Shloka 8
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
विष्णुक्रान्तेषु लोकेषु देवराजे शतक्रतौ । इज्यमानेषु देवेषु चातुर्वण्यें व्यवस्थिते
viṣṇukrānteṣu lokeṣu devarāje śatakratau | ijyamāneṣu deveṣu cāturvarṇye vyavasthite
Bhīṣma berkata: “Tatkala segala alam diliputi oleh langkah Viṣṇu; tatkala Indra—raja para dewa, termasyhur dengan seratus korban suci—tegak berdaulat; tatkala para dewa dipuja dengan sewajarnya; dan tatkala empat varṇa berdiri kukuh dalam kewajipan dharma masing-masing…”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ideal dharmic age: cosmic order upheld by Viṣṇu’s all-pervading sovereignty, righteous divine kingship under Indra, proper worship of the gods, and a stable cāturvarṇya system where each order performs its duties. It sets the ethical premise that harmony in society and governance depends on aligned ritual, duty, and cosmic law.
Bhīṣma is introducing a description of a well-ordered world—an auspicious backdrop in which divine authority, sacrificial worship, and social duties are functioning correctly. The verse is syntactically preparatory, leading into what follows about events or principles that arise under such conditions.