Shloka 15
ब्राह्मणा ऊचु कपान्वयं विजेष्यामो ये देवास्ते वयं स्मृता: । तस्माद् वध्या: कपा<स्माकं धनिन् याहि यथा55गतम्,तब ब्राह्मणोंने कहा--जो देवता हैं, वे हमलोग हैं; अतः देवद्रोही कप हमारे लिये वध्य हैं। इसलिये हम कपोंके कुलको पराजित करेंगे। धनी! तुम जैसे आये हो उसी तरह लौट जाओ
brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ kapān vayaṁ vijeṣyāmo ye devās te vayaṁ smṛtāḥ | tasmād vadhyāḥ kapāsmākaṁ dhanin yāhi yathāgatam ||
The Brahmins said: “We shall defeat the Kapas. Those who are called ‘the gods’ are, in truth, we ourselves. Therefore these Kapas—hostile to the gods—are fit to be slain by us. So we will subdue the Kapa clan. O wealthy one, go back exactly as you came.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a claim of religious-social authority: the Brahmins assert identification with the gods and, on that basis, declare opponents as ‘god-hostile’ and therefore punishable. Ethically, it illustrates how appeals to sacred status can be used to justify coercion and violence, a theme repeatedly examined in the Anuśāsana Parva’s discussions of dharma and power.
Within Bhīṣma’s narration, the Brahmins respond by declaring they will defeat the Kapas, labeling them devadrohins (hostile to the gods). They then dismiss a wealthy person (dhanin), instructing him to return the way he came, signaling refusal of his involvement and their resolve to act themselves.