Shloka 39
मृत्यु-काल-प्रबोधनम् (Instruction on Mortality, Time, and Truth) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 169
तत: कदाचिदपरो द्विजस्तं देशमागत:
tataḥ kadācid aparaḥ dvijas taṃ deśam āgataḥ | jaṭā-valkala-mṛgacarma-dhārī svādhyāya-parāyaṇaḥ śuciḥ vinītaḥ niyamānukūla-bhojī brāhmaṇa-bhaktaḥ vedānāṃ pāraṅgato vidvān āsa |
Bhīṣma disse: “Então, certa vez, outro brâmane chegou àquela região. Com os cabelos em mechas emaranhadas, trajando vestes de casca de árvore e pele de cervo, era devotado ao estudo védico, puro e disciplinado, humilde na conduta, e comia apenas conforme as restrições prescritas. Reverente para com os brâmanes, era um erudito que dominara os Vedas.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical ideal of a brahmin-ascetic: purity, humility, disciplined living, regulated diet, and unwavering commitment to svādhyāya (Vedic study). Mastery of sacred knowledge is presented as inseparable from self-restraint and respectful conduct.
Bhishma describes the arrival of another brahmin into the area. The newcomer is characterized by ascetic attire (matted hair, bark cloth, deerskin) and exemplary virtues—devotion to study, purity, humility, and strict observance—setting up his role in the ensuing episode.