Shloka 7
अव्यक्त-प्रबोधः (Awakening to the Unmanifest): The 25th and 26th Principles and Eligibility for Brahma-vidyā
चतुर्णामेव वर्णानामागम: पुरुषर्षभ । अतोःन्ये त्वतिरिक्ता ये ते वै संकरजा: स्मृता:
caturṇām eva varṇānām āgamaḥ puruṣarṣabha | ato 'nye tv atiriktā ye te vai saṅkarajāḥ smṛtāḥ ||
Parāśara berkata: “Wahai yang terbaik di antara manusia, asal-usul yang diakui hanyalah empat varṇa. Adapun orang-orang lain yang berbeda dari itu dikenang sebagai ‘varṇa-saṅkara’, karena mereka timbul dari percampuran di antara keempat varṇa tersebut.”
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a traditional framework: the primary social categories are the four varṇas, and groups outside these are described in smṛti-language as arising from intermixture among them (saṅkara). It frames social classification as a matter of received tradition and genealogy.
In the Śānti Parva’s didactic setting, the sage Parāśara is instructing his listener on dharma-related social theory—specifically, how varṇas are said to originate and how ‘mixed’ categories are defined in traditional discourse.