Shloka 1
Brahmopadeśa: Adhipatitva-kathana, Dharma-lakṣaṇa, and Kṣetra–Kṣetrajña Viveka
Book 14, Chapter 43
>> ह््न हि कमी त्रिचत्वारिशो<् ध्याय: चराचर प्राणियोंके अधिपतियोंका
brahmovāca | manuṣyāṇāṃ tu rājanyaḥ kṣatriyo madhyamo guṇaḥ | kuñjaro vāhanānāṃ ca siṃhaś cāraṇyavāsinām ||
Brahmā dit : «Ô grands ṛṣi ! Parmi les hommes, l’ordre qui gouverne—le kṣatriya—se caractérise surtout par la qualité de rajas, l’élan d’agir et de régner. Parmi les montures et les moyens de transport, l’éléphant est le premier ; et parmi les êtres qui vivent dans la forêt sauvage, le lion est prééminent.»
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse correlates social function with innate temperament: the Kṣatriya, tasked with rule and protection, is marked by rajas—the energetic, assertive guṇa. It also illustrates a broader principle that each domain has a natural ‘foremost’ exemplar, suggesting an ordered cosmos where excellence is context-specific and tied to dharma.
A didactic discourse is underway in which Brahmā speaks, describing characteristics of beings and their governing principles. This verse begins a set of comparisons: it identifies the Kṣatriya’s dominant guṇa and names the elephant and lion as preeminent within their respective categories.