Shloka 36
भृगु–भरद्वाजसंवादः: वर्णभेदस्य कर्माधारितव्याख्या
Bhrigu–Bharadvaja Dialogue: A Karma-Based Account of Varṇa
अपरे बाहुबलिन: कृतविद्या मनस्विन: । जुगुप्सितां च कृपणां पापवृत्तिमुपासते,“दूसरे बहुत-से बाहुबलसे सम्पन्न विद्वान् और मनस्वी मनुष्य दीन, निन्दित एवं पापपूर्ण वृत्तिसे जीविका चलाते हैं
apare bāhubalinaḥ kṛtavidyā manasvinaḥ | jugupsitāṃ ca kṛpaṇāṃ pāpavṛttim upāsate ||
Bhishma said: “There are others too—men endowed with physical strength, accomplished in learning, and possessed of resolve—who nevertheless sustain themselves by resorting to a wretched, contemptible, and sinful mode of livelihood.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even strength, education, and a noble mind do not guarantee righteous living; one must choose a dharmic means of livelihood, because adopting a base and sinful occupation corrupts character and undermines ethical order.
In Bhishma’s instruction during the Śānti Parva, he is describing a moral failing seen in society: capable and learned people still take up contemptible, sinful ways of earning, highlighting the need for vigilance about conduct and livelihood.