Shloka 7
निर्वेदोपदेशः (Nirveda-Upadeśa) — Maṅki’s Dispassion and the Limits of Wealth-Seeking
ततो विश्रान्तमासीन गोत्रप्रश्नमपृच्छत । सोडब्रवीद् गौतमो<स्मीति ब्रह्म नान्यदुदाहरत्
tato viśrāntam āsīnaṃ gotra-praśnam apṛcchat | so 'bravīd gautamo 'smīti brahma nānyad udāharat ||
Puis, lorsqu’il se fut reposé et qu’il était assis, on l’interrogea sur sa lignée. Il répondit : « Je suis Gautama », et ne dit rien de plus—sinon qu’il était un brāhmaṇa.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights restraint and ethical self-definition: rather than constructing status through elaborate lineage-claims, one may stand on a simple, truthful identification, implying that dharma and conduct are the real measures of worth.
After resting and sitting down, a person is questioned about his gotra (lineage). He answers briefly, identifying himself as ‘Gautama’ and as a brāhmaṇa, and does not elaborate further.