Shloka 10
Rājapurohita-lakṣaṇa and Purūravas–Vāyu Saṃvāda
Varṇa, Sovereignty, and Abhaya-dāna
वायुरुवाच विप्रस्य सर्वमेवैतद् यत्र किज्चिज्जगतीगतम् । ज्येछ्वेनाभिजनेनेह तद्धर्मकृुशला विदु:,वायुदेवने कहा--राजन्! धर्मनिपुण विद्वान् ऐसा मानते हैं कि उत्तम स्थानसे उत्पन्न और ज्येष्ठ होनेके कारण इस पृथ्वीपर जो कुछ है, वह सब ब्राह्मणका ही है
Vāyur uvāca: viprasya sarvam evaitad yatra kiñcij jagatī-gatam | jyeṣṭhena abhijanena iha tad dharma-kuśalā viduḥ ||
Vāyu dit : «Ô roi, ceux qui sont experts en dharma tiennent que tout ce qui existe ici sur la terre—quoi que ce soit venu au monde—appartient entièrement au brāhmaṇa, en raison de son ancienneté et de sa noble naissance.»
ऐल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a dharma-based claim of preeminence: learned authorities assert that, due to seniority and noble lineage, the brāhmaṇa is regarded as having overarching entitlement to what exists on earth—an assertion about social hierarchy and normative authority rather than a simple economic rule.
Vāyu addresses a king and states what “dharma-experts” maintain regarding the brāhmaṇa’s superior status and consequent claim over worldly possessions, framing the discussion within Shānti Parva’s broader inquiry into righteous order and governance.