Shloka 10

च्यवन-कुशिक-संवादः

Cyavana–Kuśika Dialogue on Hospitality, Service, and Lineage Questions

Devanagari script

मागधो वामकइश्नैव द्वौ वैश्यस्योपलक्षितौ । ब्राह्माण्यां क्षत्रियायां च क्षत्रियस्यैक एव तु

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca |

māgadho vāmakaiś caiva dvau vaiśyasyopalakṣitau |

brāhmaṇyāṁ kṣatriyāyāṁ ca kṣatriyasyaika eva tu ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“由吠舍而生者，若在婆罗门女之胎中，则认作一类，名为摩伽陀；若在刹帝利女之胎中，则又为一类，名为婆摩迦（Vāmaka）。至于刹帝利，则只承认一种：由婆罗门女所生之子，名为苏多（Sūta）。这些皆计入‘阿帕萨达’（逆序，pratiloma）之生。噢，大王，此等分类在此法义论述中被视为既定，不可斥为虚妄。”

Word by Word

• मागधः: Magadha (a mixed-caste son/type)
• मागधः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मागध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वामकः: Vāmaka (a mixed-caste son/type)
• वामकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as it were/indeed (comparative particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• द्वौ: two
• द्वौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• वैश्यस्य: of a Vaiśya
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• उपलक्षितौ: are observed/recognized
• उपलक्षितौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपलक्षित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• ब्राह्माण्याम्: in/from a Brāhmaṇī (Brahmin woman)
• ब्राह्माण्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणी
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• क्षत्रियायाम्: in/from a Kṣatriyā (Kshatriya woman)
• क्षत्रियायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिया
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• क्षत्रियस्य: of a Kṣatriya
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• एकः: one
• एकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: only/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• तु: but/however
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Māgadha
• Vāmaka
• Sūta
• Vaishya
• Brahmin woman (Brāhmaṇī)
• Kshatriya woman (Kṣatriyā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents a normative dharma classification of certain ‘pratiloma’ (reverse-order) unions and the names assigned to their offspring, treating these categories as authoritative within the traditional social-ethical framework being taught by Bhishma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma is explaining to the king a set of traditional social categories: which mixed-lineage sons are said to arise from a Vaishya father with Brahmin/Kshatriya mothers (Māgadha, Vāmaka), and from a Kshatriya father with a Brahmin mother (Sūta).