Shloka 21
आपद्धर्मे वैश्यवृत्तिः, विक्रय-निषेधाः, तथा ब्रह्म-क्षत्र-सम्बन्धः
Emergency Livelihood, Prohibited Trade, and Brahman–Kshatra Regulation
क्षत्रियस्यातिवृत्तस्य ब्राह्मणेषु विशेषत: । ब्रह्मैव संनियन्त् स्यात् क्षत्रं हि ब्रह्मसम्भवम्
kṣatriyasyātivṛttasya brāhmaṇeṣu viśeṣataḥ | brahmaiva saṁniyant syāt kṣatraṁ hi brahmasambhavam ||
Bhīṣma disse: “Quando um kṣatriya ultrapassa todos os limites—sobretudo ao oprimir brāhmaṇas—somente a autoridade bramânica pode contê-lo; pois o poder da realeza (kṣatra) nasce do brahman.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Unchecked political power becomes illegitimate when it violates dharma, especially by harming those tasked with preserving sacred law; therefore, moral-spiritual authority (brahman) is presented as the proper counterbalance that can discipline and restrain royal force (kṣatra).
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on governance and dharma, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira about limits on kingly conduct, stating that when a ruler becomes oppressive—particularly toward brāhmaṇas—the corrective force is Brahmanical authority, since kingship is traditionally grounded in and sanctioned by brahman.