Shloka 13
पात्रलक्षण-परिक्षा (Pātra-Lakṣaṇa Parīkṣā) — Criteria for a Worthy Recipient
आगतानागते चोभे ब्राह्मणो द्विपदं वर: । ब्राह्मणो भरतश्रेष्ठ स्वरधर्म चैव वेद यः:
āgatānāgate cobhe brāhmaṇo dvipadaṃ varaḥ | brāhmaṇo bharataśreṣṭha svadharmaṃ caiva veda yaḥ ||
قال بيشما: «البراهمن هو الأوّل بين ذوات القدمين، لأنه يعرف ما مضى وما لم يأتِ بعد. يا خيرَ آلِ بهārata، إنما يكون براهمنًا حقًّا من فهم دَرمَه (dharma) وعاش على وفقه».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse defines true Brāhmaṇa-hood not merely by birth but by knowledge and lived adherence to svadharma: the highest human is the one who understands dharma and practices it.
In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and social-ethical ideals; here he praises the Brāhmaṇa as foremost among humans and frames the criterion as knowing and following one’s proper duty.