Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 14

ब्राह्मण–क्षत्रिय-श्रेष्ठता-विवादः

Arjuna–Vāyu Dialogue on Brāhmaṇa and Kṣatriya Precedence

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण: क्षत्रियो वैश्य: शूद्रो वा यद्युपोषित:

Transliteration

brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyo vaiśyaḥ śūdro vā yadyupoṣitaḥ

Translation

勒努迦说道：“无论是婆罗门、刹帝利、吠舍，或首陀罗——只要已依戒律克制而行斋戒（禁食）——下述法则一体适用，不以出身为别。”

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्षत्रियः: a Kshatriya
• क्षत्रियः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वैश्यः: a Vaishya
• वैश्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• उपोषितः: having fasted; one who has observed a fast
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपोषित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

रेणुक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Renukā
• brāhmaṇa
• kṣatriya
• vaiśya
• śūdra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a dharma-rule as applicable across the four varṇas: ethical or ritual discipline (here, fasting) is not restricted to a single social group; the relevant obligation or result follows from the act of observance itself.

What is happening in the narrative?

Renukā begins a statement that addresses all four social orders and sets a condition—‘if one is fasting/has fasted’—as the basis for the instruction that follows in the surrounding verses.