Shloka 39
यथा न सदृशी जात_ु ब्राह्म॒ण्या: क्षत्रिया भवेत्
yathā na sadṛśī jātu brāhmaṇyāḥ kṣatriyā bhavet
Bhīṣma said: “Just as a Kṣatriya woman can never truly be the equal of a Brāhmaṇa woman.” In this instruction, Bhīṣma underscores the traditional dharma-based hierarchy of varṇa and the distinct ideals expected of different social orders, presenting it as an ethical norm of conduct and status rather than a matter of personal preference.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a traditional dharma-based distinction between varṇas, stating that a Kṣatriya woman is not regarded as comparable to a Brāhmaṇa woman, reflecting the text’s normative view of social hierarchy and role-based ideals.
Bhīṣma is delivering didactic counsel in the Anuśāsana Parva, framing social and ethical norms; here he uses a general maxim about varṇa distinctions to support his broader instruction on dharma and proper conduct.