Shloka 26
कपोत-लुब्धकसंवादः — Hunter’s Remorse and Renunciatory Resolve
अजोडश्वः क्षत्रमित्येतत् सदृशं ब्रह्मणा कृतम् । तस्मादभी क्ष्णं भूतानां यात्रा काचित् प्रसिद्धयति
ajoabva katram ity etat sadaba brahmaa k5btam | tasma abhik6347a63a47a bh6bt01n0143 y01tr01 k01cit prasiddhyati ||
Bhishma said: “The goat, the horse, and the kshatriya—these three were fashioned by Brahma as alike in their appointed nature. Therefore, through them, the recurring means of livelihood and movement of living beings is continually brought to fulfillment.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links certain beings and social roles to a divinely ordained function: goats and horses support material life (food, transport, labor), while the kshatriya supports social stability and protection. Together they enable the ongoing “life-journey” (y1tr1) of creatures.
In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma and governance. Here he uses a compact comparison—goat, horse, and kshatriya—attributing their utility and role in sustaining society to Brahma’s creation.