Shloka 52
मृत्यु-काल-प्रबोधनम् (Instruction on Mortality, Time, and Truth) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 169
स तत्र न्यवसद् विप्रो घृणी किज्चिदसंस्पृशन् | क्षुधितश्छन्द्यमानो5पि भोजनं नाभ्यनन्दत
sa tatra nyavasad vipro ghṛṇī kiñcid asaṁspṛśan | kṣudhitaś chandyamāno 'pi bhojanaṁ nābhyanandata ||
بھیشم نے کہا— وہ رحم دل برہمن وہاں ٹھہرا تو سہی، مگر اس جگہ کی کسی چیز کو ہاتھ تک نہ لگایا۔ بھوکا ہونے کے باوجود، بار بار کھانے کی درخواست کی گئی، پھر بھی اس نے وہاں کا کھانا قبول نہ کیا۔
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ethical discipline can require refusing even legitimate comforts: the brahmin’s compassion does not override his commitment to a principle of purity or non-acceptance, showing that dharma may demand restraint despite hunger and social pressure.
A compassionate brahmin stays at a place (at Gautama’s urging) but avoids contact with the household’s things and refuses to eat their food, even though he is hungry and repeatedly requested—indicating a purposeful vow or moral boundary.