Shloka 20
अविद्वान ब्राह्माणो देव: पात्र वै पावनं महत् । विद्वान् भूयस्तरो देव: पूर्णमसागरसंनिभ:
avidvān brāhmaṇo devaḥ pātraṃ vai pāvanaṃ mahat | vidvān bhūyastaro devaḥ pūrṇam asāgara-saṃnibhaḥ ||
Bhishma sprach: Selbst ein ungelehrter Brahmane gilt als göttliches Wesen und als ein großes, reinigendes Gefäß, das Verehrung verdient. Um wie viel mehr ist dann der gelehrte Brahmane zu ehren—er gleicht einer höheren Gottheit, einem mächtigen, bis zum Rand gefüllten Ozean, reich an Tugenden.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches a hierarchy of reverence grounded in dharma: the Brahmin, by role and sanctifying function, is treated as a purifying and god-like recipient even if unlearned; learning and wisdom elevate that status further, making the learned Brahmin supremely worthy—vast and complete in virtues like a full ocean.
In Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma continues advising on proper honor and valuation of persons. Here he emphasizes the sanctity and social-religious worth of Brahmins, contrasting the unlearned with the learned to underscore how knowledge magnifies merit and reverence.