Shloka 14
Adhyāya 55 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Hesitation and Bhīṣma’s Authorization of Inquiry
Rājadharma Prelude
भीष्म उवाच ब्राह्मणानां यथा धर्मो दानमध्ययनं तप: । क्षत्रियाणां तथा कृष्ण समरे देहपातनम्
bhīṣma uvāca | brāhmaṇānāṃ yathā dharmo dānam adhyayanaṃ tapaḥ | kṣatriyāṇāṃ tathā kṛṣṇa samare dehapātanam ||
毗湿摩说道：“噢，奎师那！正如婆罗门之法在于布施、研习圣智与修行苦行；同样，刹帝利之法便是在战场上击倒仇敌——于征战中使其身躯倒伏。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma defines varna-specific dharma: Brahmins uphold society through charity, study, and austerity, while Kshatriyas uphold it through martial responsibility—fighting and, when necessary, killing in battle as a prescribed duty rather than personal cruelty.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma addresses Krishna and articulates the contrast between Brahmin and Kshatriya obligations, emphasizing that battlefield violence, when aligned with duty, is integral to the Kshatriya role.