Shloka 12
गोमूल्यनिर्णयः — The Determination of Value through the Cow
Nahuṣa–Cyavana Episode
बन्दी तु जायते वैश्यान्मागधो वाक्यजीवन: । शूद्रान्निषादो मत्स्यघ्न: क्षत्रियायां व्यतिक्रमात्
bhīṣma uvāca | bandī tu jāyate vaiśyān māgadho vākyajīvanaḥ | śūdrān niṣādo matsyaghnaḥ kṣatriyāyāṃ vyatikramāt ||
Bhīṣma dit : D’un homme vaiśya, lorsqu’il y a union transgressive avec une femme kṣatriya, naît un fils appelé Bandī ou Māgadha ; il vit de la parole, en louant et en proclamant les mérites d’autrui. De même, d’un śūdra, par une telle transgression avec une femme kṣatriya, naît le Niṣāda, dont l’occupation est de tuer des poissons.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a dharma-based view that crossing prescribed social boundaries (vyatikrama) is consequential, producing specific social identities and associated livelihoods; it uses genealogy to reinforce norms of social order.
Bhishma is instructing on dharma and social classifications, describing the traditional epic account of how certain groups (Bandī/Māgadha and Niṣāda) are said to arise from transgressive unions involving a Kṣatriya woman, and what occupations they are associated with.