Shloka 5
Brāhmaṇya-प्रश्नः — The Inquiry into Attaining Brāhmaṇya
Mataṅga–Gardabhī Itihāsa
अस्ति मे भगवन वक्षित्तीर्थेभ्यो धर्मसंशय: । तत् सर्व श्रोतुमिच्छामि तन्मे शंस महामुने
asti me bhagavan vakṣitīrthebhyo dharma-saṁśayaḥ | tat sarvaṁ śrotum icchāmi tan me śaṁsa mahāmune ||
“Bạch đấng tôn kính, bạch đại hiền! Con có một mối nghi về Chánh pháp liên quan đến các tīrtha. Con muốn được nghe trọn vẹn và minh bạch. Xin đại hiền hãy chỉ dạy cho con.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models dharmic inquiry: when uncertain about religious practice (here, tīrtha-related duties and merits), one should seek clarification from a qualified sage and aim to understand the matter in full rather than relying on assumption or hearsay.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-setting, Bhīṣma addresses a revered sage and requests a complete explanation about doubts he has regarding the dharma connected with pilgrimage places (tīrthas), initiating a didactic discussion on tīrtha-dharma.