Shloka 4

Brāhmaṇya-प्रश्नः — The Inquiry into Attaining Brāhmaṇya

Mataṅga–Gardabhī Itihāsa

Devanagari script

तपोवनगतं विप्रमभिगम्य महामुनिम्‌ । पप्रच्छाज्िरसं धीर॑ गौतम: संशितव्रत:

Transliteration

tapovanagataṁ vipram abhigamya mahāmunim | papracchāṅgirasaṁ dhīro gautamaḥ saṁśitavrataḥ ||

Translation

Có một lần, đại hiền Aṅgiras—bậc tối thượng trong hàng Bà-la-môn—đang an trú nơi đạo lâm khổ hạnh. Khi ấy, hiền giả Gautama, người kiên trì giữ giới nguyện nghiêm mật, đến gần và cung kính thưa hỏi—

Word by Word

• तपोवनगतं: gone to/being in the penance-grove
• तपोवनगतं: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपोवनगत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विप्रम्: the brahmin
• विप्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अभिगम्य: having approached
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-गम्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• महामुनिम्: the great sage
• महामुनिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-छ् (पृच्छ्)
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular

• अङ्गिरसम्: Aṅgiras
• अङ्गिरसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गिरस्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• धीरः: steadfast, wise
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गौतमः: Gautama
• गौतमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संशितव्रतः: of sharpened/strict vows; observing austere vows
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संशितव्रत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Gautama
• Aṅgiras
• Tapovana (forest hermitage/grove of austerities)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the dharmic method of learning: a disciplined seeker (Gautama) approaches a realized ascetic teacher (Aṅgiras) in a setting of tapas and asks questions. Ethical knowledge is presented as something to be sought through humility, restraint, and inquiry.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma introduces a traditional frame-story: the sage Gautama goes to the tapovana where the great sage Aṅgiras is staying and poses a question to him. This functions as the narrative gateway to the instruction that follows in the chapter.