Shloka 22
Brāhmaṇa-vandana: Criteria for Veneration, Disciplined Speech, and Protective Kingship (अनुशासनपर्व, अध्याय ८)
नारी तु पत्यभावे वै देवरं कुरुते पतिम् । पृथिवी ब्राह्मणालाभे क्षत्रियं कुरुते पतिम्
nārī tu patyabhāve vai devaraṃ kurute patim | pṛthivī brāhmaṇālābhe kṣatriyaṃ kurute patim |
ພີສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ເມື່ອແມ່ຍິງຂາດຜົວ ນາງອາດຮັບນ້ອງຊາຍຂອງຜົວເປັນຜົວ; ໃນທຳນອງດຽວກັນ ເມື່ອແຜ່ນດິນບໍ່ໄດ້ພົບພຣາຫມະນະ ນາງຈຶ່ງຮັບ kṣatriya ເປັນເຈົ້ານາຍ. ຈຸດໝາຍຄື ອຳນາດອັນຊອບທຳມີລຳດັບ: ລຳດັບສູງທີ່ນຳທາງທຳຖືກເລືອກກ່ອນ, ແຕ່ເມື່ອຂາດໄປ ກໍຮັບຜູ້ປົກປ້ອງ-ຜູ້ປົກຄອງລຳດັບຮອງ ເພື່ອຄວາມສະຫງົບຮຽບຮ້ອຍຂອງສັງຄົມ».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches a hierarchy of rightful leadership: ideally the Brāhmaṇa (as dharma-guiding authority) is foremost, but when that is unavailable, the Kṣatriya is accepted as ruler-protector to preserve order; the analogy illustrates pragmatic dharma—choosing the next-best legitimate support in a crisis.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction on dharma and governance, he uses a social analogy (a widow accepting the devara) to explain how the Earth/kingdom accepts a Kṣatriya’s sovereignty when a Brāhmaṇa is not present to lead—emphasizing continuity of protection and rule.