Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 12
Dāyavibhāga (Inheritance Apportionment) and Household Precedence — Dialogue of Yudhiṣṭhira and Bhīṣma
ब्राह्मणी तु भवेज्ज्येष्ठा क्षत्रिया क्षत्रियस्य तु रत्यर्थमपि शूद्रा स्यान्नेत्याहुरपरे जना:
bhīṣma uvāca | brāhmaṇī tu bhavej jyeṣṭhā kṣatriyā kṣatriyasya tu | ratyartham api śūdrā syān nety āhur apare janāḥ ||
ਭੀਸ਼ਮ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—ਪਤਨੀਆਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣ ਲਈ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣੀ ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਉੱਤਮ ਮੰਨੀ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ; ਅਤੇ ਖ਼ਤਰੀ ਲਈ ਖ਼ਤਰੀਆ ਹੀ ਉੱਤਮ ਹੈ। ਕੁਝ ਲੋਕ ਕਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ ਕਿ ਰਤੀ ਲਈ ਸ਼ੂਦਰਾ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਗ੍ਰਹਿਣ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ; ਪਰ ਹੋਰ ਲੋਕ ਇਸ ਨੂੰ ਨਹੀਂ ਮੰਨਦੇ।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a normative hierarchy of preferred spouses within varṇa (Brahmin woman as foremost; for a Kshatriya, a Kshatriya woman as foremost) while also recording a disagreement: some permit a Shudra woman solely for sexual relations, whereas others reject that permissibility. The emphasis is on dharma-discourse that distinguishes between socially sanctioned marriage norms and contested, limited allowances.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instructional setting, Bhishma is giving guidance on conduct and social-religious norms. Here he reports differing opinions among authorities/people regarding acceptable marital or sexual unions across varṇa lines, indicating that the tradition contains debated positions rather than a single unanimous rule.