Shloka 17
Cyavana’s Water-Vow and the Ethics of Cohabitation (स्नेह-सम्वास-धर्मः)
अब्राह्माणं तु मन्यन्ते शूद्रापुत्रमनैपुणात् । त्रिषु वर्णेषु जातो हि ब्राह्मणाद् ब्राह्मणो भवेत्
abhāhmaṇaṁ tu manyante śūdrāputram anaipuṇāt | triṣu varṇeṣu jāto hi brāhmaṇād brāhmaṇo bhavet ||
ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ଶୂଦ୍ରାର ଗର୍ଭରୁ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣଙ୍କର ଯେ ପୁତ୍ର ଜନ୍ମେ, ନୈପୁଣ୍ୟାଭାବରୁ ତାକୁ ସେମାନେ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ ମନେ କରନ୍ତି ନାହିଁ; କାରଣ ତାହାରେ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣୋଚିତ ଶିଷ୍ଟତା ଓ କୌଶଳ ଦେଖାଯାଏ ନାହିଁ। କିନ୍ତୁ ଅନ୍ୟ ତିନି ବର୍ଣ୍ଣର ସ୍ତ୍ରୀମାନଙ୍କଠାରୁ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ ଦ୍ୱାରା ଜନ୍ମିତ ପୁତ୍ର ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ ହୁଏ।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse states a normative rule about social recognition (varṇa-status): a child’s acceptance as ‘brāhmaṇa’ is linked to perceived brāhmaṇa-qualities (naipuṇya) and, in the stated scheme, to paternity by a brāhmaṇa across unions with women of other varṇas, while excluding the son of a Śūdra woman from brāhmaṇa recognition.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and social norms. Here he addresses rules of lineage and varṇa-classification, explaining how certain births were traditionally categorized and socially acknowledged.