Shloka 15
ब्राह्मणा ऊचु कपान्वयं विजेष्यामो ये देवास्ते वयं स्मृता: । तस्माद् वध्या: कपा<स्माकं धनिन् याहि यथा55गतम्
brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ kapān vayaṁ vijeṣyāmo ye devās te vayaṁ smṛtāḥ | tasmād vadhyāḥ kapāsmākaṁ dhanin yāhi yathāgatam ||
Les brahmanes dirent : «Nous vaincrons les Kapas. Ceux qu’on appelle “les dieux”, en vérité, c’est nous-mêmes. Aussi ces Kapas—ennemis des dieux—méritent-ils d’être mis à mort par nous. Ainsi soumettrons-nous le clan des Kapas. Ô homme riche, retourne comme tu es venu.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a claim of religious-social authority: the Brahmins assert identification with the gods and, on that basis, declare opponents as ‘god-hostile’ and therefore punishable. Ethically, it illustrates how appeals to sacred status can be used to justify coercion and violence, a theme repeatedly examined in the Anuśāsana Parva’s discussions of dharma and power.
Within Bhīṣma’s narration, the Brahmins respond by declaring they will defeat the Kapas, labeling them devadrohins (hostile to the gods). They then dismiss a wealthy person (dhanin), instructing him to return the way he came, signaling refusal of his involvement and their resolve to act themselves.