Shloka 22
Atithi’s Direction to the Nāga-sage Padma at Naimiṣa (अतिथ्युपदेशः—नैमिषे पद्मनागोपाख्यानप्रस्तावः)
इत्थं च सुरासुरविशिष्टा ब्राह्मणा य एव मया ब्रह्मभूतेन पुरा स्वयमेवोत्पादिता: सुरासुरमहर्षयो भूतविशेषा: स्थापिता निगृहीताश्च
itthaṃ ca surāsuraviśiṣṭā brāhmaṇā ya eva mayā brahmabhūtena purā svayam evotpāditāḥ; surāsuramahārṣayo bhūtaviśeṣāḥ sthāpitā nigṛhītāś ca.
Ainsi dit-on que les Brāhmaṇa sont supérieurs même aux dieux et aux asura. Jadis, moi-même—ayant assumé l’état de Brahmā—j’ai fait naître ces Brāhmaṇa. Les divers ordres d’êtres—dieux, asura et grands sages—furent établis dans leurs domaines propres par les Brāhmaṇa, et lorsqu’ils transgressaient, ils étaient aussi contenus et châtiés par eux.
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts that dharma-grounded spiritual authority (embodied by Brāhmaṇas) is presented as the foundation of cosmic and social order: it can establish rightful jurisdictions and also restrain even powerful beings when they violate norms.
The speaker describes an ancient, cosmological account: having become Brahmā, he claims to have produced the Brāhmaṇas, who then installed devas, asuras, and great seers into their proper roles and disciplined them when they committed offenses.