Shloka 8
गोमूल्यनिर्णयः — The Determination of Value through the Cow
Nahuṣa–Cyavana Episode
दे चापि भारये वैश्यस्य द्वयोरात्मास्य जायते । शूद्रा शूद्रस्य चाप्येका शूद्रमेव प्रजायते
dve cāpi bhārye vaiśyasya dvayor ātmāsya jāyate | śūdrā śūdrasya cāpy ekā śūdram eva prajāyate ||
قال بهيشما: «يُقال إنّ للفايشيا زوجتين: واحدة من طبقة الفايشيا وأخرى من طبقة الشودرية؛ ومن أيّتهما وُلد الطفل عُدَّ من الفايشيا. أمّا الشودر فله زوجة واحدة، شودرية، وهي لا تلد إلا شودرًا.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse states a normative rule within varṇa-dharma discourse: a Vaiśya may have two wives (Vaiśyā and Śūdrā) and the offspring is treated as Vaiśya, whereas a Śūdra has only a Śūdrā wife and the offspring is Śūdra.
Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira in the Anuśāsana Parva on dharma-related social regulations, here describing accepted marital options and the ascription of a child’s varṇa in those unions.