Shloka 11
Bhīṣma Parva, Adhyāya 4 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Vyāsa Saṃvāda on Kāla and Jayalakṣaṇa
Signs of Victory
त्रसानां खलु सर्वेषां श्रेष्ठा राजन् जरायुजा: । जरायुजानां प्रवरा मानवा: पशवश्च ये,राजन! सम्पूर्ण जंगम जीवोंमें जरायुज श्रेष्ठ माने गये हैं, जरायुजोंमें भी मनुष्य और पशु उत्तम हैं
trasānāṁ khalu sarveṣāṁ śreṣṭhā rājan jarāyujāḥ | jarāyujānāṁ pravarā mānavāḥ paśavaś ca ye rājan ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Raja, dalam semua makhluk yang bergerak, yang lahir dari rahim dianggap paling utama. Dan dalam kalangan yang lahir dari rahim itu, wahai Raja, manusia dan haiwan dipandang sebagai yang terbaik.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a traditional classification and valuation of living beings: among mobile creatures, womb-born (viviparous) are considered superior, and within them humans and animals are highlighted as pre-eminent—implying a framework for ethical reflection on life, responsibility, and the place of human agency.
Sañjaya, narrating events and reflections to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, states a general principle about the ranking of living beings, functioning as contextual discourse within Bhīṣma Parva’s broader war narration and its moral-philosophical framing.