Shloka 27
Āśrama-dharma: Duties of the Four Life-Stages (आश्रमधर्मः)
वैश्ये चेच्छति नान्येन रक्षितव्या: कथंचन । शूद्रस्यापि हि यो धर्मस्तं ते वक्ष्यामि भारत
vaiśye cecchati nānyena rakṣitavyāḥ kathaṃcana | śūdrasyāpi hi yo dharmas taṃ te vakṣyāmi bhārata ||
毗湿摩说道：“只要吠舍愿意承担牧养与护卫牛群之事，主人便不应以任何方式让他人代行。噢，婆罗多啊，我现在也将告诉你属于首陀罗（Śūdra）的法（dharma）。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma frames varṇa-based duty as a matter of respecting a person’s rightful work: if a Vaiśya is willing to perform cattle-tending/protection, the task should not be reassigned to others. He then transitions to explaining the Śūdra’s dharma, continuing his systematic account of social duties.
In Śānti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and governance after the war. Here he concludes a point about the Vaiśya’s role (especially cattle-related responsibility) and signals the next topic: the prescribed duties of the Śūdra.