Shloka 36
उपदेशदोषप्रसङ्गः (Upadeśa-doṣa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Risk of Misapplied Counsel
पुरोहितकुले विप्र आजातो भरतर्षभ । एवं तौ तत्र सम्भूतावुभौ शूद्रमुनी तदा
purohitakule vipra ājāto bharatarṣabha | evaṃ tau tatra sambhūtāv ubhau śūdramunī tadā ||
Bhishma disse: “Ó touro entre os Bharatas, um brâmane nasceu na família de um sacerdote real (purohita). Assim, naquele tempo, ali vieram a existir dois—ambos tidos como sábios de origem Śūdra.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a tension central to the Anuśāsana Parva: spiritual stature (muni-hood) and ethical worth are not reducible to social origin alone. It frames a narrative where birth-status categories and realized wisdom can intersect in unexpected ways.
Bhīṣma addresses the Bharata king and states that a brahmin was born in a purohita lineage, and that, in that same context, two individuals arose who are described as ‘Śūdra-sages,’ setting up a discussion about lineage, status, and the recognition of virtue.