Shloka 15
Indra–Mataṅga Saṃvāda: On the rarity and responsibilities of Brāhmaṇya (इन्द्र-मतङ्ग संवादः)
ब्रूहि रासभि कल्याणि माता मे येन दूषिता । कथं मां वेत्सि चण्डालं क्षिप्रं रासभि शंस मे,“कल्याणमयी गर्दभी! बता, मेरी माता किससे कलंकित हुई है? तू मुझे चाण्डाल कैसे समझती है? शीघ्र मुझसे सारी बात बता
brūhi rāsabhi kalyāṇi mātā me yena dūṣitā | kathaṃ māṃ vetsi caṇḍālaṃ kṣipraṃ rāsabhi śaṃsa me ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „Sprich, o glückverheißende Eselin. Von wem wurde meine Mutter entehrt? Wie erkennst du in mir einen Caṇḍāla? Sage es mir schnell, o Eselin — lege mir die ganze Sache dar.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds ethical inquiry: before accepting a stigmatizing judgment (being called a Caṇḍāla) or a charge of dishonor against one’s mother, Bhīṣma demands clear grounds and truthful explanation. It models the dharmic impulse to seek evidence and accountability rather than act on insult or rumor.
Bhīṣma addresses a she-donkey (rāsabhī), asking her to explain why she considers him a Caṇḍāla and by whom his mother was ‘defiled.’ The tone is urgent and interrogative, pressing for the full account immediately.