Shloka 28
उपदेशदोषप्रसङ्गः (Upadeśa-doṣa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Risk of Misapplied Counsel
बाढमित्येव तं विप्र उवाच भरतर्षभ । शुचिर्भूत्वा स शूद्रस्तु तस्यर्षे: पाद्यमानयत्
bāḍham ity eva taṃ vipra uvāca bharatarṣabha | śucir bhūtvā sa śūdras tu tasyarṣeḥ pādyam ānayat |
قال بهيشما: «حسنٌ جدًّا»، فأجاب البرهمن، يا خيرَ آلِ بهاراتا، قابِلًا الدعوة. ثم إنّ الشُّودرا، بعد أن اغتسل وتطهّر طهارةً شعائريّة، جاء بالماء ليغسل قدمي ذلك الرِّشي العظيم، خدمةً مقرونةً بالإجلال.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma expressed through respectful hospitality: accepting an invitation with goodwill, and honoring a worthy guest (a sage) through acts like ritual purity and offering pādya (water for washing feet). Ethical emphasis falls on humility, reverence, and proper conduct toward the virtuous.
A brāhmaṇa agrees—saying “bāḍham” (“very well”)—to the śūdra’s invitation. The śūdra then bathes to become pure and brings water to wash the sage’s feet, performing a traditional gesture of welcome and service.