Shloka 36
उपदेशदोषप्रसङ्गः (Upadeśa-doṣa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Risk of Misapplied Counsel
पुरोहितकुले विप्र आजातो भरतर्षभ । एवं तौ तत्र सम्भूतावुभौ शूद्रमुनी तदा
purohitakule vipra ājāto bharatarṣabha | evaṃ tau tatra sambhūtāv ubhau śūdramunī tadā ||
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai yang terbaik di antara keturunan Bharata, seorang brahmana lahir dalam keluarga purohita (pendeta istana). Demikianlah pada masa itu, di tempat itu, keduanya terlahir—keduanya dipandang sebagai resi yang berasal dari Śūdra.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a tension central to the Anuśāsana Parva: spiritual stature (muni-hood) and ethical worth are not reducible to social origin alone. It frames a narrative where birth-status categories and realized wisdom can intersect in unexpected ways.
Bhīṣma addresses the Bharata king and states that a brahmin was born in a purohita lineage, and that, in that same context, two individuals arose who are described as ‘Śūdra-sages,’ setting up a discussion about lineage, status, and the recognition of virtue.