Shloka 14
Adhyāya 55 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Hesitation and Bhīṣma’s Authorization of Inquiry
Rājadharma Prelude
भीष्म उवाच ब्राह्मणानां यथा धर्मो दानमध्ययनं तप: । क्षत्रियाणां तथा कृष्ण समरे देहपातनम्,भीष्मजीने कहा--श्रीकृष्ण! जैसे दान, अध्ययन और तप ब्राह्मणोंका धर्म है, उसी प्रकार समरभूमिमें शत्रुओंके शरीरको मार गिराना क्षत्रियोंका धर्म है
bhīṣma uvāca | brāhmaṇānāṃ yathā dharmo dānam adhyayanaṃ tapaḥ | kṣatriyāṇāṃ tathā kṛṣṇa samare dehapātanam ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai Kṛṣṇa, sebagaimana dharma para Brahmana ialah memberi derma, menuntut ilmu suci, dan ber-tapa, demikian juga dharma para Kṣatriya ialah di medan perang menumbangkan musuh—menjatuhkan tubuh-tubuh dalam peperangan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma defines varna-specific dharma: Brahmins uphold society through charity, study, and austerity, while Kshatriyas uphold it through martial responsibility—fighting and, when necessary, killing in battle as a prescribed duty rather than personal cruelty.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma addresses Krishna and articulates the contrast between Brahmin and Kshatriya obligations, emphasizing that battlefield violence, when aligned with duty, is integral to the Kshatriya role.