Shloka 29
Baka Dālbhya at Avakīrṇa-tīrtha: Rāṣṭra-kṣaya and Release through Prasāda (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 40)
स लब्ध्वा तपसोग्रेण ब्राह्मणत्वं महायशा:
sa labdhvā tapasogreṇa brāhmaṇatvaṃ mahāyaśāḥ
Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: Dengan kekuatan tapa yang keras, tokoh yang masyhur itu mencapai martabat brāhmaṇa—menandakan bahawa kenaikan moral lahir daripada disiplin mengekang diri, bukan semata-mata kerana kelahiran atau kuasa duniawi.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights tapas (disciplined austerity) as a transformative force: true spiritual status and ethical refinement are presented as attainable through rigorous self-control and practice, not merely inherited.
The narrator Vaiśaṃpāyana briefly states that a highly renowned figure, through intense austerities, attained brāhmaṇatva—serving as a narrative marker of that person’s elevated standing and the power of ascetic effort.