Shloka 35
जब बालकका जन्म होता है, तब नालच्छेदनके पूर्व उसका जातकर्म-संस्कार किया जाता है। उसमें उसकी माता सावित्री कहलाती है और पिता आचार्य ।। तावच्छूद्रसमो होष यावद् वेदे न जायते । तस्मिन्नेवं मतिद्वैथे मनु: स्वायम्भुवोडब्रवीत्
tāvac chūdra-samo hoṣi yāvad vede na jāyate | tasminn evaṃ mati-dvaidhe manuḥ svāyambhuvo 'bravīt ||
Selama seseorang belum ‘lahir ke dalam Weda’—yakni belum menerima inisiasi untuk mempelajari Weda—ia dipandang setara dengan seorang Śūdra. Ketika timbul keraguan pemahaman mengenai hal ini, Manu Svāyambhuva menyatakan ketentuannya.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that social and ritual eligibility is tied to saṃskāra and Vedic initiation—being ‘born into the Veda’—rather than merely physical birth; without that formative discipline, one is treated as not yet qualified for Vedic rites.
Yudhiṣṭhira cites an authoritative dharma statement attributed to Manu Svāyambhuva to resolve a doubt about status and qualification, framing the discussion around initiation and Vedic study as the decisive criterion.