Shloka 51
धर्मनिन्दा–धर्मोपासनाफलम् तथा साध्वाचारलक्षणम्
Fruits of Disparaging vs. Observing Dharma; Marks of Good Conduct
सर्वो<यं ब्राह्मणो लोके वृत्तेन तु विधीयते । वृत्ते स्थितस्तु शूद्रो5पि ब्राह्मणत्वं नियच्छति
sarvo ’yaṃ brāhmaṇo loke vṛttena tu vidhīyate | vṛtte sthitas tu śūdro ’pi brāhmaṇatvaṃ niyacchati ||
Dijo Śrī Maheśvara: «En este mundo, la posición de la comunidad de los brahmanes se sostiene únicamente por la conducta (vṛtta). Incluso un śūdra, si permanece firmemente establecido en la recta conducta, puede alcanzar el estado de brahmán».
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Social and spiritual worth is grounded in vṛtta—ethical conduct and disciplined living—rather than merely in birth-status. Right conduct sustains the dignity of the Brahmin ideal, and the same conduct can elevate anyone who embodies it.
Śrī Maheśvara delivers a didactic statement within Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused discourse, emphasizing that moral behavior is the true criterion for recognized excellence and religious status.