Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 28
Baka Dālbhya at Avakīrṇa-tīrtha: Rāṣṭra-kṣaya and Release through Prasāda (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 40)
स तु वत्रे वरं राजन् स्यामहं ब्राह्मणस्त्विति
sa tu vavre varaṃ rājan syāham brāhmaṇas tv iti
Namun dia memilih suatu anugerah, wahai raja: “Biarlah aku menjadi seorang brāhmaṇa.” Di tengah urusan kerajaan dan gelanggang perang, permintaan itu menandakan suatu peralihan yang disengajakan menuju martabat dan disiplin yang terkait dengan ilmu suci serta pengendalian diri—menunjukkan keutamaan wibawa rohani mengatasi kuasa duniawi.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a value-choice: seeking the identity and discipline of a brāhmaṇa—associated with learning, restraint, and sacred duty—over other possible boons tied to power or pleasure, suggesting that ethical-spiritual orientation can be a deliberate aspiration.
A character, as reported by Vaiśaṃpāyana to the king, is described as choosing a boon; the boon requested is to become a brāhmaṇa, indicating a pivotal preference for a religious-ethical role within the story’s broader royal and war-time setting.
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