Mahabharata 3.201.88 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 201, Shloka 88
Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)
दुर्वेदा वा सुवेदा वा प्राकृता: संस्कृतास्तथा । ब्राह्मणा नावमन्तव्या भस्मच्छन्ञा इवाग्नय:
durvedā vā suvedā vā prākṛtāḥ saṃskṛtās tathā | brāhmaṇā nāvamantavyā bhasmacchannā ivāgnayaḥ ||
ब्राह्मण वेद में अल्पज्ञ हों या सुज्ञ, उत्तम संस्कारों से युक्त हों या साधारण जनों की भाँति असंस्कृत प्रतीत हों—उनका तिरस्कार नहीं करना चाहिए; क्योंकि वे राख में छिपी अग्नि के समान हैं।
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should not despise Brahmins based on outward appearance, imperfect learning, or seemingly uncultivated behavior; their status and potential spiritual power are compared to fire concealed under ash—still capable of burning when provoked.
In the Vana Parva discourse context, Yudhiṣṭhira articulates a dharmic principle of restraint and reverence: regardless of a Brahmin’s visible qualifications, one must avoid contempt or insult, emphasizing the danger and impropriety of disrespect.
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