Shloka 22
Śakra–Śambara Saṃvāda: Brāhmaṇa-sevā, Anasūyā, and Vāg-bala (शक्रशम्बरसंवादः)
द्राविडाश्व॒ कलिड्नाश्च पुलिन्दाश्षाप्युशीनरा: । कोलिसर्पा माहिषकास्तास्ता: क्षत्रियजातय:
Bhīṣma uvāca: drāviḍāś ca kaliṅgāś ca pulindāś cāpy uśīnarāḥ | kolisarpā māhiṣakās tāstāḥ kṣatriyajātayaḥ ||
ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ດຣາວິດະ, ກະລິງກະ, ພຸລິນດະ ແລະອຸຊີນະຣະ; ກໍລິສັຣປະ ແລະມາຫິສະກະ—ຊຸມຊົນເຫຼົ່ານີ້ແລະອື່ນໆ ເຄີຍເປັນສາຍພັນກະສັດຕຣິຍະແຕ່ເດີມ. ແຕ່ເມື່ອຂາດພຣະເມດຕາແລະການຄ້ຳຈຸນຂອງພຣາຫມັນ ພວກເຂົາກໍຖືກນັບເປັນຊູດຣະ (śūdra). ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ໂອ ພະຣາຊາ ຜູ້ປະເສີດໃນບັນດາວີຣະຊົນຜູ້ມີໄຊ, ຄວາມສະຫວັດດີຢູ່ໃນການຍອມອ່ອນຕໍ່ພຣາຫມັນ; ບໍ່ຄວນຫາທາງເອົາຊະນະພວກເຂົາ»។
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that a king’s welfare lies in honoring and not opposing brāhmaṇas. He frames brāhmaṇic favor (anugraha/kṛpā) as socially and ethically sustaining: when kṣatriya groups lose that support and alignment with brāhmaṇic dharma, they are said to fall in status and be treated as śūdra.
In Bhishma’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira on conduct and dharma, he cites examples of various peoples (Dravidas, Kalingas, etc.) described as once kṣatriya communities who later came to be regarded as śūdra due to not receiving brāhmaṇas’ gracious regard. He uses this as a cautionary precedent to advise the king to yield to brāhmaṇas rather than contend with them.