Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 8
एष राजन्नीदृशो वै ब्राह्मण: कश्यपो5 भवत् । अन्य प्रब्रृहि वा त्वं च कश्यपात् क्षत्रियं वरम्
eṣa rājann īdṛśo vai brāhmaṇaḥ kaśyapo 'bhavat | anyaṃ prabrūhi vā tvaṃ ca kaśyapāt kṣatriyaṃ varam ||
अर्जुन बोले—राजन्! ऐसे ही ब्राह्मण कश्यप थे; उनका वैसा ही प्रभाव प्रत्यक्ष देखा गया है। यदि तुम कश्यप से भी श्रेष्ठ किसी अन्य क्षत्रिय-श्रेष्ठ को जानते हो, तो बताओ।
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the acknowledged potency and moral-spiritual authority of a brahmin (Kaśyapa) and frames a comparative challenge: if a kṣatriya can surpass such brahminical power, it must be demonstrated by clear example. It implicitly probes what truly constitutes ‘superiority’—birth, prowess, or realized power grounded in dharma.
Arjuna addresses a king in dialogue, affirming that Kaśyapa was a brahmin of extraordinary, witnessed influence. He then asks the king to name any kṣatriya who is superior even to Kaśyapa, pressing the discussion toward concrete exemplars rather than mere claims.