In the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata, Bhishma delivers an extensive discourse on dharma (righteous duty), niti (statecraft and ethics), and philosophy to Yudhishthira while lying on a bed of arrows. This teaching occurs when Bhishma is awaiting the auspicious moment for his death after the Kurukshetra war, and he shares wisdom from centuries of experience covering governance, morality, duty, and the four aims of life.