Shloka 25
ब्रह्मस्वहरण-निषेधः — Prohibition of Appropriating Brahmin Property
Brahmasva
त्वमिमं सम्प्रपन्नाय संशयं ब्रूहि पृच्छते । चाण्डालत्वात् कथमहं मुच्येयमिति सत्तम
tvam imaṁ samprapannāya saṁśayaṁ brūhi pṛcchate | cāṇḍālatvāt katham ahaṁ mucyeyam iti sattama ||
Wahai yang terbaik di antara orang saleh, aku datang berlindung kepadamu dan memohon agar keraguanku ini dijelaskan. Terlahir sebagai caṇḍāla, bagaimana aku dapat terbebas dari keadaan itu?
चाण्डाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharmic inquiry: a person seeks guidance not through pride of birth but through surrender and questioning. It foregrounds the ethical idea that transformation is pursued by taking refuge in the wise and asking how one may rise beyond a stigmatized condition through right conduct and spiritual discipline.
A caṇḍāla speaker approaches a revered ‘best of the virtuous’ figure, declares himself a supplicant, and asks for a clear answer to his doubt—specifically, the means to be released from caṇḍāla-status. The verse functions as the opening of a didactic exchange on dharma and uplift.