Shloka 17

गोमूल्यनिर्णयः — The Determination of Value through the Cow

Nahuṣa–Cyavana Episode

Devanagari script

यथा शाद्रो5पि ब्राह्मण्यां जन्तुं बाह्ां प्रसूयते । एवं बाह्यृतराद्‌ बाह्दाश्षातुर्वर्ण्यात्‌ प्रजायते

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | yathā śūdro 'pi brāhmaṇyāṃ jantuṃ bāhyaṃ prasūyate | evaṃ bāhyatarād bāhyaś cāturvarṇyāt prajāyate |

Translation

శూద్రుడు కూడా బ్రాహ్మణీ గర్భంలో ‘బాహ్య’మైన చాండాలుడని పిలువబడే సంతానాన్ని కనుగొంటాడని ఎలా చెప్పబడుతుందో, అలాగే వర్ణవ్యవస్థకు వెలుపల ఉన్నవాడు బ్రాహ్మణాది నాలుగు వర్ణాల స్త్రీలతో—మరింతగా బహిష్కృత గుంపుల స్త్రీలతో కూడ—సంగమించి తనకన్నా కూడా హీనమైన సంతానాన్ని పుట్టిస్తాడు.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• शूद्रः: a Śūdra man
• शूद्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

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

• जन्तुम्: a creature/offspring
• जन्तुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• बाह्यम्: an outcaste (excluded)
• बाह्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाह्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रसूयते: gives birth (is delivered)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√सू
• Form: Present, Indicative, Atmanepada, Third, Singular

• एवम्: thus/in the same way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• बाह्यतरात्: from one more outcaste (than another)
• बाह्यतरात्: Apadana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाह्यतर
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• बाह्यदः: an outcaste man (one who is outside)
• बाह्यदः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाह्यद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• चातुर्वर्ण्यात्: from the four-varṇa order
• चातुर्वर्ण्यात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्वर्ण्य
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• प्रजायते: is born/comes into being
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√जन्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Atmanepada, Third, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Within Bhishma’s normative discussion of dharma and social order, the verse asserts that unions crossing prescribed boundaries are regarded as producing offspring classified as socially excluded, and that exclusion is portrayed as compounding across generations.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma is advising Yudhiṣṭhira on rules and consequences related to varṇa/jāti conduct; here he uses an analogy about birth and lineage to explain how certain unions are viewed in that framework.