Shloka 5
गोमूल्यनिर्णयः — The Determination of Value through the Cow
Nahuṣa–Cyavana Episode
परं शवाद् ब्राह्मणस्यैव पुत्र: शूद्रापुत्रं पारशवं तमाहु: । शुश्रूषक: स्वस्य कुलस्य स स्यात् स्वचारित्रं नित्यमथो न जह्यात्
paraṁ śavād brāhmaṇasyaiva putraḥ śūdrāputraṁ pāraśavaṁ tam āhuḥ | śuśrūṣakaḥ svasya kulasya sa syāt svacāritraṁ nityam atho na jahyāt ||
ভীষ্মে ক’লে—শূদ্ৰাৰ গৰ্ভত ব্ৰাহ্মণৰ যি পুত্ৰ জন্মে, সি ‘শৱ’ (পতিত শূদ্ৰ)তকৈ শ্ৰেষ্ঠ বুলি কোৱা হৈছে; সেইবাবে ঋষিসকলে তাক ‘পাৰশৱ’ বুলি কয়। সি নিজৰ কুলৰ শুশ্ৰূষক-সেৱক হ’ব আৰু এই সেবাধৰ্মৰূপ আচাৰ কেতিয়াও ত্যাগ নকৰিব।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharma-śāstra style norm: a person identified as Pāraśava (Brahmin father, Śūdra mother) is assigned a life of service to the family/lineage and is urged to maintain that customary discipline without abandoning it.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on social and ethical duties. Here he explains a specific mixed-varṇa designation (Pāraśava) and prescribes the conduct expected of such a person—namely, continued service within the household/lineage.