Shloka 16
Kārtavīrya–Samudra Saṃvāda and the Jāmadagnya Precedent (आश्वमेधिक पर्व, अध्याय २९)
एवं ते द्रविडा55भीरा: पुण्ड्राश्न शबरै: सह । वृषलत्वं परिगता व्युत्थानात् क्षत्रधर्मिण:
evaṁ te draviḍābhīrāḥ puṇḍrāś ca śabaraiḥ saha | vṛṣalatvaṁ parigatā vyutthānāt kṣatradharmiṇaḥ ||
Ainsi, ces kṣatriya — vivant au contact des Draviḍa, des Ābhīra, des Puṇḍra et des Śabara —, bien qu’ils fussent kṣatriya, tombèrent dans la condition de vṛṣala pour avoir abandonné l’effort et la discipline du kṣatriya-dharma.
समुद्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames social and ethical decline as a consequence of abandoning one’s prescribed duty and disciplined effort (vyutthāna) in kṣatriya-dharma; neglect of dharma leads to loss of status and moral standing.
Samudra (the Ocean) explains how certain Kṣatriya groups, by prolonged association and assimilation with various peoples and by giving up the active practice of Kṣatriya conduct, came to be regarded as having fallen into a degraded condition (vṛṣalatva).