Shloka 373
Agni’s Withdrawal to the Forest and Identification with Āṅgirasa (अग्न्याङ्गिरस-इतिहासः)
स्वाध्यायवानमन्तो वै त॑ देवा ब्राह्मणं विदु: । जो द्विजश्रेष्ठ ब्रह्मचर्यका पालन करे, उदार बने, वेदोंका अध्ययन करे और सतत सावधान रहकर स्वाध्यायमें ही लगा रहे, उसे देवतालोग ब्राह्मण मानते हैं
svādhyāyavān amanto vai taṃ devā brāhmaṇaṃ viduḥ | yo dvijaśreṣṭha brahmacaryakā pālana kare, udāra bane, vedāṃś ca adhyayane kare, satataṃ sāvadhānaḥ san svādhyāye eva lagnaḥ tiṣṭhet, taṃ devatālokā brāhmaṇaṃ manyante |
Brahmin itu berkata: “Para dewa mengiktiraf sebagai Brahmin sejati orang yang tekun dalam svādhyāya dan bacaan berdisiplin. Dia yang, sebagai terbaik antara yang ‘dua kali lahir’, memelihara brahmacarya, berkelakuan mulia dan pemurah, mempelajari Veda, serta sentiasa berjaga-jaga—teguh terikat pada svādhyāya—dialah yang dipandang para makhluk ilahi sebagai Brahmin.”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
True Brahminhood is validated by disciplined conduct—especially brahmacarya, generosity of character, and continual svādhyāya (Vedic study/recitation)—rather than by mere social label; the gods are presented as the ultimate recognizers of this ethical standard.
A Brahmin speaker is defining the marks of an authentic Brahmin within a didactic passage, emphasizing vigilance, restraint, and sustained Vedic learning as the criteria by which even the gods acknowledge someone as a Brahmin.