Shloka 16
Vasiṣṭhasya śokaḥ, Vipāśā–Śatadrū-nāmākaraṇam, Kalmāṣapādasya bhaya-prasaṅgaḥ (Ādi Parva 167)
तदपश्यमहं भ्रातुरसाम्प्रतमनुव्रजन् । विमर्श संकरादाने नायं कुर्यात् कदाचन
tad apaśyam ahaṃ bhrātur asāmpratam anuvrajan | vimarśa saṅkarādāne nāyaṃ kuryāt kadācana ||
अहं तु भ्रातुरनुव्रजन् तदकर्म ददर्श। संकरादानविमर्शं कुर्वन् चिन्तितवान्— ‘अयं कदाचन न कुर्यात्; कथं पुनरविचार्य मलिनं वस्तु गृह्णाति?’
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should not accept or engage with what is impure or morally tainted without careful discernment; ethical conduct includes vigilance about what one takes in or associates with.
The Brahmin narrator, walking behind his brother, observes a questionable act and internally reasons that such acceptance of a defiling object is out of character and should never be done.