Shloka 12
स्त्रीस्वभावप्रश्नः — Nārada and Pañcacūḍā on Strī-svabhāva
Anuśāsana-parva 38
(युष्मत्सम्माननात् प्रीतिं पावना: क्षत्रिया: श्रियम् । अमुत्रेह समायान्ति वैश्यशूद्रादिकास्तथा ।।
bhīṣma uvāca |
yuṣmat-sammānanāt prītiṁ pāvanāḥ kṣatriyāḥ śriyam |
amutreha samāyānti vaiśya-śūdrādikās tathā ||
arakṣitāś ca yuṣmābhir viruddhā yānti viplavam |
yuṣmat-tejodhṛtā lokās tad rakṣatha jagat-trayam ||
ity evaṁ brahma-gītās te samākhyātā mayānagha |
viprāṇām anukampārthaṁ tena prokte hi dhīmatā niṣpāpa yudhiṣṭhira ||
Wika ni Bhishma: “Sa paggalang ninyo sa kanila, ang mga Kṣatriya—na nalilinis sa gayong paggalang—ay nagkakamit ng pag-ibig at kasaganaan; gayundin ang mga Vaiśya, Śūdra, at iba pa, kapwa sa mundong ito at sa kabilang buhay. Ang mga sumasalungat sa inyo, sapagkat napapabayaan nang walang inyong pag-iingat, ay napapahamak. Sa ningning ng inyong kapangyarihan nakatindig ang mga daigdig; kaya’t pangalagaan ninyo ang tatlong daigdig.” “At sa gayon, o walang kasalanan, isinalaysay ko sa iyo ang mga taludtod na inawit ni Brahmā. Ipinahayag iyon ng marunong na Lumikha (Dhātā) dahil sa habag sa mga Brāhmaṇa, o Yudhiṣṭhira na walang dungis.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that rightful royal authority, sustained by tejas and expressed through protection, upholds both social and cosmic order. When rulers are honored and act as protectors, all classes flourish in this world and the next; hostility toward such protectors, or being outside their protection, leads to ruin. The passage frames this as a Brahmā-uttered maxim meant to safeguard dharma, especially with compassion toward Brāhmaṇas.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he quotes (and then identifies) a set of verses attributed to Brahmā, emphasizing the king’s role as protector of the three worlds and the consequences for those aligned with or opposed to that protective order.