Shloka 26
एतत् कर्म वसिष्ठस्थ कथितं हि मयानघ । ब्रवीम्यहं ब्रूहि वा त्वं वसिष्ठात् क्षत्रियं वरम्
etat karma vasiṣṭhastha kathitaṃ hi mayānagha | bravīmy ahaṃ brūhi vā tvaṃ vasiṣṭhāt kṣatriyaṃ varam ||
قال بهيشما: «يا من لا دَنَسَ فيه، لقد رويتُ لك عملَ فَسِشْتَه (Vasiṣṭha) هذا. وأنا أقول إنّ البراهمة (Brāhmaṇa) هو الأسمى. وإلا فقل لي أنت: هل يوجد كشتري (Kṣatriya) أعظم من فَسِشْتَه؟»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a dharma-based hierarchy: Bhīṣma argues that the Brāhmaṇa’s spiritual authority and the sage Vasiṣṭha’s standing establish the Brāhmaṇa as superior, challenging anyone to name a Kṣatriya greater than Vasiṣṭha.
Bhīṣma, in an instructional discourse, appeals to Vasiṣṭha as a decisive exemplar. He frames the point as a challenge: either accept his conclusion about Brāhmaṇa superiority or produce a counterexample—some Kṣatriya surpassing Vasiṣṭha.