Shloka 1
Kṣātra-dharma as the Public Foundation of Dharma (क्षात्रधर्म-प्रशंसा)
भीष्मजी कहते हैं--राजन्! धनुषकी डोरी खींचना, शत्रुओंको उखाड़ फेंकना, खेती, व्यापार और पशुपालन करना अथवा धनके उद्देश्यसे दूसरोंकी सेवा करना--ये ब्राह्मणके लिये अत्यन्त निषिद्ध कर्म हैं
bhīṣma uvāca—rājan! dhanuṣo dorīṃ ākarṣitum, śatrūn unmūlayitum, kṛṣiṃ vyāpāraṃ ca paśupālanaṃ vā kartum, athavā dhana-hetor anyeṣāṃ sevāṃ kartum—etāni brāhmaṇasya atyanta-niṣiddha-karmāṇi.
Bhishma sprach: „O König, für einen Brahmanen sind Handlungen wie das Spannen der Bogensehne, das gewaltsame Niederwerfen der Feinde, Ackerbau, Handel und Viehzucht oder der Dienst an anderen mit dem Ziel, Reichtum zu erwerben—streng verboten.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma delineates varṇa-based boundaries: a Brahmin should avoid violent, martial acts and wealth-driven service, and should not adopt livelihoods associated with Kṣatriya or Vaiśya roles (warfare, farming, trade, cattle-rearing). The emphasis is on preserving the ethical and vocational integrity of Brahmin dharma.
In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Bhishma instructs the king on dharma. Here he addresses the proper conduct and prohibited occupations for Brahmins, contrasting them with duties appropriate to other social roles, as part of broader guidance on righteous governance and social order.