Shloka 25
Rājā–Rāja-Śabda-Prabhavaḥ — The Origin and Rationale of Kingship and Daṇḍanīti
ब्रह्मणश्ष प्रणाशेन धर्मो व्यनशदी श्वर । ततः सम समतां याता मर्त्यस्त्रिभुवनेश्वर,“ईश्वर! तीनों लोकोंके स्वामी परमेश्वर! वैदिक ज्ञानका लोप होनेसे यज्ञ-धर्म नष्ट हो गया। इससे हम सब देवता मनुष्योंके समान हो गये हैं
brahmaṇaḥ praṇāśena dharmo vyanaśad īśvara | tataḥ sama-samatāṁ yātā martyais tribhuvaneśvara ||
Bhishma dijo: «¡Oh Señor! ¡Soberano de los tres mundos! Con la destrucción del Brahman (el sagrado conocimiento védico), también pereció el dharma. Después de ello, oh Dueño del triple universo, nosotros (los dioses) fuimos rebajados al mismo nivel que los mortales».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links the stability of dharma to the preservation of sacred knowledge (brahman/Veda). When that knowledge is lost, yajña-based dharma collapses, and even divine beings lose their distinctive power and status—implying that ethical-cosmic order depends on right understanding and practice.
Bhishma addresses the supreme Lord as the ruler of the three worlds, explaining a crisis: the disappearance of Vedic knowledge has led to the destruction of dharma, causing the gods (speaking collectively as 'we') to become like ordinary mortals.