Shloka 37
तीर्थवंशोपदेशः
Tīrtha-vaṃśa Upadeśa: Instruction on the Fruits of Sacred Waters
पुण्याहवाचनं दैवं ब्राह्मणस्य विधीयते । एतदेव निरोड्कार क्षत्रियस्य विधीयते
puṇyāhavācanaṃ daivaṃ brāhmaṇasya vidhīyate | etad eva niroḍkāra kṣatriyasya vidhīyate ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Pour un brāhmaṇa, le rite sacré est prescrit sous la forme d’invocations de bon augure et de récitations bénédictives. Pour un kṣatriya, en revanche, cette même fin est accomplie par le “niroḍkāra” : une consécration vigoureuse, de trempe guerrière, conforme à son devoir.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that dharma is role-sensitive: the same sacred aim is pursued through different prescribed means—benedictory ritual speech for Brāhmaṇas and a forceful, martial form of consecration for Kṣatriyas—each aligned with their social-ethical duty.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on conduct and duties. Here he contrasts the appropriate religious/ceremonial observances for different varṇas, emphasizing that prescriptions vary according to one’s station and responsibilities.