Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 9
भवद्धिः सदृशा: सर्वे कपा: किमिह वर्तते । सर्वे वेदविद: प्राज्ञा: सर्वे च क्रतुयाजिन:
bhavadbhiḥ sadṛśāḥ sarve kapāḥ kim iha vartate | sarve vedavidaḥ prājñāḥ sarve ca kratuyājinaḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：“（使者说道：）‘婆罗门啊！这些迦婆在德行与身价上皆可与你们比肩。那么，为何此处竟起针对他们的争端？他们人人通晓吠陀，明达有智，且皆勤行祭祀之仪。’”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma frames an ethical challenge: if a group is truly virtuous—Veda-knowing, wise, and committed to sacrificial duty—then hostility toward them demands strong justification. The verse highlights that dharma is assessed by conduct and learning, not merely by labels or group identity.
Bhishma addresses his listener and questions why opposition is being directed at the Kapas. He argues that they possess the marks of righteous life—Vedic knowledge, wisdom, and performance of sacrifices—thereby casting doubt on the legitimacy of the conflict against them.