Shloka 17
Varṇasaṃkara: Causes, Classifications, and Conduct-based Recognition (वर्णसंकरः—हेतु-जाति-आचारनिर्णयः)
अत्र गाथा यमोदगीता: कीर्तयन्ति पुराविद: । धर्मज्ञा धर्मशास्त्रेषु निबद्धा धर्मसेतुषु
atra gāthā yamodgītāḥ kīrtayanti purāvidaḥ | dharmajñā dharmaśāstreṣu nibaddhā dharmasetuṣu ||
अत्र गाथा यमेनोद्गीता कीर्त्यते पुराविद्भिः। धर्मज्ञैर्धर्मशास्त्रेषु निबद्धैर्धर्मसेतुषु॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ethical instruction should be grounded in recognized authorities: ancient tradition (purā), dharma-texts (dharmaśāstra), and the established limits that sustain social and moral order (dharmasetu). By citing Yama, the verse frames the coming teaching as a reliable standard of dharma.
Bhīṣma, while instructing on dharma in the Anuśāsana Parva, introduces a traditional set of didactic stanzas attributed to Yama. He notes that learned authorities recite these verses, preparing the listener for an authoritative moral exposition.