Shloka 14
न क़ुद्धयेन्न प्रह्ष्येच्च मानितो$मानितश्न यः । सर्वभूतेष्वभयदस्तं देवा ब्राह्मणं विदु:,जो सम्मान प्राप्त होनेपर हर्षित, अपमानित होनेपर कुपित नहीं होता तथा जिसने सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंको अभय दान कर दिया है, उसे ही देवता लोग ब्रह्मज्ञानी मानते हैं
na kuddhyen na prahṛṣyec ca mānito 'mānitaś ca yaḥ | sarvabhūteṣv abhayadas taṃ devā brāhmaṇaṃ viduḥ ||
Vyāsa said: One who neither grows angry nor exults—whether honored or dishonored—and who grants fearlessness to all beings, him the gods recognize as a true brāhmaṇa, a knower of Brahman.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
A spiritually mature person remains even-minded in both praise and insult, and embodies non-harm by making all beings feel safe; such fearlessness and equanimity are presented as the hallmark of a true brāhmaṇa (Brahman-knower).
In the didactic setting of Śānti Parva, Vyāsa states a criterion for genuine spiritual stature: not social status or ritual alone, but inner steadiness and universal benevolence recognized even by the gods.