Sāma (Sāntva) and Dāna: The Brāhmaṇa’s Conciliatory Release from a Rākṣasa
तप: श्रुतं च योनिश्चाप्येतद् ब्राह्मण्यकारणम् | त्रिभिर्गुणै: समुदितस्ततो भवति वै द्विज:
tapaḥ śrutaṃ ca yoniś cāpy etad brāhmaṇya-kāraṇam | tribhir guṇaiḥ samuditas tato bhavati vai dvijaḥ ||
قال مايتريا: «التقشّف (التَّبَس)، والعلم الموروث المقدّس (شروتي)، والولادة في سلالة براهمنية طاهرة—هذه هي أسباب البراهمنية. فمن اجتمعت فيه هذه الخصال الثلاث فهو حقًّا دْوِجَ (ذو الميلادين).»
मैत्रेय उवाच
Brahminhood is grounded in a triad: disciplined austerity (tapas), scriptural learning (śruta), and proper lineage/birth (yoni). A person who embodies all three is affirmed as a true dvija.
In a didactic passage of the Anuśāsana Parva, the sage Maitreya states criteria for Brahmin identity, emphasizing ethical discipline and learning alongside birth, as part of broader instruction on dharma and social-religious duties.