Shloka 24
Kośa, Bala, and Maryādā: Treasury, Capacity, and Enforceable Limits (कोश-बल-मर्यादा)
स्वधर्मानन्तरा वृत्तिर्जात्याननुपजीवत: । जहत: प्रथमं कल्पमनुकल्पेन जीवनम्
svadharmānantara vṛttir jātyān anupajīvataḥ | jahataḥ prathamaṃ kalpam anukalpena jīvanam ||
ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ເມື່ອຄົນໜຶ່ງບໍ່ອາດດໍາລົງຊີວິດໄດ້ໂດຍອາໄສທໍາມະທີ່ກໍານົດໄວ້ຕາມຊາດແລະສະຖານະຂອງຕົນ ກໍມີວິທີຫາລ້ຽງຊີບທາງເລືອກຖືກສອນໄວ້. ເພາະໃນຍາມທຸກຍາກ ຜູ້ທີ່ຈໍາເປັນຕ້ອງລະທິ້ງວິທີທໍາອິດ—ການດໍາລົງຊີວິດຕາມສະວະທໍາມະຂອງຕົນ—ອາດດໍາລົງຊີວິດດ້ວຍວິທີຮອງ ແມ່ນແຕ່ຮັບອາຊີບຂອງວັນນະທີ່ຕໍ່ໍາກວ່າ ເພື່ອຮັກສາຊີວິດໃຫ້ພົ້ນຈາກຄວາມໄຮ້ລະບຽບ»។
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
In hardship, preserving life may require setting aside the primary rule of living strictly by one’s own svadharma; the tradition allows a secondary, emergency livelihood (anukalpa), even adopting work associated with a lower varna, to avoid greater moral collapse.
Bhishma is instructing Yudhishthira in the Shanti Parva on dharma, specifically explaining the graded rules of conduct: the normal rule (svadharma-based livelihood) and the emergency exception (alternative livelihood) when normal duty cannot sustain life.