Shloka 21
च्यवन-कुशिक-संवादः
Cyavana–Kuśika Dialogue on Hospitality, Service, and Lineage Questions
अस्वामिकस्य स्वामित्वं यस्मिन् सम्प्रति लक्ष्यते । यो वर्ण: पोषयेत् तं च तद्धर्णस्तस्य जायते
asvāmakasya svāmitvaṃ yasmin samprati lakṣyate | yo varṇaḥ poṣayet taṃ ca tadvarṇas tasya jāyate ||
Bagi seorang anak yang tak memiliki wali yang diakui, orang yang pada saat itu tampak memegang perwalian dan yang memelihara serta menafkahinya—apa pun varṇa sang wali, varṇa itulah yang dianggap berlaku bagi si anak.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse states a dharma-based principle of social identity: for a guardianless child, the presently recognized guardian who undertakes the duty of maintenance and upbringing effectively determines the child’s varṇa in social-legal terms.
In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma is instructing Yudhishthira on dharma. Here he addresses how society should classify and treat a child without a known protector, grounding the rule in observable guardianship and the ethical responsibility of providing care.