Shloka 35
एतत् ते च्यवनस्यापि कर्म राजन् प्रकीर्तितम् । ब्रवीम्यहं ब्रूहि वा त्वं क्षत्रियं ब्राह्मणाद् वरम्
etat te cyavanasyāpi karma rājan prakīrtitam | bravīmy ahaṃ brūhi vā tvaṃ kṣatriyaṃ brāhmaṇād varam, nareśvara ||
Wahai Raja, telah kuceritakan pula kepadamu perbuatan agung Sang Resi Cyavana yang termasyhur itu. Kini aku bertanya—atau engkau sendiri menjawab: wahai penguasa manusia, ksatria manakah yang lebih utama daripada seorang brahmana?
च्यवन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that royal might does not automatically outrank spiritual-ethical authority; it challenges the listener to identify any Kshatriya who can be deemed superior to a Brahmin in the domain of dharma and sacred merit.
Cyavana (or the narrator speaking in Cyavana’s voice) says he has already described Cyavana’s notable deed to the king and then poses a pointed question: whether any Kshatriya can truly be considered superior to a Brahmin, thereby steering the discussion toward hierarchy grounded in dharma rather than power.