Shloka 18
Śakra–Śambara Saṃvāda: Brāhmaṇa-sevā, Anasūyā, and Vāg-bala (शक्रशम्बरसंवादः)
परिवादं च ये कुर्युब्रह्मिणानामचेतस: । सत्यं ब्रवीमि ते राजन् विनश्येयुर्न संशय:,राजन! मैं तुमसे यह सच्ची बात बता रहा हूँ कि जो मूढ़ मानव ब्राह्मणोंकी निन््दा करते हैं वे नष्ट हो जाते हैं--इसमें संशय नहीं है
parivādaṃ ca ye kuryur brāhmaṇīnām acetasaḥ | satyaṃ bravīmi te rājan vinaśyeyur na saṃśayaḥ ||
Bhishma berkata: Wahai Raja, aku katakan kepadamu kebenaran—orang-orang dungu yang menabur fitnah dan mencela para Brahmana akan binasa; tiada keraguan tentang hal itu.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches restraint and responsibility in speech: slandering Brahmins (and, by extension, venerable custodians of dharma and learning) is a grave ethical fault that leads to the speaker’s downfall.
In the Anushasana Parva, Bhishma is instructing the king on dharma and proper conduct. Here he warns that those who indulge in defamatory speech against Brahmins inevitably meet ruin, emphasizing the moral and social order the king is to uphold.