Shloka 4
Brāhmaṇya-प्रश्नः — The Inquiry into Attaining Brāhmaṇya
Mataṅga–Gardabhī Itihāsa
तपोवनगतं विप्रमभिगम्य महामुनिम् । पप्रच्छाज्िरसं धीर॑ गौतम: संशितव्रत:
tapovanagataṁ vipram abhigamya mahāmunim | papracchāṅgirasaṁ dhīro gautamaḥ saṁśitavrataḥ ||
Pada suatu ketika, Mahāṛṣi Aṅgiras—yang teguh dan utama di antara para brāhmaṇa—berdiam di hutan pertapaan. Saat itu Mahāṛṣi Gautama, pelaksana tapa dan brata yang keras, mendekatinya lalu mengajukan pertanyaan.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the dharmic method of learning: a disciplined seeker (Gautama) approaches a realized ascetic teacher (Aṅgiras) in a setting of tapas and asks questions. Ethical knowledge is presented as something to be sought through humility, restraint, and inquiry.
Bhishma introduces a traditional frame-story: the sage Gautama goes to the tapovana where the great sage Aṅgiras is staying and poses a question to him. This functions as the narrative gateway to the instruction that follows in the chapter.