Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 39
Cyavana’s Water-Vow and the Ethics of Cohabitation (स्नेह-सम्वास-धर्मः)
यथा न सदृशी जात_ु ब्राह्म॒ण्या: क्षत्रिया भवेत्
yathā na sadṛśī jātu brāhmaṇyāḥ kṣatriyā bhavet
Wika ni Bhīṣma: “Gaya ng hindi kailanman tunay na magiging kapantay ng isang babaeng Brāhmaṇa ang isang babaeng Kṣatriya.” Sa aral na ito, binibigyang-diin ni Bhīṣma ang tradisyunal na hirarkiyang nakabatay sa dharma ng varṇa at ang magkakaibang mithiin na inaasahan sa iba’t ibang kaayusang panlipunan, na inihaharap bilang pamantayang etikal ng asal at katayuan, hindi bilang usaping pansariling kagustuhan.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a traditional dharma-based distinction between varṇas, stating that a Kṣatriya woman is not regarded as comparable to a Brāhmaṇa woman, reflecting the text’s normative view of social hierarchy and role-based ideals.
Bhīṣma is delivering didactic counsel in the Anuśāsana Parva, framing social and ethical norms; here he uses a general maxim about varṇa distinctions to support his broader instruction on dharma and proper conduct.