Shloka 7

Purohita-Niyoga and the Brahma–Kṣatra Concord

Aila–Kaśyapa Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

ऐल उवाच यदा हि ब्रह्म प्रजहाति क्षत्रं क्षत्रं यदा वा प्रजहाति ब्रह्म । अन्वग्बलं कतमे5स्मिन्‌ भजन्ते तथा वर्णा: कतमे5स्मिन्‌ प्रियन्ते

Transliteration

aila uvāca | yadā hi brahma prajahāti kṣatraṁ kṣatraṁ yadā vā prajahāti brahma | anvag-balaṁ katame 'smin bhajante tathā varṇāḥ katame 'smin priyante ||

Translation

ไอละกล่าวว่า “เมื่ออำนาจพราหมณ์ (พรหมะ) ละทิ้งอำนาจกษัตริย์ (กษัตร) หรือเมื่ออำนาจกษัตริย์ละทิ้งอำนาจพราหมณ์แล้ว อำนาจอันชอบธรรมและสิทธิ์ในการปกครองจะตั้งอยู่ในผู้ใด? และในกาลเช่นนั้น วรรณะใดจะเข้าข้างเขา วรรณะใดจะรักใคร่และภักดีต่อเขา?”

Word by Word

ऐलःAila (king Aila/Purūravas)

उवाचsaid

यदाwhen

हिindeed

ब्रह्मBrahmanhood; the Brahmin order

प्रजहातिabandons, gives up

क्षत्रम्kṣatra; the Kshatriya power/order

यदाwhen

वाor

प्रजहातिabandons, gives up

ब्रह्मBrahmanhood; the Brahmin order

अन्वक्afterwards; following

बलम्strength, power

कतमेwhich (ones) among (them)?

अस्मिन्in this (situation/among these)

भजन्तेpartake of; resort to; share

तथाso; likewise

वर्णाःthe social classes (varṇas)

कतमेwhich (ones) among (them)?

अस्मिन्in this (situation/among these)

प्रियन्तेare pleased; rejoice

Speaker

ऐल उवाच

Characters & Entities

ऐ

ऐल (Aila)

ब

ब्रह्म (Brahmin order/authority)

क

क्षत्र (Kshatriya order/authority)

व

वर्णाः (the varṇas)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse probes the ethical foundation of political and social authority: when priestly (brahma) and royal (kṣatra) powers separate or reject each other, legitimacy becomes unstable, and society’s allegiance (varṇas ‘siding with’ and ‘becoming loyal’) shifts toward whichever principle/person can sustain order and recognized strength.

What is happening in the narrative?

Aila raises a pointed question within a discourse on dharma and governance: he asks who truly holds effective power and social support when the traditional alliance between Brahmin authority and Kshatriya rule breaks down.