Shloka 5

Devanagari script

विमाननात्‌ तयोरेव प्रजा नश्येयुरेव हि । ब्र्माक्षत्रं हि सर्वेषां वर्णानां मूलमुच्यते,उन दोनोंका अनादर करनेसे प्रजाका विनाश ही होता है, क्योंकि ब्राह्मण और क्षत्रिय सभी वर्णोके मूल कहे जाते हैं

Transliteration

vimānanāt tayor eva prajā naśyeyur eva hi | brāhmakṣatraṃ hi sarveṣāṃ varṇānāṃ mūlam ucyate ||

Translation

Bhishma dijo: «Al mostrar desprecio por esos dos, el pueblo en verdad se arruina; pues se declara que el brahmán y el kṣatriya son la raíz misma de todos los órdenes sociales (varṇa).»

Word by Word

विमाननात्from disrespect/insult

तयोःof those two

एवindeed/only

प्रजाःsubjects/people

नश्येयुःwould perish

एवcertainly

हिfor/indeed

ब्राह्म-क्षत्रम्Brahminhood and Kshatriyahood (Brahmin and Kshatriya order)

हिindeed

सर्वेषाम्of all

वर्णानाम्of the social classes/varnas

मूलम्root/foundation

उच्यतेis said/is called

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Brahmin (Brāhmaṇa)

Kshatriya (Kṣatriya)

Prajā (subjects/people)

Varṇa (social orders)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Society’s stability depends on honoring both spiritual-intellectual authority (the Brahmin principle) and protective-political authority (the Kshatriya principle). Disrespecting either undermines dharma and leads to the ruin of the people.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and governance, Bhishma advises the listener that the welfare of the realm (prajā) is tied to maintaining proper regard for the foundational roles of Brahmins and Kshatriyas, presented as the roots supporting all varṇas.