Shloka 7
Brāhmaṇa-bheda-nirṇaya and Rājā’s Regulatory Duties (ब्राह्मणभेदनिर्णयः)
(म्लेच्छदेशास्तु ये केचित् पापैरध्युषिता नरै: । गत्वा तु ब्राह्मणस्तांश्व॒ चाण्डाल: प्रेत्य चेह च ।।
bhīṣma uvāca |
mlecchadeśās tu ye kecit pāpair adhyuṣitā naraiḥ | gatvā tu brāhmaṇas tāṃś caṇḍālaḥ pretya ceha ca ||
vrātyān mlecchāṃś ca śūdrāṃś ca yājayitvā dvijādhamaḥ | akīrtim iha samprāpya narakaṃ pratipadyate ||
brāhmaṇo ṛg-yajuḥ-sāmnām mūḍhaḥ kṛtvā tu viplavam | kalpam ekaṃ kṛmiḥ so ’tha nānāviṣṭhāsu jāyate ||
ṛtvij puruhito mantrī dūto vārtānukarṣakaḥ | ete kṣatrasamā rājan brāhmaṇānāṃ bhavanty uta ||
ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ມີດິນແດນທີ່ເອີ້ນວ່າ mleccha ທີ່ຄົນບາບອາໄສຢູ່. ພຣາມຜູ້ໃດໄປຍັງທີ່ນັ້ນ ຈະກາຍເປັນເຫມືອນ caṇḍāla ໃນຊີວິດນີ້ເອງ ແລະຫຼັງຕາຍຈະຕົກສູ່ພົບພູມຕ່ຳ. ຜູ້ເປັນດວິຊະ (dvija) ທີ່ຕ່ຳຊ້າ ຖ້າໄປປະກອບຍັດໃຫ້ vrātya, mleccha ແລະ śūdra ຈະໄດ້ຮັບຄວາມອັບອາຍໃນໂລກນີ້ ແລະຫຼັງຕາຍຈະຕົກນະຣົກ. ພຣາມຜູ້ໂງ່ທີ່ບິດເບືອນມັນຕຣະແຫ່ງ ຣິກ, ຢະຈຸສ ແລະ ສາມ ຈະເປັນໜອນໃນອຸຈະຫຼາຍຊະນິດຕະຫຼອດໜຶ່ງ kalpa. ໂອ ພະຣາຊາ! ໃນຫມູ່ພຣາມ ຜູ້ເປັນ ṛtvij, ພຣາຊະປຸໂຣຫິດ, ມົນຕຣີ, ທູດຫຼືຜູ້ນຳສານ ຖືກນັບວ່າເທົ່າກັບ kṣatriya»។
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma emphasizes strict boundaries of Vedic-ritual propriety: a brahmin should avoid contexts and patronage viewed as adharmic (sinful regions/communities, improper sacrificers), preserve the integrity of Vedic mantra recitation, and recognize that certain brahmins serving the state (priest, chaplain, minister, envoy) take on kṣatriya-like functions and status.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma addresses the king and lists consequences for brahmins who transgress ritual and social norms—traveling to ‘mleccha’ regions, officiating for disapproved groups, or corrupting Vedic mantras—then notes a category of brahmins whose royal service roles align them with kṣatriya duties.