Shloka 316

Purohita-Niyoga and the Brahma–Kṣatra Concord

Aila–Kaśyapa Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

अवश्यमेव कर्ताव्यं राज्ञा बलवतापि हि । इसलिये ब्राह्मण सब वर्णोंका सम्माननीय और पूजनीय है। वही भोजनके लिये प्रस्तुत की हुई सब वस्तुओंको सबसे पहले भोगनेका अधिकारी है। सभी श्रेष्ठ और उत्तम पदार्थोंको धर्मके अनुसार पहले ब्राह्मणकी सेवामें ही निवेदित करना चाहिये। बलवान्‌ राजाको भी अवश्य ऐसा ही करना चाहिये

Transliteration

avaśyam eva kartavyaṃ rājñā balavatāpi hi |

Translation

قال كاشيابا: «لا بدّ من فعل ذلك حتمًا—حتى الملك وإن كان شديد القوة. فالحاكم مقيَّد بالدارما أن يكرم البراهمة ويوقرهم؛ وأن تُخصَّص لهم أولًا القرابين وأفضل الأرزاق إذا قُدِّمت للطعام، وفق العرف القويم.»

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'avaśyam', 'definition': 'certainly, inevitably, as a matter of necessity'}, {'term': 'eva', 'definition': 'indeed, precisely (emphatic particle)'}, {'term': 'kartavyam', 'definition': 'to be done

• a duty/obligation'}, {'term': 'rājñā', 'definition': 'by the king (instrumental singular of rājā)'}, {'term': 'balavatā', 'definition': 'by one who is strong/powerful (instrumental singular)'}, {'term': 'api', 'definition': 'even, also'}, {'term': 'hi', 'definition': 'for, indeed (assertive/explanatory particle)'}]

Speaker

कश्यप उवाच

Characters & Entities

• कश्यप (Kāśyapa)
• राजा (king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power does not exempt a ruler from dharma. Even a strong king must uphold established righteous conduct—especially the duty to honor brāhmaṇas and to place the best offerings before them first, as a sign of reverence and social-ritual responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on conduct and governance, Kāśyapa lays down a normative rule of royal behavior: the king, regardless of strength, should follow dharmic protocol in honoring brāhmaṇas and prioritizing them in offerings and hospitality.