Yudhishthira said If when robbers become powerful and an intermixture of the orders beings to take place on account of anarchy, and Kshatriyas become incapable, some powerful person except a Kshatriya seeks to put down those robbers for protecting the people, indeed, O best of kings, if that powerful person happens to be a Brahmana or a Vaishya or a Shudra, and if he succeeds in protecting the people by fairly holding the rod of punishment, is he justified in doing what he does, or is he restrained by the ordinances from accomplishing that duty? It seems that others, when the Kshatriyas are so incompetent, should take up arms.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच अभ्युस्थिते दस्युबले क्षत्रार्थे वर्णसंकरे। सम्प्रमूढेषु वर्णेषु यद्यन्योऽभिभवेद् बली॥ ब्राह्मणो यदि वा वैश्यः शूद्रो वा राजसत्तम। दस्युभ्योऽथ प्रजा रक्षेद् दण्डं धर्मेण धारयन्॥ कार्यं कुर्यान्न वा कुर्यात् संवार्यो वा भवेन्न वा। तस्माच्छस्त्रं ग्रहीतव्यमन्यत्र क्षत्रबन्धुतः॥