Mahabharata — Udyoga Parva, Shloka 2
Drupada’s Instruction to the Purohita for the Kaurava Embassy (द्रुपदोपदेशः दूतप्रेषणम्)
द्विजेषु वैद्या: श्रेयांसो वैद्येषु कृतबुद्धयः । कृतबुद्धिषु कर्तार: कर्तषु ब्रह्मवादिन: २ ।।
dvijeṣu vaidyāḥ śreyāṃso vaidyeṣu kṛtabuddhayaḥ | kṛtabuddhiṣu kartāraḥ kartṛṣu brahmavādinaḥ || 2 ||
Drupada énonce une hiérarchie d’excellence : «Parmi les deux-fois-nés, les véritables savants sont supérieurs ; parmi les savants, ceux dont l’intelligence est fermement établie dans la doctrine juste sont supérieurs ; parmi ceux dont l’intelligence est établie, ceux qui agissent conformément à elle sont supérieurs ; et parmi ces hommes d’action, les connaisseurs et exposants de Brahman sont les plus élevés.»
दुपद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Excellence is graded from birth-status to learning, from learning to settled discernment, from discernment to consistent action, and finally to realization/teaching of Brahman—implying that lived dharma and spiritual insight surpass mere scholarship or social identity.
In Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Drupada speaks in a reflective, evaluative tone, emphasizing what kinds of people are truly ‘श्रेष्ठ’ (superior), thereby framing counsel and decision-making around dharma, competence, and spiritual maturity rather than rank alone.