Shloka 37
पुण्याहवाचनं दैवं ब्राह्मणस्य विधीयते । एतदेव निरोड्कार क्षत्रियस्य विधीयते
puṇyāhavācanaṃ daivaṃ brāhmaṇasya vidhīyate | etad eva niroḍkāra kṣatriyasya vidhīyate ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Bagi seorang Brāhmaṇa, upacara suci ditetapkan dalam bentuk seruan-seruan bertuah dan bacaan berkat. Namun bagi seorang Kṣatriya, tujuan yang sama dipenuhi melalui ‘niroḍkāra’—suatu cara penyucian yang tegas dan bersifat kepahlawanan—sesuai dengan dharmanya.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that dharma is role-sensitive: the same sacred aim is pursued through different prescribed means—benedictory ritual speech for Brāhmaṇas and a forceful, martial form of consecration for Kṣatriyas—each aligned with their social-ethical duty.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on conduct and duties. Here he contrasts the appropriate religious/ceremonial observances for different varṇas, emphasizing that prescriptions vary according to one’s station and responsibilities.