Shloka 28

Cyavana’s Water-Vow and the Ethics of Cohabitation (स्नेह-सम्वास-धर्मः)

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण्यां ब्राह्मणाज्जातो ब्राह्मण: स्यान्न संशय: । क्षत्रियायां तथैव स्याद्‌ वैश्यायामपि चैव हि

Transliteration

brāhmaṇyāṃ brāhmaṇāj jāto brāhmaṇaḥ syān na saṃśayaḥ | kṣatriyāyāṃ tathaiva syād vaiśyāyām api caiva hi ||

Translation

యుధిష్ఠిరుడు అన్నాడు— బ్రాహ్మణి స్త్రీ గర్భంలో బ్రాహ్మణుని వలన పుట్టిన కుమారుడు నిస్సందేహంగా బ్రాహ్మణుడే. అలాగే క్షత్రియ స్త్రీ గర్భంలో గానీ, వైశ్య స్త్రీ గర్భంలో గానీ పుట్టినవాడైనా బ్రాహ్మణుడిగానే పరిగణింపబడతాడు.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मण्याम्: in a Brahmin woman
• ब्राह्मण्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणी
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• ब्राह्मणात्: from a Brahmin (father)
• ब्राह्मणात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• जातः: born
• जातः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, kta (past passive participle)

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin (son)
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्यात्: would be / should be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्षत्रियायाम्: in a Kshatriya woman
• क्षत्रियायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिया
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• तथा: likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed / just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• स्यात्: would be / should be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वैश्यायाम्: in a Vaishya woman
• वैश्यायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्या
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• अपि: also / even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed / just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• हि: for / indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• brāhmaṇa
• kṣatriya
• vaiśya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse asserts a lineage-based view of varṇa: the child’s status as brāhmaṇa is affirmed primarily through the brāhmaṇa father, even if the mother is kṣatriya or vaiśya, emphasizing paternal descent in defining social-religious identity.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana-parvan’s dharma discussions, Yudhiṣṭhira raises or states a principle about birth and varṇa classification, framing how offspring are regarded when a brāhmaṇa father has children with women of different varṇas.