Vaishampayana said Desirous of acquiring the merit which destroys sins that perpetuator of Kuru's race, viz., Yudhishthira the son of Pandu, questioned Bhishma who was lying on a bed of arrows saying.
वैशम्पायन उवाच शरतल्पगतं भीष्मं पाण्डवोऽथ कुरूद्वहः। युधिष्ठिरो हितं प्रेप्सुरपृच्छत् कल्मषापहम्॥