Shloka 16

गोमूल्यनिर्णयः — The Determination of Value through the Cow

Nahuṣa–Cyavana Episode

Devanagari script

ते चापि सदृशं वर्ण जनयन्ति स्वयोनिषु | परस्परस्य दारेषु जनयन्ति विगर्हितान्‌

Transliteration

te cāpi sadṛśaṃ varṇaṃ janayanti svayoniṣu | parasparasya dāreṣu janayanti vigarhitān |

Translation

ఈ మిశ్రవర్ణజనులూ తమ జాతి స్త్రీలతో కలిసినప్పుడు తమతో సమానమైన స్థితి గల సంతానాన్ని పొందుతారు. కానీ పరస్పరం భిన్న గుంపుల స్త్రీలతో (ఇతరుల భార్యలతో) సంబంధం పెట్టుకుంటే, తమకన్నా మరింత నిందనీయమైన సంతానం పుడుతుంది.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

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

• सदृशम्: similar
• सदृशम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदृश
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वर्णम्: class/caste (varna)
• वर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जनयन्ति: they beget/produce
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (जनयति)
• Form: Present, Indicative, Parasmaipada, Third, Plural

• स्वयोनिषु: in their own wombs/among their own kind
• स्वयोनिषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयोनि
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• परस्परस्य: of one another
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: परस्पर
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• दारेषु: in (others') wives
• दारेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दार
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• जनयन्ति: they beget/produce
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (जनयति)
• Form: Present, Indicative, Parasmaipada, Third, Plural

• विगर्हितान्: blameworthy/censured
• विगर्हितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विगर्हित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma links social and moral disorder to sexual misconduct: unions within one’s own kind reproduce similar status, but violating marital boundaries and crossing into others’ wives is condemned and is said to yield offspring viewed as even more reprehensible.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma is instructing Yudhishthira on dharma. Here he discusses the consequences of varṇa-saṅkara (mixed social order) and especially censures illicit relations with others’ wives, framing it as a serious ethical breach with harmful social outcomes.