Shloka 17
Indra–Mataṅga Saṃvāda: On the rarity and responsibilities of Brāhmaṇya (इन्द्र-मतङ्ग संवादः)
गधी! तुझे कैसे मालूम हुआ कि मैं चाण्डाल हूँ? किस कर्मसे मेरा ब्राह्मणत्व नष्ट हुआ है? तू बड़ी समझदार है; अतः ये सारी बातें मुझे ठीक-ठीक बता” ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | gadhī! tvaṃ kathaṃ jānāsi yathāhaṃ cāṇḍālaḥ? kena karmaṇā mama brāhmaṇatvaṃ naṣṭam? tvaṃ mahābuddhiḥ; ata etat sarvaṃ mama yathāvat kathaya || gardabhy uvāca | brāhmaṇyāṃ vṛṣaleṇa tvaṃ mattāyāṃ nāpitena ha | jātas tvam asi cāṇḍālo brāhmaṇyaṃ tena te 'naśat ||
毗湿摩说道：“迦提啊！你如何得知我是旃陀罗？因何业行使我的婆罗门身份毁坏？你既明察，就请如实、分明地告诉我一切。”母驴答道：“摩檀伽，你出自一位婆罗门女子；她沉醉于青春欲火，与一名首陀罗理发匠私通而怀孕生下你。故你为旃陀罗；你的婆罗门性，正因你母亲的越礼之行而败坏。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage frames social identity and religious status as tied to conduct (karma) and sexual propriety as understood in classical dharma discourse, warning that transgressive acts are believed to bring lasting social and ethical consequences.
Bhishma questions the she-donkey about how she knows he is considered a Caṇḍāla and what deed caused the loss of Brahmin status; she answers by alleging an illicit conception—birth from a Brahmin woman by a Śūdra barber—presented as the reason for his classification.