Shloka 11
Rājapurohita-lakṣaṇa and Purūravas–Vāyu Saṃvāda
Varṇa, Sovereignty, and Abhaya-dāna
स्वमेव ब्राह्म॒णो भुड्क्ते स्वं वस्ते स्वं ददाति च । गुरुहिं सर्ववर्णानां ज्येष्ठ: श्रेष्ठक्ष वै द्विज:
Aila uvāca:
svam eva brāhmaṇo bhuṅkte svaṃ vaste svaṃ dadāti ca |
guruḥ hiṃ sarvavarṇānāṃ jyeṣṭhaḥ śreṣṭhaś ca vai dvijaḥ ||
ব্রাহ্মণ নিজেরই অন্ন ভোগ করে, নিজেরই বস্ত্র পরিধান করে এবং নিজেরই দান করে। নিঃসন্দেহে দ্বিজ ব্রাহ্মণ সকল বর্ণের গুরু, জ্যেষ্ঠ ও শ্রেষ্ঠ।
ऐल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts an ideal of brāhmaṇa conduct and status: self-reliance and integrity in livelihood (eating, wearing, and giving from what is one’s own), alongside the traditional claim that the brāhmaṇa, as a dvija, functions as the guru—senior and foremost—among all varṇas.
In Śānti Parva’s didactic setting, Aila speaks in a discourse on dharma and social order, articulating a normative view of the brāhmaṇa’s role: living without dependence or improper appropriation, and serving as a guiding authority for the wider society.