Shloka 39
Cyavana’s Water-Vow and the Ethics of Cohabitation (स्नेह-सम्वास-धर्मः)
यथा न सदृशी जात_ु ब्राह्म॒ण्या: क्षत्रिया भवेत्
yathā na sadṛśī jātu brāhmaṇyāḥ kṣatriyā bhavet
Bhīṣma berkata: “Sebagaimana seorang wanita Kṣatriya tidak akan pernah benar-benar setara dengan seorang wanita Brāhmaṇa.” Dalam ajaran ini, Bhīṣma menegaskan hierarki varṇa yang berasaskan dharma serta cita-cita yang berbeza bagi setiap tatanan sosial, dan mengemukakannya sebagai norma etika tentang perilaku dan kedudukan, bukan soal selera peribadi.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a traditional dharma-based distinction between varṇas, stating that a Kṣatriya woman is not regarded as comparable to a Brāhmaṇa woman, reflecting the text’s normative view of social hierarchy and role-based ideals.
Bhīṣma is delivering didactic counsel in the Anuśāsana Parva, framing social and ethical norms; here he uses a general maxim about varṇa distinctions to support his broader instruction on dharma and proper conduct.