Shloka 2
आपद्धर्मे वैश्यवृत्तिः, विक्रय-निषेधाः, तथा ब्रह्म-क्षत्र-सम्बन्धः
Emergency Livelihood, Prohibited Trade, and Brahman–Kshatra Regulation
भीष्म उवाच अशक्ति: क्षत्रधर्मेण वैश्यधर्मेण वर्तयेत् । कृषिगोरक्ष्यमास्थाय व्यसने वृत्तिसंक्षये
bhīṣma uvāca aśaktiḥ kṣatradharmeṇa vaiśyadharmeṇa vartayet | kṛṣigorakṣyam āsthāya vyasane vṛttisaṃkṣaye ||
Bhishma dijo: Cuando uno carece de la capacidad de vivir conforme al deber del kṣatriya, debe sostenerse adoptando el deber del vaiśya. En tiempos de calamidad, cuando el sustento habitual mengua, puede tomar la agricultura y el cuidado y protección del ganado como medio de vida.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
In adversity (āpaddharma), if a person cannot uphold their customary kshatriya duties, they may ethically adopt vaishya means—especially agriculture and cattle-tending—to preserve life and social stability without abandoning dharma altogether.
Bhishma is instructing on practical dharma for difficult times, outlining permissible occupational shifts: a kshatriya who is unable to follow the warrior’s path may temporarily sustain himself through vaishya livelihoods when normal income or duty-based livelihood has declined.