Shloka 27
परिव्राजक-आचारः (Conduct of the Wandering Renunciant) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 269
एवमेव ब्रह्माचारी शुश्रूषुर्घोरनिश्वय: । एवं युक्तो ब्राह्मण: स्यादन्यो ब्राह्मणको भवेत्
evam eva brahmacārī śuśrūṣur ghoraniścayaḥ | evaṁ yukto brāhmaṇaḥ syād anyo brāhmaṇako bhavet ||
De même, seul le brahmacārin voué au service du maître, ferme dans une résolution austère et discipliné dans le yoga, devient un véritable brāhmaṇa. Celui qui ne l’est pas doit être tenu pour un brāhmaṇa inférieur—ou brāhmaṇa de nom seulement.
कपिल उवाच
Educational Q&A
Kapila defines brāhmaṇa-hood by conduct and inner discipline: devoted service to the guru, unwavering resolve, and yogic self-control make one a true brāhmaṇa; without these, one is only a brāhmaṇa by label or of a lower grade.
In Kapila’s instruction within the Śānti Parva, he is laying down a normative standard for spiritual and ethical excellence, contrasting the disciplined brahmacārin who embodies brahmanical virtues with those who claim the status without the requisite practice.