Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 16
Sāma (Sāntva) and Dāna: The Brāhmaṇa’s Conciliatory Release from a Rākṣasa
ये योनिशुद्धा: सततं तपस्यभिरता भृशम् । दानाध्ययनसम्पन्नास्ते वै पूज्यतमा: सदा
ye yoniśuddhāḥ satataṃ tapasyabhiratā bhṛśam | dānādhyayanasampannās te vai pūjyatamāḥ sadā ||
Maitreya said: Those who are born in a pure lineage, who remain constantly and intensely devoted to austerity, and who are endowed with generosity and sacred learning—such Brāhmaṇas are always regarded as the most worthy of honor.
मैत्रेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
True venerability is grounded in sustained discipline (tapas), generosity (dāna), and sacred learning (adhyayana), with purity of birth presented as a supporting condition; honor is ethically tied to character and practice.
Maitreya is stating a normative criterion for who deserves the highest respect in society, identifying the Brahmin ideal as one who combines pure lineage with continuous austerity, charitable conduct, and scriptural study.