Shloka 1
मृत्योर्ब्रह्मणा नियोजनम् — The Commissioning of Mṛtyu by Brahmā
ऑपन--माज बछ। अकाल एकपज्चाशर्दाधिकद्विशततमो< ध्याय: ब्रह्मवेत्ता ब्राह्मणके लक्षण और परब्रह्माकी प्राप्तिका उपाय व्यास उवाच गन्धान् रसान् नानुरुन्ध्यात् सुखं वा नालंकारांश्षाप्तुयात् तस्य तस्य । मानं च कीर्ति च यशश्च नेच्छेत् स वै प्रचार: पश्यतो ब्राह्मणस्य
Vyāsa uvāca: gandhān rasān nānurundhyāt sukhaṁ vā nālaṅkārān prāptum icchet tasya tasya | mānaṁ ca kīrtiṁ ca yaśaś ca necchet sa vai prācāraḥ paśyato brāhmaṇasya ||
Vyāsa berkata: “Seorang pencari penglihatan sejati tidak seharusnya mengejar wangi dan rasa, dan tidak pula berlari mengejar kenikmatan yang lahir dari pemanjaan indra. Ia tidak menginginkan perhiasan dan kemewahan, dan tidak merindukan kehormatan, kemasyhuran, atau pujian orang banyak. Pengendalian diri seperti inilah laku yang patut bagi brāhmaṇa yang jernih penglihatannya.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
A seeker of brahma-knowledge should practice detachment: do not pursue sensory pleasures (smell, taste, indulgent happiness), do not crave adornments, and abandon the desire for honor, fame, and praise—this is the discipline of a truly discerning brāhmaṇa.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on the marks of a brahma-knower, Vyāsa lays down a rule of life: the wise brāhmaṇa is recognized not by display but by restraint—turning away from sense-objects and social validation.