Shloka 41
मृत्यु-काल-प्रबोधनम् (Instruction on Mortality, Time, and Truth) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 169
स ब्रह्मचारी तद्देश्य: सखा तस्यैव सुप्रिय: । त॑ दस्युग्राममगमद् यत्रासौ गौतमो5वसत्
sa brahmacārī taddeśyaḥ sakhā tasyaiva supriyaḥ | taṃ dasyugrāmam agamad yatrāsau gautamo ’vasat |
Bhīṣma disse: “Aquele brahmacārin era natural da mesma região e o mais querido amigo de Gautama. E, vagando pelo caminho, chegou justamente à aldeia dos bandidos onde Gautama residia.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse sets up an ethical test: even a disciplined brahmacārin, though virtuous and closely connected to a sage, may encounter perilous environments. It highlights how dharma is examined not in comfort but amid risk, association, and circumstance.
Bhīṣma describes a brahmacārin who is Gautama’s beloved friend and a local of the same region. While traveling, he arrives at a bandits’ village—the very place where Gautama is staying—preparing the ground for the ensuing episode.