Shloka 39
मृत्यु-काल-प्रबोधनम् (Instruction on Mortality, Time, and Truth) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 169
तत: कदाचिदपरो द्विजस्तं देशमागत:,तदनन्तर एक दिन कोई दूसरा ब्राह्मण उस गाँवमें आया जो जटा, वल्कल और मृगचर्म धारण किये हुए था। वह स्वाध्यायपरायण, पवित्र, विनयी, नियमके अनुकूल भोजन करनेवाला, ब्राह्मणभक्त तथा वेदोंका पारज्गत विद्वान् था
tataḥ kadācid aparaḥ dvijas taṃ deśam āgataḥ | jaṭā-valkala-mṛgacarma-dhārī svādhyāya-parāyaṇaḥ śuciḥ vinītaḥ niyamānukūla-bhojī brāhmaṇa-bhaktaḥ vedānāṃ pāraṅgato vidvān āsa |
भीष्म उवाच—ततः कदाचिद् अपरो द्विजस्तं देशमागत्। स जटाचीराजिनधरः स्वाध्यायपरायणः शुचिर्विनीतो नियताहारो ब्राह्मण्यो वेदपारगश्च।
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.