Shloka 23
अध्याय २०८ — इन्द्रियनिग्रहः, सत्याहिंसात्मकवाक्, कर्मफलविवेकः
Restraint of the Senses, Non-harming Truthful Speech, and Discernment of Karmic Consequence
एवमेते समाम्नाता विश्वेदेवास्तथाश्विनौ । आदित्या: क्षत्रियास्तेषां विशश्षु मरतस्तथा
evam ete samāmnātā viśvedevās tathāśvinau | ādityāḥ kṣatriyās teṣāṃ viśaḥṣu marutas tathā ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Ainsi, selon la tradition, ces groupes sont énumérés : les Viśvedevas et les deux Aśvins comme collectivités divines. Parmi ces divinités, les Ādityas sont tenus pour des Kṣatriyas, et de même les Maruts sont tenus pour des Vaiśyas.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a traditional (samāmnāta) mapping of divine groups onto varṇa categories, using social classes as an analogy to describe functions and status among deities—highlighting how dharma literature often explains cosmic order through familiar social frameworks.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Bhīṣma continues a didactic exposition by listing recognized classes of gods (Viśvedevas, Aśvins, Ādityas, Maruts) and stating how some are conventionally regarded in terms of varṇa (Ādityas as Kṣatriyas; Maruts as Vaiśyas).