Shloka 4
तपोवनगतं विप्रमभिगम्य महामुनिम् । पप्रच्छाज्िरसं धीर॑ गौतम: संशितव्रत:,एक समयकी बात है, महामुनि विप्रवर धैर्यवान् अंगिरा अपने तपोवनमें विराजमान थे। उस समय कठिन व्रतका पालन करनेवाले महर्षि गौतमने उनके पास जाकर पूछा --
tapovanagataṁ vipram abhigamya mahāmunim | papracchāṅgirasaṁ dhīro gautamaḥ saṁśitavrataḥ ||
ഒരു സമയത്ത് തപോവനത്തിൽ വസിച്ചിരുന്ന ബ്രാഹ്മണശ്രേഷ്ഠനായ മഹാമുനി ധീരനായ അങ്കിരസിനെ, കഠിനവ്രതാനുഷ്ഠാനമുള്ള മഹർഷി ഗൗതമൻ സമീപിച്ച് ചോദ്യം ചെയ്തു.
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.