Brāhmaṇa-mahattva and Atithi-Dharma
Brahmagītā: Praise of Brāhmaṇas and norms of honor
भयं ते सुमहत् कस्मात् कुत्र कि वा कृत॑ त्वया । येन त्वमिह सम्प्राप्तो विसंज्ञो भ्रान्तचेतन:,“बता, तुझे यह महान् भय कहाँ और किससे प्राप्त हुआ है? तूने क्या अपराध किया है? जिससे तेरी चेतना भ्रान्त-सी हो रही है तथा तू यहाँ बेसुध-सा होकर आया है
bhayaṁ te sumahat kasmāt kutra ki vā kṛtaṁ tvayā | yena tvam iha samprāpto visaṁjño bhrāntacetanaḥ ||
ภีษมะกล่าวว่า—“เหตุใดความหวาดกลัวอันใหญ่หลวงจึงครอบงำเจ้า? มันเกิดจากที่ใด และจากผู้ใด? เจ้ากระทำความผิดสิ่งใดหรือ จึงมาถึงที่นี่ราวกับสิ้นสติ ใจสับสน?”
भीष्म उवाच
Bhishma frames moral inquiry as the first response to fear and mental collapse: identify the cause, examine one’s actions, and consider whether wrongdoing (adharma) or inner guilt is driving confusion. Ethical clarity is presented as the remedy to panic and delusion.
Bhishma addresses a person who has arrived in a distressed condition—apparently overwhelmed by fear and mentally disoriented. He questions them closely about the source of their fear and whether they have committed some offense that has led to this shaken state.