Shloka 42
राज्ञो नियोगाद् योद्धव्यं ब्राह्मणेन विशेषत: । वर्तता क्षत्रधर्मेण होव॑ धर्मविदो विदु:
rājño niyogād yoddhavyaṃ brāhmaṇena viśeṣataḥ | vartatā kṣatradharmeṇa hovā dharmavido viduḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “By the king’s command, a brāhmaṇa in particular ought to take up battle—conducting himself according to the kṣatriya code; thus do those who know dharma understand it.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames duty as context-dependent: even a brāhmaṇa, normally aligned with non-violent and priestly obligations, may be required to fight when formally commanded by the king and when acting under the disciplined norms of kṣatriya-dharma, as affirmed by authorities on dharma.
Sañjaya reports a dharma-based justification within the war setting: he states that learned authorities consider it proper for a brāhmaṇa to engage in combat under royal injunction, provided the conduct follows the warrior code.