Shloka 2
Adhyāya 214: Tapas Redefined—Perpetual Discipline, Hospitality, and the Ethics of Eating (तपः-निरूपणम्, विघसाशी-अतिथिप्रिय-धर्मः)
सर्वेषामेव भूतानां पुरुष: श्रेष्ठ उच्यते । पुरुषेभ्यो द्विजानाहुर्द्धिजेभ्यो मन्त्रदर्शिन:
sarveṣām eva bhūtānāṃ puruṣaḥ śreṣṭha ucyate | puruṣebhyo dvijān āhur dvijebhyo mantradarśinaḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: Among all living beings, the human being is declared the foremost. Among humans, the twice-born are said to be superior; and among the twice-born, those who are seers of mantra—Brahmins learned in the Veda—are regarded as the highest.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a graded notion of excellence: humans are foremost among beings due to moral and spiritual agency; within humans, the twice-born are esteemed for disciplined life and study; and highest among them are those with realized knowledge of Vedic mantras, seen as most capable of preserving and teaching dharma.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Bhīṣma is advising Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he states a traditional hierarchy of beings and social-spiritual roles to emphasize the authority and responsibility of Veda-knowers in guiding righteous conduct.