Shloka 30
मृत्यु-काल-प्रबोधनम् (Instruction on Mortality, Time, and Truth) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 169
ब्राह्मणो मध्यदेशीय: कश्रिद् वै ब्रह्मवर्जित: । ग्रामं वृद्धियुतं वीक्ष्य प्राविशद् भैक्ष्यकांक्षया
brāhmaṇo madhyadeśīyaḥ kaścid vai brahma-varjitaḥ | grāmaṁ vṛddhi-yutaṁ vīkṣya prāviśad bhaikṣya-kāṅkṣayā ||
Bhishma dit : «Il y avait un brahmane du Madhyadeśa qui, bien que dépourvu de science védique, aperçut un village prospère et y entra dans l’intention d’y demander l’aumône.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse introduces a case meant to test ethical definitions of status and virtue: a person called a Brahmin by birth seeks alms despite lacking Vedic learning, prompting reflection on whether true worth rests on lineage, learning (brahma), or right conduct (ācāra).
Bhishma begins a story: an unlearned Brahmin from the Madhyadeśa notices a prosperous village and goes into it to beg for alms, setting the stage for an ensuing encounter or lesson about dharma and social-religious identity.