Jāpakānāṃ Gatiḥ — The Destinies of Japa-Practitioners (Śānti Parva 12.190)
शौचाचारस्थित: सम्यग्विघसाशी गुरुप्रिय: । नित्यव्रती सत्यपर: स वै ब्राह्मण उच्यते
bharadvāja uvāca | śaucācārasthitaḥ samyag vighasāśī gurupriyaḥ | nityavratī satyaparaḥ sa vai brāhmaṇa ucyate ||
ພະພຣຶກຸ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ຜູ້ທີ່ຕັ້ງມັ່ນໃນຄວາມສະອາດແລະຈັນຍາບັນອັນຖືກຕ້ອງ, ຜູ້ກິນແຕ່ອາຫານທີ່ເຫຼືອຈາກການບູຊາ, ຜູ້ຮັກແລະເຄົາລົບຄູອາຈານ, ຜູ້ຮັກສາວຣະຕະເປັນນິດ, ແລະຜູ້ມຸ່ງໝັ້ນໃນຄວາມຈິງ—ຜູ້ນັ້ນແທ້ໆແລ້ວເອີ້ນວ່າ ພຣາຫມະນະ.»
भरद्वाज उवाच
The verse teaches that true brāhmaṇa status is grounded in character: purity and good conduct, disciplined vows, devotion to one’s teacher, restraint in food (eating sanctified remnants), and unwavering commitment to truth.
In a didactic exchange within Śānti Parva, Bharadvāja states a normative definition of who deserves to be called a brāhmaṇa, emphasizing ethical and ritual discipline as the criteria.