Shloka 2
युधिष्ठिरप्रश्नः—विश्वामित्रस्य ब्राह्मणत्वकौतूहलम् | Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry on Viśvāmitra’s Attainment of Brāhmaṇya
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत अनुशासनपर्वके अन्तर्गत दानधर्मपर्वमें सुदर्शनका उपाख्यानविषयक दूसरा अध्याय पूरा हुआ
viśvāmitreṇa dharmātman brāhmaṇatvaṃ nararṣabha | śrotum icchāmi tattvena tan me brūhi pitāmaha ||
Yudhiṣṭhira demanda : «Ô aïeul juste, ô taureau parmi les hommes—comment le magnanime Viśvāmitra, bien que né dans une lignée kṣatriya, a-t-il atteint la véritable brahmanité, alors qu’un tel accomplissement est extrêmement difficile pour les trois autres ordres ? Je souhaite l’entendre selon la réalité ; dis-le-moi, Grand-père.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a key Mahābhārata concern: whether spiritual and ethical excellence (brāhmaṇatva as a quality) can be attained through truth, discipline, and dharma rather than being fixed solely by birth. Yudhiṣṭhira seeks the ‘tattva’—the real principle behind Viśvāmitra’s rise.
In the Anuśāsana Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira questions Bhīṣma about Viśvāmitra: despite being born a Kṣatriya, he is renowned as a brāhmaṇa-rṣi. Yudhiṣṭhira asks Bhīṣma to explain how this transformation occurred and what it truly signifies.