Shloka 114
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
शद्राश्न ब्राह्मणीं भार्यामुपयास्यन्ति निर्भया: । वियोनिषु विमोक्ष्यन्ति बीजानि पुरुषा यदा
śūdrāś ca brāhmaṇīṁ bhāryām upayāsyanti nirbhayāḥ | viyoniṣu vimokṣyanti bījāni puruṣā yadā ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Apabila lelaki, setelah membuang rasa takut dan batasan diri, mendekati seorang wanita Brāhmaṇa untuk dijadikan isteri walaupun mereka daripada golongan Śūdra, maka mereka akan menumpahkan benih ke dalam rahim yang tidak wajar. Pelanggaran batas sosial dan etika ini ditampilkan sebagai tanda kekacauan moral dan kekeliruan dharma.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames unrestrained crossing of prescribed marital boundaries as a symptom of adharma, warning that ethical and social norms around marriage and procreation, when disregarded, lead to disorder and confusion of duties.
In the Śānti Parva’s dharma-discourse, Bhīṣma is describing signs and consequences of societal decline, using the example of men entering unions deemed improper and begetting offspring through ‘unsuitable’ relations.