468 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 9
TEXT 25

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sita uvaca
yudhisthiras tad akarnya
Sayanam sara-panjare
aprechad vividhan dharman
rsinam canusrnvatam

siitah uvaca— Sri Sita Gosvami said; yudhisthirah— King Yudhisthira;
tat—that; akarnya—hearing; sayanam—lying down on; sara-pafjare—on the
bed of arrows; aprcchat—asked; vividhaén—multifarious; dharman—duties;
rsinadm—of the rsis; ca—and; anusrnvatam—hearing after them.

TRANSLATION

Suta Gosvami said: Maharaja Yudhisthira, after hearing Bhismadeva
speak in that appealing tone, asked him, in the presence of all the great
rsis, about the essential principles of various religious duties.

PURPORT

Bhismadeva, speaking in that appealing tone, convinced Maharaja
Yudhisthira that he was very soon passing away. And Maharaja Yudhisthira
was inspired by Lord Sri Krsna to ask him of the principles of religion.
Lord Sri Krsna inspired Maharaja Yudhisthira to ask Bhismadeva in the
presence of many great sages, indicating thereby that the Lord’s devotee
like Bhismadeva, although apparently living as a worldly man, is far
superior to many great sages, even Vyasadeva. Another point is that
Bhismadeva at that time was not only lying on a deathbed of arrows, but
he was greatly aggrieved because of that state. One should not have
asked him any question at that time, but Lord Sri Krsna wanted to prove
that His pure devotees are always sound in body and mind by dint of
spiritual enlightenment, and thus in any circumstances a devotee of the
Lord is in perfect order to speak of the right way of life. Yudhisthira also
preferred to solve his problematic questions from Bhismadeva rather than
ask anyone else present there who was seemingly more learned than
