Shloka 16
ब्राह्मणो हि परं तेजो ब्राह्मणो हि परं तपः । ब्राह्मणानां नमस्कारै: सूर्यो दिवि विराजते,क्योंकि ब्राह्मण ही उत्कृष्ट तेज है, ब्राह्मण ही परम तप है, ब्राह्मणोंके नमस्कारसे ही सूर्यदेव आकाशमें प्रकाशित हो रहे हैं
brāhmaṇo hi paraṃ tejo brāhmaṇo hi paraṃ tapaḥ | brāhmaṇānāṃ namaskāraiḥ sūryo divi virājate ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “The brāhmaṇa is indeed the highest radiance; the brāhmaṇa is indeed the supreme austerity. By the reverent salutations offered to brāhmaṇas, the Sun himself shines resplendent in the heavens.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that spiritual radiance (tejas) and true austerity (tapas) are embodied in the ideal brāhmaṇa, and that honoring such dharmic exemplars is not merely social courtesy but a force that upholds cosmic harmony—symbolized by the Sun’s splendor.
Vaiśaṃpāyana, as narrator, states a general dharmic maxim praising the brāhmaṇa’s role and the merit of offering respectful salutations to brāhmaṇas; it functions as ethical instruction within the ongoing discourse of the Vana Parva.