Shloka 1
Jāpakānāṃ Gatiḥ — The Destinies of Japa-Practitioners (Śānti Parva 12.190)
अपन बक। है २ >> एकोननवर्त्याधेकशततमो< ध्याय: चारों वर्णगोके अलग-अलग कर्मोका और सदाचारका वर्णन तथा वैराग्यसे परब्रह्म॒की प्राप्ति भरद्वाज उवाच ब्राह्मण: केन भवति क्षत्रियो वा द्विजोत्तम | वैश्य: शूद्रश्न विप्र्षे तद् ब्रूहि वदतां वर
Bharadvāja uvāca:
Brāhmaṇaḥ kena bhavati kṣatriyo vā dvijottama |
Vaiśyaḥ śūdraś ca viprarṣe tad brūhi vadatāṃ vara ||
قال بهارَدْفاجا: «يا خيرَ الثنائيّ الولادة، يا بَرَهْمَرِشي—الأسبقَ بين المتكلمين—أخبرني: بماذا يصير المرءُ برهمنًا أو كشترِيًّا؟ وبماذا يصير ويشيًا أو شودرًا؟ بيّن ذلك لي.»
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharma-inquiry: varṇa identity is being examined in terms of its determining basis—what qualities, conduct, and actions make one a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, or śūdra—setting up an ethical discussion that emphasizes lived dharma over mere labels.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, the sage Bharadvāja respectfully questions a senior brāhmaṇa-seer, asking for a clear criterion by which people are classified into the four varṇas, initiating a discourse on duties, right conduct, and the path that culminates in higher realization.