Shloka 5
गोमूल्यनिर्णयः — The Determination of Value through the Cow
Nahuṣa–Cyavana Episode
परं शवाद् ब्राह्मणस्यैव पुत्र: शूद्रापुत्रं पारशवं तमाहु: । शुश्रूषक: स्वस्य कुलस्य स स्यात् स्वचारित्रं नित्यमथो न जह्यात्
paraṁ śavād brāhmaṇasyaiva putraḥ śūdrāputraṁ pāraśavaṁ tam āhuḥ | śuśrūṣakaḥ svasya kulasya sa syāt svacāritraṁ nityam atho na jahyāt ||
भीष्म उवाच—शूद्रायां ब्राह्मणस्य यः पुत्रः स पारशव इति ऋषिभिरुच्यते। स शवाद् उत्कृष्टः स्मृतः। स्वकुलस्य शुश्रूषकः स्यात्, सेवाचारं च नित्यं न जह्यात्।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharma-śāstra style norm: a person identified as Pāraśava (Brahmin father, Śūdra mother) is assigned a life of service to the family/lineage and is urged to maintain that customary discipline without abandoning it.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on social and ethical duties. Here he explains a specific mixed-varṇa designation (Pāraśava) and prescribes the conduct expected of such a person—namely, continued service within the household/lineage.