Shloka 5
भृगु–भरद्वाजसंवादः: वर्णभेदस्य कर्माधारितव्याख्या
Bhrigu–Bharadvaja Dialogue: A Karma-Based Account of Varṇa
वैश्य: कश्चिदृषिसुतं काश्यपं संशितव्रतम् । रथेन पातयामास श्रीमान् दृप्तस्तपस्विनम्
bhīṣma uvāca | vaiśyaḥ kaścid ṛṣisutaṃ kāśyapaṃ saṃśitavratam | rathena pātayāmāsa śrīmān dṛptas tapasvinam ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Autrefois, un riche marchand (vaiśya), enivré par l’orgueil de ses biens, renversa de son char Kaśyapa —fils d’un ṛṣi, ascète fidèle à de sévères vœux—, faisant choir le tapasvin.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Pride arising from wealth can corrupt judgment and lead to adharma—here, violence and disrespect toward a disciplined ascetic—thereby setting the stage for moral blame and karmic retribution; prosperity should be governed by humility and restraint.
Bhishma recounts an old incident: a rich, arrogant merchant drives his chariot into (or against) the ascetic Kashyapa, a sage’s son devoted to strict vows, and knocks him down—an initiating event that typically leads to a lesson about consequences and righteous conduct.