Gaṅgā-māhātmya: Siddha–Śilavṛtti-saṃvāda and Gaṅgā-stava (गङ्गामाहात्म्यं—सिद्ध-शिलवृत्ति-संवादः)
(दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठके ८३ श्लोक मिलाकर कुल १११३ “लोक हैं) न२्च्स्स्््तसािस्सि (9) ४२ >>
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | idaṃ me tattvato rājan vaktum arhasi bhārata | ahiṃsayitvāpi kathaṃ brahmahatyā vidhīyate ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai raja, keturunan Bharata, jelaskan kepadaku hakikatnya: bagaimana dosa yang disebut brahmahatyā dapat menimpa seseorang meski ia tidak melakukan kekerasan terhadap seorang Brāhmaṇa?”
युधिछिर उवाच
The verse frames a dharma inquiry: moral guilt (here, brahmahatyā) is not limited to direct physical killing; Yudhiṣṭhira asks how grave sin can be attributed even when overt violence is absent, opening discussion on indirect agency, intention, complicity, and dharma-defined responsibility.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instructional dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses the elder authority (Bhīṣma) and requests a precise explanation about the conditions under which brahmahatyā is considered to arise, even for someone who has not personally committed harm.