Shloka 22
पात्रलक्षण-परिक्षा (Pātra-Lakṣaṇa Parīkṣā) — Criteria for a Worthy Recipient
पृथिव्युवाच ब्राह्मणानेव सेवेत पवित्र होतदुत्तमम् । ब्राह्मणान् सेवमानस्य रज: सर्व प्रणश्यति । अतो भूतिरत: कीर्तिरितो बुद्धि: प्रजायते
pṛthivy uvāca brāhmaṇān eva seveta pavitraṃ hy etad uttamam | brāhmaṇān sevamānasya rajaḥ sarvaṃ praṇaśyati | ato bhūtir ataḥ kīrtir ito buddhiḥ prajāyate ||
Bumi berkata: “Wahai Bhagavan, hendaknya seseorang melayani para brāhmaṇa saja; inilah jalan yang paling suci dan paling utama. Bagi orang yang melayani para brāhmaṇa, seluruh rajas (gejolak nafsu) lenyap. Dari sini timbul kemakmuran; dari sini lahir kemasyhuran; dan dari sini terbit budi yang luhur.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that honoring and serving Brahmins—understood as representatives of learning, restraint, and dharma—is a supremely purifying act. Such service is said to reduce rajas (restless, desire-driven tendencies) and to yield three fruits: prosperity (bhūti), good fame (kīrti), and refined discernment (buddhi).
In Anuśāsana Parva’s didactic setting, a voice identified with the Earth (Pṛthivī) articulates a moral instruction: the recommended practice for a person seeking purity and uplift is service to Brahmins, presented as a cause of inner purification and outward success.