आदिमध्यावसानानां ज्ञातारश्छिन्नसंशया: । परावरविशेषज्ञा गन्तार: परमां गतिम्,ब्राह्मण आदि, मध्य और अन्तके ज्ञाता, संशयरहित, भूत-भविष्यका विशेष ज्ञान रखनेवाले तथा परम गतिको जानने और पानेवाले हैं
ādimadhyāvasānānāṁ jñātāraś chinnasaṁśayāḥ | parāvaraviśeṣajñā gantāraḥ paramāṁ gatim ||
Bhishma dijo: «Los brahmanes son quienes conocen los comienzos, los medios y los fines (de las cosas); a quienes se les han cortado las dudas; quienes distinguen entre lo superior y lo inferior —entre lo supremo y lo mundano—; y quienes conocen —y alcanzan— la meta más alta».
भीष्म उवाच
True spiritual authority is defined by complete understanding (origin–process–end), freedom from doubt, and discriminative insight into the higher and lower; such persons both know and attain the supreme goal.
In Bhishma’s instruction within the Anushasana Parva, he characterizes the ideal Brahmana as a realized knower—one whose certainty and discernment qualify him to reach the highest state.