Shloka 30
Indra–Mataṅga Saṃvāda: On the rarity and responsibilities of Brāhmaṇya (इन्द्र-मतङ्ग संवादः)
देवतासुरमर्त्येषु यत् पवित्र परं स्मृतम् चण्डालयोनौ जातेन न तत् प्राप्यं कथंचन
devatāsuramartyeṣu yat pavitraṁ paraṁ smṛtam | caṇḍālayonau jātena na tat prāpyaṁ kathaṁcana ||
Bhishma berkata: “Di antara para dewa, asura, dan manusia, apa yang dikenang sebagai kesucian tertinggi—Brahmana-hood—tidak dapat, dengan cara apa pun, dicapai oleh seseorang yang lahir dari rahim Caṇḍāla.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a hereditary and exclusionary view of brahmin status: brahminhood is treated as the highest form of purity in the traditional social-religious framework, and it is declared unattainable for someone born in a Caṇḍāla lineage. It reflects a dharma-text style emphasis on birth-based varṇa boundaries and ritual purity.
Bhishma is speaking within the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma. In this segment he articulates norms about social categories and purity, presenting a rule-like pronouncement about who can be regarded as possessing brahminhood.