the legitimacy of fighting (even killing) sinful, dharma-abandoning elders/teachers when required by kṣatriya duty.