Shloka 41
मृत्यु-काल-प्रबोधनम् (Instruction on Mortality, Time, and Truth) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 169
स ब्रह्मचारी तद्देश्य: सखा तस्यैव सुप्रिय: । त॑ दस्युग्राममगमद् यत्रासौ गौतमो5वसत्,वह ब्रह्मचारी ब्राह्मण गौतमके ही गाँवका निवासी तथा उसका परमप्रिय मित्र था और घूमता हुआ डाकुओंके उसी गाँवमें जा पहुँचा था, जहाँ गौतम निवास करता था
sa brahmacārī taddeśyaḥ sakhā tasyaiva supriyaḥ | taṃ dasyugrāmam agamad yatrāsau gautamo ’vasat |
Bhīṣma said: “That brahmacārin was a native of the same region and the dearest friend of Gautama. While wandering, he came to the very village of the bandits where Gautama was residing.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse sets up an ethical test: even a disciplined brahmacārin, though virtuous and closely connected to a sage, may encounter perilous environments. It highlights how dharma is examined not in comfort but amid risk, association, and circumstance.
Bhīṣma describes a brahmacārin who is Gautama’s beloved friend and a local of the same region. While traveling, he arrives at a bandits’ village—the very place where Gautama is staying—preparing the ground for the ensuing episode.