Shloka 18
युधिष्ठिरप्रश्नः—विश्वामित्रस्य ब्राह्मणत्वकौतूहलम् | Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry on Viśvāmitra’s Attainment of Brāhmaṇya
एतत् तत्त्वेन मे तात सर्वमाख्यातुमर्हसि । मतड़स्य यथातत्त्वं तथैवैतद् वदस्व मे
etad tattvena me tāta sarvam ākhyātum arhasi | mataṅgasya yathātattvaṁ tathaivaitad vadasva me, tāta |
ຢຸທິສຖິຣ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ທ່ານຜູ້ເປັນດັ່ງບິດາຂອງຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ, ຂໍທ່ານຈົ່ງອະທິບາຍທຸກຢ່າງນີ້ໃຫ້ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຕາມຄວາມຈິງ. ຂໍບອກໃຫ້ຊັດ: ເຫມືອນມາຕັງກະ ບໍ່ໄດ້ບັນລຸພຣາຫມະນະພາບ ແມ່ນແຕ່ດ້ວຍຕະປະສະຍາ, ເປັນຫຍັງກໍລະນີຂອງ ວິສວາມິຕຣະ ຈຶ່ງບໍ່ເປັນເຊັ່ນນັ້ນ? ຂໍທ່ານຈົ່ງອະທິບາຍໃຫ້ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical-philosophical problem: whether spiritual effort (tapas) can transform one’s social-spiritual status (Brahminhood), and if so, why outcomes differ between exemplars. It invites a nuanced explanation of dharma, merit, and the conditions under which inner realization and recognized status align.
Yudhiṣṭhira respectfully asks his elder/teacher to clarify an apparent inconsistency: Mataṅga’s austerities did not yield Brahminhood, yet Viśvāmitra is famed for attaining Brahmin/ṛṣi status through tapas. He requests a truthful, detailed account resolving this contrast.