Shloka 10
Rājapurohita-lakṣaṇa and Purūravas–Vāyu Saṃvāda
Varṇa, Sovereignty, and Abhaya-dāna
वायुरुवाच विप्रस्य सर्वमेवैतद् यत्र किज्चिज्जगतीगतम् । ज्येछ्वेनाभिजनेनेह तद्धर्मकृुशला विदु:
Vāyur uvāca: viprasya sarvam evaitad yatra kiñcij jagatī-gatam | jyeṣṭhena abhijanena iha tad dharma-kuśalā viduḥ ||
ヴァーユは言った。「王よ、ダルマに通じた賢者たちは、この地上にあるもの――世に現れたあらゆるもの――は、年長であり高貴な出自ゆえに、すべてブラーフマナのものだと説く。」
ऐल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a dharma-based claim of preeminence: learned authorities assert that, due to seniority and noble lineage, the brāhmaṇa is regarded as having overarching entitlement to what exists on earth—an assertion about social hierarchy and normative authority rather than a simple economic rule.
Vāyu addresses a king and states what “dharma-experts” maintain regarding the brāhmaṇa’s superior status and consequent claim over worldly possessions, framing the discussion within Shānti Parva’s broader inquiry into righteous order and governance.