Shloka 24
मातङ्ग–शक्रसंवादः
Mataṅga–Śakra Dialogue on Tapas, Status, and Moral Qualities
शिलवृत्ति: कथान्ते तु सिद्धमामन्त्रय यत्नत: । प्रश्न॑ पप्रच्छ मेधावी यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि
śilavṛttiḥ kathānte tu siddham āmantraya yatnataḥ | praśnaṃ papraccha medhāvī yan māṃ tvaṃ paripṛcchasi ||
قال بهيشما: فلما انتهى الحديث، خاطبَ البرهمنُ الحكيمُ ربُّ البيت—الذي يقتات بالالتقاط من بقايا الحصاد—السِدّها بعناية، وسأله السؤالَ نفسه الذي تسألني إياه الآن.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the proper method of seeking dharma: after completing respectful dialogue, one should pose one’s central question with care and earnest effort. It emphasizes disciplined inquiry (praśna) as a moral act, not casual curiosity.
Bhishma connects the listener’s present question to an earlier exemplary episode: a frugal, gleaning-livelihood householder Brahmin respectfully approaches a Siddha at the end of their conversation and asks the same question now being asked of Bhishma, setting up an instructive answer grounded in tradition.