Shloka 31
उपदेशदोषप्रसङ्गः (Upadeśa-doṣa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Risk of Misapplied Counsel
कुरुष्वैतां पूर्वशीर्षा भवांश्वोदड्मुख: शुचि: । सच तत् कृतवान् शूद्र: सर्व यदृषिरब्रवीत्
kuruṣvaitāṃ pūrvaśīrṣā bhavāñ chvodāṅmukhaḥ śuciḥ | sa ca tat kṛtavān śūdraḥ sarvaṃ yad ṛṣir abravīt ||
Sinabi ni Bhīṣma: “Iharap sa silangan ang dulo ng banig na kuśa, at ikaw, matapos maging dalisay, ay maupo nang nakaharap sa hilaga.” At ginawa ng Śūdra ang lahat ng sinabi ng ṛṣi, nang walang pagkukulang.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharmic practice requires disciplined attention to right procedure—purity, proper orientation, and faithful execution of a teacher’s instructions—showing that ethical seriousness is expressed through careful conduct (ācāra).
A sage instructs a Śūdra to arrange a kuśa seat with its end toward the east and to sit purified facing north; the Śūdra complies fully with everything the sage says, and Bhīṣma recounts this as part of his discourse on right conduct.