Shloka 131
Indra–Mataṅga Saṃvāda: On the rarity and responsibilities of Brāhmaṇya (इन्द्र-मतङ्ग संवादः)
तत्र तीव्र व्रणं दृष्ट॒वा गर्दभी पुत्रगृद्धिनी । उवाच मा शुच: पुत्र चाण्डालस्त्वधितिष्ठति
tatra tīvra-vraṇaṁ dṛṣṭvā gardabhī putra-gṛddhinī | uvāca mā śucaḥ putra cāṇḍālas tv adhitiṣṭhati ||
Voyant là une blessure profonde, l’ânesse — avide de retrouver son petit — dit : « Ne t’afflige pas, mon enfant ; un caṇḍāla veille sur toi (il se tient près de toi). »
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid pain and fear, reassurance and care are central ethical responses; the verse also reveals how social labels (like “Caṇḍāla”) are invoked in the narrative world, shaping perceptions of who is seen as a caregiver or attendant.
A she-donkey, anxious for her young, sees a grievous wound and speaks to her child, telling it not to grieve because a Caṇḍāla is present/attending—indicating someone is standing by to look after the injured one.