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Shloka 17

गोमूल्यनिर्णयः — The Determination of Value through the Cow

Nahuṣa–Cyavana Episode

यथा शाद्रो5पि ब्राह्मण्यां जन्तुं बाह्ां प्रसूयते । एवं बाह्यृतराद्‌ बाह्दाश्षातुर्वर्ण्यात्‌ प्रजायते

bhīṣma uvāca | yathā śūdro 'pi brāhmaṇyāṃ jantuṃ bāhyaṃ prasūyate | evaṃ bāhyatarād bāhyaś cāturvarṇyāt prajāyate |

ビーシュマは言った。たとえばシュードラがブラーフマナの女と結べば、ヴァルナの秩序から排された外道の子—チャンダーラ—をもうける。これと同じく、すでに秩序の外にある者が、四ヴァルナの女(さらにいっそう排除された群の女)と交われば、自らよりもなお卑しいと見なされる子を生むのである。

यथाjust as
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा
शूद्रःa Śūdra man
शूद्रः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootशूद्र
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
अपिeven/also
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
ब्राह्मण्याम्in/with a Brāhmaṇa woman
ब्राह्मण्याम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootब्राह्मणी
FormFeminine, Locative, Singular
जन्तुम्a creature/offspring
जन्तुम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootजन्तु
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
बाह्यम्an outcaste (excluded)
बाह्यम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootबाह्य
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
प्रसूयतेgives birth (is delivered)
प्रसूयते:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र√सू
FormPresent, Indicative, Atmanepada, Third, Singular
एवम्thus/in the same way
एवम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएवम्
बाह्यतरात्from one more outcaste (than another)
बाह्यतरात्:
Apadana
TypeAdjective
Rootबाह्यतर
FormMasculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular
बाह्यदःan outcaste man (one who is outside)
बाह्यदः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootबाह्यद
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
चातुर्वर्ण्यात्from the four-varṇa order
चातुर्वर्ण्यात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootचातुर्वर्ण्य
FormNeuter, Ablative, Singular
प्रजायतेis born/comes into being
प्रजायते:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र√जन्
FormPresent, Indicative, Atmanepada, Third, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhishma

Educational Q&A

Within Bhishma’s normative discussion of dharma and social order, the verse asserts that unions crossing prescribed boundaries are regarded as producing offspring classified as socially excluded, and that exclusion is portrayed as compounding across generations.

In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma is advising Yudhiṣṭhira on rules and consequences related to varṇa/jāti conduct; here he uses an analogy about birth and lineage to explain how certain unions are viewed in that framework.