Shloka 6
Rājapurohita-lakṣaṇa and Purūravas–Vāyu Saṃvāda
Varṇa, Sovereignty, and Abhaya-dāna
ब्राह्मणो जायमानो हि पृथिव्यामनुजायते । ईश्वर: सर्वभूतानां धर्मकोशस्य गुप्तये,ब्राह्मण जन्मकालसे ही भूतलपर धर्मकोषकी रक्षाके लिये अन्य सब वर्णोका नियन्ता होता है
brāhmaṇo jāyamāno hi pṛthivyām anujāyate | īśvaraḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ dharmakośasya guptaye ||
Purūravas berkata: “Apabila seorang brāhmaṇa lahir di bumi, seolah-olah dia dilahirkan sekali lagi sebagai penjaga khazanah moral dunia. Dia ditetapkan untuk berdiri sebagai kuasa pengatur atas segala makhluk, demi melindungi dan memelihara gedung dharma.”
पुरूरवा उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents the brāhmaṇa’s ideal function as safeguarding and preserving dharma—conceived as a ‘treasury’—and exercising moral-regulative authority for the welfare of all beings, not for personal dominance.
Purūravas is speaking in a didactic context within Śānti Parva, articulating a normative view of social and ethical order: the brāhmaṇa, by birth and vocation, is portrayed as a protector of dharma and a stabilizing guide for society.