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 ||
毗湿摩说道：“你们若受人敬奉，刹帝利便因这敬奉而得净化，获得爱戴与富贵；吠舍、首陀罗及其余众类亦复如是，今世与后世皆得欢悦与资财。凡与汝等为敌者，因失汝等护佑，终至覆亡。诸世界由汝等威光所支撑；故当护持三界。” “无罪者啊，我已向你叙述了梵天（Brahmā）所歌之偈。那大智的造物主（Dhātā）出于对婆罗门的悲悯而宣说此言，哦，无瑕的由提施提罗。”
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.