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Shloka 21

Śakra–Śambara Saṃvāda: Brāhmaṇa-sevā, Anasūyā, and Vāg-bala (शक्रशम्बरसंवादः)

शका यवनकाम्बोजास्तास्ता: क्षत्रियजातय: । वृषलत्वं परिगता ब्राह्मणानामदर्शनात्‌

śakā yavanakāmbojās tāstāḥ kṣatriyajātayaḥ | vṛṣalatvaṃ parigatā brāhmaṇānām adarśanāt ||

ビーシュマは言った。「シャカ、ヤヴァナ、カーンボージャなどの諸族は、もとは刹帝利の血統であった。だがバラモンの導きと支えを失ったため、彼らはヴリシャラ(vṛṣala)の境遇へと堕ち、正統の秩序の外にある堕落した者として数えられるに至った。」

शकाःthe Śakas
शकाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootशक
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
यवनthe Yavanas (Greeks/Ionians)
यवन:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootयवन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
काम्बोजाःthe Kāmbojas
काम्बोजाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकाम्बोज
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
ताःthose
ताः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
ताःthose (same)
ताः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
क्षत्रिय-जातयःKṣatriya lineages/classes
क्षत्रिय-जातयः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootक्षत्रियजाति
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
वृषलत्वम्the state of being a vṛṣala (outcaste/śūdra-like)
वृषलत्वम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootवृषलत्व
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
परिगताःhaving attained / having become
परिगताः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootपरि-गम्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural, Past passive participle (क्त)
ब्राह्मणानाम्of the Brāhmaṇas
ब्राह्मणानाम्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootब्राह्मण
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
अदर्शनात्from non-seeing / from absence (of contact/appearance)
अदर्शनात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootअ-दर्शन
FormNeuter, Ablative, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
Ś
Śakas
Y
Yavanas
K
Kāmbojas
B
Brāhmaṇas
K
Kṣatriyas
V
Vṛṣalas

Educational Q&A

The verse presents a normative dharma view that social standing is sustained by adherence to Vedic-orthodox guidance; when communities lose the regulating influence of Brāhmaṇas (teaching, rites, and discipline), they are portrayed as slipping from kṣatriya status into vṛṣala standing.

In Bhīṣma’s instruction on dharma, he cites frontier or foreign-designated groups (Śakas, Yavanas, Kāmbojas) as examples: though said to have been kṣatriyas originally, they are described as later regarded as vṛṣalas because they lacked continued association with Brāhmaṇas.