Shloka 2
Umā–Maheśvara-saṃvāda: Varṇa-bhraṃśa, Ācāra (Vṛtta), and Karmic Ascent/Decline
विष्णुरुवाच ब्राह्मणानां परीवादो मम विद्वेषणं महत् । ब्राह्मणै: पूजितैर्नित्यं पूजितो5हं न संशय:
viṣṇur uvāca—brāhmaṇānāṃ parīvādo mama vidveṣaṇaṃ mahat | brāhmaṇaiḥ pūjitair nityaṃ pūjito ’haṃ na saṃśayaḥ ||
Viṣṇu bersabda: “Wahai Indra! Mencela para brāhmaṇa pada hakikatnya sama dengan memendam kebencian besar terhadap-Ku. Dan bila para brāhmaṇa senantiasa dihormati, Aku pun turut dihormati—tanpa keraguan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that ethical speech and reverence toward brāhmaṇas are integral to dharma: slandering them is treated as hostility toward Viṣṇu himself, while honoring them is counted as honoring Viṣṇu.
Within Bhīṣma’s discourse, a citation is given in which Viṣṇu states a principle to Indra: the social-religious order is upheld by respecting brāhmaṇas, and such respect is directly linked to devotion to Viṣṇu.