Shloka 3
गोमूल्यनिर्णयः — The Determination of Value through the Cow
Nahuṣa–Cyavana Episode
भीष्म उवाच चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य कर्माणि चातुर्वर्ण्य च केवलम् । असृजतू स हि यज्ञार्थे पूर्वमेव प्रजापति:
bhīṣma uvāca: cāturvarṇyasya karmāṇi cāturvarṇyaṃ ca kevalam | asṛjat sa hi yajñārthe pūrvam eva prajāpatiḥ ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai anakku, pada zaman purba Prajāpati mencipta, demi tujuan yajña, hanya empat varṇa dan tugas-tugas yang berbeza bagi keempat-empatnya—tiada yang melampaui itu.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames the four varnas and their respective duties as a purposeful creation aimed at sustaining yajña—i.e., the sacral and social order—implying that roles are meant for responsibility and harmony rather than superiority.
Bhishma is instructing his listener on dharma, explaining the origin and intent of the fourfold social order by attributing it to Prajapati’s primordial creation for the maintenance of yajña.