Shloka 21
Gautama–Śakra Saṃvāda: Karma, Loka-bheda, and the Restoration of the Elephant
धृतराष्ट उवाच ये ब्राह्मणा मृदव: सत्यशीला बहुश्रुता: सर्वभूताभिरामा: । येडधीयते सेतिहासं पुराणं मध्वाहुत्या जुद्वति वै द्विजेभ्य:
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca ye brāhmaṇā mṛdavaḥ satyaśīlā bahuśrutāḥ sarvabhūtābhirāmāḥ | ye ’dhīyate setihāsaṃ purāṇaṃ madhvāhutyā judvati vai dvijebhyaḥ ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra sprach: „Jene Brāhmaṇas, die sanft sind, der Wahrheit ergeben, weithin gelehrt und allen Wesen angenehm—die Itihāsa und Purāṇas studieren und, nachdem sie Honig als Opfergabe dargebracht haben, ihn den Zweimalgeborenen geziemend darreichen—sprich zu mir von solchen Männern.“
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical ideal of the brāhmaṇa: gentleness, truthfulness, broad learning, and universal benevolence, joined with disciplined study of sacred-traditional literature (Itihāsa and Purāṇa) and proper ritual-honor toward the twice-born through offerings.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra is describing (and implicitly inquiring about) a class of exemplary brāhmaṇas—defined by character, learning, and ritual practice—within the Anuśāsana Parva’s broader instruction on dharma and proper conduct.