Shloka 1
Jāpakānāṃ Gatiḥ — The Destinies of Japa-Practitioners (Śānti Parva 12.190)
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Bharadvāja uvāca:
Brāhmaṇaḥ kena bhavati kṣatriyo vā dvijottama |
Vaiśyaḥ śūdraś ca viprarṣe tad brūhi vadatāṃ vara ||
ভৰদ্বাজে ক’লে—হে দ্বিজোত্তম! হে ব্ৰহ্মৰ্ষি, বক্তাসকলৰ মাজত শ্ৰেষ্ঠ! কিহে মানুহ ব্ৰাহ্মণ বা ক্ষত্ৰিয় হয়? আৰু হে বিপ্ৰৰ্ষি, কিহে বৈশ্য বা শূদ্ৰ হয়? সেয়া মোক কওক।
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.