Shloka 8

Indra–Mataṅga Saṃvāda: On the rarity and responsibilities of Brāhmaṇya (इन्द्र-मतङ्ग संवादः)

Devanagari script

द्विजाते: कस्यचित्‌ तात तुल्यवर्ण: सुतस्त्वभूत्‌ । मतज़्े नाम नाम्ना वै सर्वे: समुदितो गुणै:,तात! पूर्वकालमें किसी ब्राह्मणके एक मतज् नामक पुत्र हुआ जो (अन्य वर्णके पुरुषसे उत्पन्न होनेपर भी ब्राह्मणोचित संस्कारोंके प्रभावसे) उनके समान वर्णका ही समझा जाता था, वह समस्त सदगुणोंसे सम्पन्न था

Transliteration

Dvijāteḥ kasyacit tāta tulyavarṇaḥ sutas tv abhūt | Mataṅga iti nāmnā vai sarvaiḥ samudito guṇaiḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma disse: “Meu filho, outrora houve um filho nascido de certo dvija (o ‘duas vezes nascido’) que era tido como da mesma classe social de seu pai. Chamava-se Mataṅga e era dotado de todas as virtudes.”

Word by Word

द्विजातेःof a twice-born (Brahmin) family/person

कस्यचित्of someone, of a certain (person)

तातdear (father/son), O dear one

तुल्यवर्णःof equal caste/complexion (i.e., same varṇa)

सुतःson

तुbut/indeed

अभूत्was/became

मतजःMatja (proper name)

नामname

नाम्नाby name / named

वैindeed

सर्वैःwith all

समुदितःendowed/possessed

गुणैःwith virtues/qualities

तातO dear one

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Mataṅga

a certain dvija (twice-born man)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the idea that recognized status is linked to qualities and formation (guṇa and saṃskāra) rather than merely to birth: Mataṅga, though born in a complex circumstance, is presented as equal in varṇa and complete in virtues.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma begins an illustrative account: he introduces Mataṅga, a virtuous son connected to a twice-born man, setting up a moral example that will be developed in the surrounding verses.