Shloka 2
गोमूल्यनिर्णयः — The Determination of Value through the Cow
Nahuṣa–Cyavana Episode
तेषामेतेन विधिना जातानां वर्णसंकरे । को धर्म: कानि कर्माणि तनमे ब्रूहि पितामह
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
teṣām etena vidhinā jātānāṁ varṇa-saṅkare |
ko dharmaḥ kāni karmāṇi tan me brūhi pitāmaha ||
ಯುಧಿಷ್ಠಿರನು ಕೇಳಿದನು—ಪಿತಾಮಹಾ! ಈ ವಿಧದಿಂದ ವರ್ಣಸಂಕರವಾಗಿ ಜನಿಸಿದವರ ಧರ್ಮವೇನು? ಅವರಿಗೆ ವಿಧಿಸಲ್ಪಟ್ಟ ಕರ್ಮಗಳು ಯಾವುವು? ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು ನನಗೆ ಹೇಳಿರಿ.
युधिषछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharma-question: when social categories become mixed and lineage-based identity is unclear (varṇa-saṅkara), what ethical and practical duties should guide such people? It seeks a principled basis for conduct beyond mere birth-labels.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Yudhiṣṭhira questions Bhīṣma (addressed as Pitāmaha) about the proper dharma and prescribed occupations for those born from intermixture of varṇas, asking for authoritative guidance.