Shloka 3
Brāhmaṇa-bheda-nirṇaya and Rājā’s Regulatory Duties (ब्राह्मणभेदनिर्णयः)
ऋग्यजु:सामसम्पन्ना: स्वेषु कर्मस्ववस्थिता: । एते देवसमा राजन ब्राह्मणानां भवन्त्युत
ṛgyajuḥsāmasampannāḥ sveṣu karmasv avasthitāḥ | ete devasamā rājan brāhmaṇānāṃ bhavanty uta ||
Bhishma said: “O king, those Brahmins who are endowed with the learning of the Ṛg, Yajus, and Sāma Vedas, and who remain firmly established in their own prescribed duties, are regarded as equal to the gods among Brahmins.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vedic learning gains its highest value when joined with steadfast adherence to one’s prescribed duties; such Brahmins are honored as ‘godlike’ within their community.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma addresses the king (Yudhiṣṭhira), describing the qualities that make certain Brahmins exemplary—mastery of the three Vedas and commitment to their proper conduct and rites.