Shloka 31
गोमूल्यनिर्णयः — The Determination of Value through the Cow
Nahuṣa–Cyavana Episode
यद्च्छयोपसम्पन्नैर्यज्ञसा धुबहिष्कृतै: । बाह्या बाह्ौौश्व जायन्ते यथावृत्ति यथाश्रयम्
yadṛcchayopasampannair yajñasādhubahiṣkṛtaiḥ | bāhyā bāhyauś ca jāyante yathāvṛtti yathāśrayam ||
Mereka yang tanpa pertimbangan kelahiran dan kepatutan, semata menurut kehendak, bergaul dengan perempuan dari varṇa lain—dan yang tersingkir dari hak upacara yajña serta dari pergaulan orang saleh—dari merekalah lahir keturunan varṇa-campuran. Anak-anak itu lalu menempuh beragam mata pencaharian dan mencari sandaran sesuai kecenderungan dan kebiasaan mereka sendiri.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma links social and ritual exclusion to disregard for prescribed marital and ethical norms, stating that unions formed merely by personal whim and outside accepted dharma lead to socially marginal offspring who then live by varied, self-chosen livelihoods and supports.
In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma continues instructing Yudhishthira on dharma. Here he comments on the outcomes of improper inter-varṇa unions and the resulting communities’ social position, occupations, and dependence, framing it as a consequence of being barred from yajña and from the company of the righteous.