Shloka 15
ब्राह्मणा ऊचु कपान्वयं विजेष्यामो ये देवास्ते वयं स्मृता: । तस्माद् वध्या: कपा<स्माकं धनिन् याहि यथा55गतम्
brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ kapān vayaṁ vijeṣyāmo ye devās te vayaṁ smṛtāḥ | tasmād vadhyāḥ kapāsmākaṁ dhanin yāhi yathāgatam ||
バラモンたちは言った。「我らはカパ族（Kapas）を打ち破る。『神々』と呼ばれる者は、まことは我ら自身である。ゆえに神々に敵対するこのカパどもは、我らが討つべき者だ。かくして我らはカパの一族を屈服させる。富める者よ、来たときのままに帰れ。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a claim of religious-social authority: the Brahmins assert identification with the gods and, on that basis, declare opponents as ‘god-hostile’ and therefore punishable. Ethically, it illustrates how appeals to sacred status can be used to justify coercion and violence, a theme repeatedly examined in the Anuśāsana Parva’s discussions of dharma and power.
Within Bhīṣma’s narration, the Brahmins respond by declaring they will defeat the Kapas, labeling them devadrohins (hostile to the gods). They then dismiss a wealthy person (dhanin), instructing him to return the way he came, signaling refusal of his involvement and their resolve to act themselves.