Shloka 15
आपद्धर्मे वैश्यवृत्तिः, विक्रय-निषेधाः, तथा ब्रह्म-क्षत्र-सम्बन्धः
Emergency Livelihood, Prohibited Trade, and Brahman–Kshatra Regulation
भीष्मजीने कहा--राजन! ब्राह्मण आदि सभी वर्णोको दान, तप, यज्ञ, प्राणियोंके प्रति द्रोह का अभाव तथा इन्द्रिय-संयमके द्वारा अपने कल्याणकी इच्छा रखनी चाहिये ।।
bhīṣma uvāca—rājan! brāhmaṇādayaḥ sarve varṇā dāna-tapo-yajñaiḥ prāṇiṣu adroheṇa indriya-saṃyamena ca svasyābhyudayaṃ (kalyāṇaṃ) iccheyuḥ. teṣāṃ ye veda-balinās te ’bhyutthāya samantataḥ rājño balaṃ vardhayeyur mahendrasyeva devatāḥ.
Bhīṣma disse: “Ó rei, todas as ordens sociais, começando pelos brâmanes, devem buscar o próprio bem por meio da generosidade, da austeridade, do sacrifício, da não violência para com os seres vivos e do domínio dos sentidos. E, entre eles, os brâmanes fortes no poder dos Vedas devem erguer-se de todos os lados e aumentar a força do rei —assim como os deuses aumentam o poder do grande Indra.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Personal and social welfare arises from disciplined virtues—charity, austerity, sacrifice, non-harm toward beings, and sense-control; and learned Brahmins, grounded in Vedic authority, should actively strengthen righteous kingship, supporting the ruler as the gods support Indra.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma after the war, Bhishma addresses the king and outlines how the varṇas should pursue welfare through ethical practices, then adds that Veda-strong Brahmins should stand up from all sides to bolster the king’s power, likening this support to the gods empowering Indra.