Shloka 18
Jāpakānāṃ Gatiḥ — The Destinies of Japa-Practitioners (Śānti Parva 12.190)
शौचेन सतत युक्त: सदाचारसमन्वित: । सानुक्रोशश्व भूतेषु तद् द्विजातिषु लक्षणम्,सर्वदा शौच और सदाचारका पालन करे और समस्त प्राणियोंपर दयाभाव बनाये रकक््खे; यह ब्राह्मणका प्रधान लक्षण है
śaucena satata-yuktaḥ sadācāra-samanvitaḥ | sānukrośaś ca bhūteṣu tad dvijātiṣu lakṣaṇam ||
Bharadvāja berkata: Hendaklah seseorang sentiasa berpegang pada kesucian dan dihiasi dengan kelakuan yang baik, serta memelihara belas kasihan terhadap semua makhluk hidup—itulah tanda yang menentukan bagi golongan dua-kali-lahir (dvija), khususnya brāhmaṇa, sebagai ukuran dharma dan kehidupan beretika.
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse defines the hallmark of the dvija—especially the brāhmaṇa—as constant commitment to purity (śauca), steadfast good conduct (sadācāra), and compassion toward all beings; ethical character, not mere birth, is foregrounded as the true sign.
In Śānti Parva’s dharma-discourse setting, Bharadvāja states a normative criterion for the twice-born: continual purity, disciplined conduct, and universal compassion, presenting these as the recognized ‘lakṣaṇa’ (defining mark) of the class.