Shloka 11
शकुनि (हिरण्मय-पक्षी) उपदेशः — Vighasāśin and the Difficulty of Gārhasthya
शकुनिरुवाच चतुष्पदां गौ: प्रवरा लोहानां काञउ्चनं वरम् | शब्दानां प्रवरो मन्त्रो ब्राह्मणो द्विपदां वर:
śakunir uvāca—catuṣpadāṁ gauḥ pravarā, lohānāṁ kāñcanaṁ varam | śabdānāṁ pravaro mantro, brāhmaṇo dvipadāṁ varaḥ ||
សកុនីបាននិយាយថា៖ «ក្នុងចំណោមសត្វមានជើងបួន គោគឺលើសគេ; ក្នុងចំណោមលោហៈ មាសគឺប្រសើរបំផុត; ក្នុងចំណោមសំឡេងដែលបានបញ្ចេញ មន្ត្រាគឺអធិបតី; ហើយក្នុងចំណោមសត្វមានជើងពីរ ព្រាហ្មណ៍គឺឧត្តមជាងគេ»។
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a dharmic ranking of excellence: the cow as the foremost among quadrupeds (linked with sustenance and non-violence), gold among metals (purity and value), mantra among words (sacralized, disciplined speech), and the Brāhmaṇa among humans (idealized as custodian of learning and ritual-moral authority).
Within a didactic exchange (ṛṣi–Śakuni dialogue) embedded in the Śānti Parva’s instruction on governance and dharma, Śakuni states proverbial ‘best-of’ comparisons to frame norms of value and authority relevant to righteous conduct and social-ethical order.