Shloka 18
मარკण्डेयागमनम् तथा सत्यव्रत-उपदेशः
Arrival of Mārkaṇḍeya and Counsel on Truth-Vows
ब्राह्मणेष्वेव मेधावी बुद्धिपर्येषणं चरेत् अलब्धस्थ च लाभाय लब्धस्थ परिवृद्धये,“बुद्धिमान् पुरुषको चाहिये कि वह अप्राप्तकी प्राप्ति और प्राप्तकी वृद्धिके लिये ब्राह्मणोंसे बुद्धि ग्रहण करे
brāhmaṇeṣv eva medhāvī buddhi-paryeṣaṇaṁ caret | alabdha-sthaś ca lābhāya labdha-sthaḥ parivṛddhaye ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Seorang yang tajam budi hendaklah mencari kebijaksanaan dalam kalangan brāhmaṇa. Yang belum memperoleh apa yang diperlukan hendaklah berbuat demikian demi memperolehnya; dan yang telah memperolehnya hendaklah berbuat demikian demi menambah dan menyempurnakannya.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wisdom should be actively sought from the learned (brāhmaṇas): if one lacks attainment, seek counsel to gain it; if one has attained, continue seeking counsel to refine and expand it. The verse frames learning as a lifelong discipline serving both acquisition and improvement.
Vaiśampāyana, as narrator, states a general maxim on proper conduct: the intelligent person turns to brāhmaṇas for guidance. It functions as ethical instruction within the Vana Parva’s broader setting of counsel, right conduct, and sustaining dharma during hardship.