Shloka 58

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण्यं देवि सम्प्राप्य रक्षितव्यं यतात्मना । योनिप्रतिग्रहादानै: कर्मभिश्न शुचिस्मिते,देवि! शुचिस्मिते! मनुष्यको चाहिये कि वह ब्राह्मणत्वको पाकर मन और इन्द्रियोंको संयममें रखते हुए योनि, प्रतिग्रह और दानकी शुद्धि एवं सत्कर्मोंद्वारा उसकी रक्षा करे

Transliteration

brāhmaṇyaṁ devi samprāpya rakṣitavyaṁ yatātmanā | yonipratigrahadānaiḥ karmabhiś ca śucismite ||

Translation

Maheshvara bersabda: “Wahai Dewi, yang ber senyum suci, setelah seseorang mencapai martabat Brahminhood, ia wajib memeliharanya dengan penguasaan diri. Dengan minda dan pancaindera yang terkawal, hendaklah ia menjaga martabat itu melalui kesucian kelahiran dan tingkah laku, kesucian dalam menerima pemberian, kesucian dalam memberi derma, serta melalui perbuatan yang benar.”

Word by Word

ब्राह्मण्यम्Brahminhood, the state of being a Brahmin

देविO goddess / O lady

सम्प्राप्यhaving attained, having obtained

रक्षितव्यम्must be protected/guarded

यतात्मनाby one whose self is restrained; with self-control

योनिप्रतिग्रहादानैःby (means of) womb/lineage, acceptance (of gifts), and taking/receiving

कर्मभिःby deeds, by actions

नnot

शुचिस्मितेO pure-smiling one

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śrī Maheśvara (Śiva)

Devī (Umā/Pārvatī)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Brahminhood is not merely a label but a discipline that must be preserved through self-restraint and ethical purity—especially in matters of personal conduct, accepting gifts, giving charity, and performing righteous deeds.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva’s instructional discourse, Maheśvara addresses Devī and lays down a norm of conduct: having attained Brahmin status, one must protect it through controlled senses and through purity in key social-religious transactions such as receiving and giving.