Shloka 14
Jatugṛha-dāhānantara-vṛttāntaḥ
Aftermath of the Lac House Fire
क्षत्रियेभ्यश्व ये जाता ब्राह्मणास्ते च ते श्रुता: । विश्वामित्रप्रभूतयः प्राप्ता ब्रह्म॒त्वमव्ययम्,'कितने ही ब्राह्मण क्षत्रियोंसे उत्पन्न हुए हैं, उनका नाम तुमने भी सुना ही होगा तथा विश्वामित्र आदि क्षत्रिय भी अक्षय ब्राह्मणत्वको प्राप्त हो चुके हैं
kṣatriyebhyaś ca ye jātā brāhmaṇās te ca te śrutāḥ | viśvāmitra-prabhūtayaḥ prāptā brahmatvam avyayam ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Du hast gewiss von vielen Brāhmaṇas gehört, die aus Kṣatriya-Geschlechtern geboren wurden; und ebenso haben Kṣatriyas wie Viśvāmitra und andere den unvergänglichen Stand des Brahmanentums erlangt.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that spiritual and ethical attainment (especially through tapas and adherence to dharma) can transcend birth-based identity: some Brāhmaṇas are born from Kṣatriya lines, and some Kṣatriyas (e.g., Viśvāmitra) attain imperishable Brahmanhood.
Vaiśaṃpāyana is making a legitimizing point within the genealogical and dharma-discussion context of Ādi Parva: he cites well-known precedents of cross-varṇa birth and attainment, highlighting Viśvāmitra as a paradigmatic Kṣatriya who became a Brahmarṣi.