Shloka 28
उपदेशदोषप्रसङ्गः (Upadeśa-doṣa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Risk of Misapplied Counsel
बाढमित्येव तं विप्र उवाच भरतर्षभ । शुचिर्भूत्वा स शूद्रस्तु तस्यर्षे: पाद्यमानयत्,भरतभूषण नरेश! तब ब्राह्मणने “बहुत अच्छा” कहकर उसका निमन्त्रण स्वीकार कर लिया। तत्पश्चात् शूद्र नहा-धोकर शुद्ध हो उन ब्रह्मर्षिके पैर धोनेके लिये जल ले आया
bāḍham ity eva taṃ vipra uvāca bharatarṣabha | śucir bhūtvā sa śūdras tu tasyarṣeḥ pādyam ānayat |
Bhīṣma sprach: „Sehr wohl“, erwiderte der Brāhmaṇa, o Bester der Bharatas, und nahm die Einladung an. Daraufhin badete der Śūdra, wurde rituell rein und brachte Wasser, um die Füße jenes großen ṛṣi zu waschen — ein Dienst in ehrfürchtiger Demut.
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.