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
bhīṣma uvāca | brāhmaṇānāṃ yathā dharmo dānam adhyayanaṃ tapaḥ | kṣatriyāṇāṃ tathā kṛṣṇa samare dehapātanam ||
Bhīṣma disse: “Ó Kṛṣṇa, assim como o dharma dos brâmanes consiste em dar, estudar o saber sagrado e praticar austeridades, assim também o dharma dos kṣatriyas é, no campo de batalha, abater o inimigo — fazer tombar corpos na guerra.”
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.