Shloka 5
“धनंजय! सम्पूर्ण धर्मोंको जाननेवाले जो लोग ब्रह्मचर्य-आश्रममें स्थित हो ऋषियोंकी स्वाध्याय-परम्पराकी सदैव रक्षा करते हैं, देवता उन्हें ही ब्राह्मण मानते हैं ।। स्वाध्यायनिष्ठान् हि ऋषीन् ज्ञाननिष्ठांस्तथापरान् । बुद्धोथा: संततं चापि धर्मनिष्ठानू धनंजय,“अर्जुन! तुम्हें सदा यह समझना चाहिये कि ऋषियोंमेंसे कुछ लोग वेद-शास्त्रोंके स्वाध्यायमें ही तत्पर रहते हैं, कुछ ज्ञानोपार्जनमें संलग्न होते हैं और कुछ लोग धर्म-पालनमें ही निष्ठा रखते हैं
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: Dhanañjaya! sampūrṇa-dharmān jānanti ye janā brahmacaryāśrame sthitāḥ, ṛṣīṇāṃ svādhyāya-paramparāṃ sadā rakṣanti; devāḥ tān eva brāhmaṇān manyante. Svādhyāya-niṣṭhān hi ṛṣīn jñāna-niṣṭhāṃs tathāparān, buddho ’thaḥ santataṃ cāpi dharma-niṣṭhān, Dhanañjaya.
Vaiśampāyana said: “O Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), those who know dharma in its fullness, who abide in the discipline of brahmacarya, and who continually safeguard the sages’ lineage of Vedic study—these alone are regarded by the gods as true brāhmaṇas. Understand also, O Dhanañjaya, that among the ṛṣis some are steadfast in sacred recitation and study, some are devoted to the pursuit of knowledge, and others remain firmly established in the practice of dharma.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
True brāhmaṇa-hood is grounded in disciplined life (brahmacarya), preservation of the Vedic learning tradition (svādhyāya-paramparā), and steadfastness in one’s chosen spiritual orientation—study, knowledge, or dharmic conduct—rather than in mere social label.
Vaiśampāyana addresses Arjuna (Dhanañjaya) and classifies sages by their primary commitments—Vedic study, pursuit of knowledge, or practice of dharma—while affirming that the gods recognize as brāhmaṇas those who live with restraint and protect the lineage of sacred learning.