Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 26
Pūjya-namaskārya-prakaraṇa
On Those Worthy of Honor and Salutation
एवमेतत् परं स्थान ब्राह्म॒ण्यं नाम भारत । तच्च दुष्प्रापमिह वै महेन्द्रवचनं यथा
evam etat paraṁ sthānaṁ brāhmaṇyaṁ nāma bhārata | tac ca duṣprāpam iha vai mahendravacanaṁ yathā ||
ਹੇ ਭਾਰਤ! ਐਸਾ ਹੀ ਹੈ—‘ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣ੍ਯ’ ਨਾਮ ਦੀ ਅਵਸਥਾ ਪਰਮ ਉੱਚਾ ਸਥਾਨ ਹੈ; ਅਤੇ ਮਹੇਂਦਰ ਦੇ ਬਚਨ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ, ਇਸੇ ਜੀਵਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੋਰ ਵਰਣਾਂ ਲਈ ਇਸ ਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਕਰਨਾ ਨਿਸ਼ਚਿਤ ਹੀ ਦੁਲਭ ਹੈ।
शक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates brāhmaṇya as the highest ethical-spiritual station, implying it is defined by demanding virtues (such as truth, restraint, learning, and purity of conduct) and is therefore difficult for others to attain within a single lifetime.
Indra (Śakra/Mahendra) is speaking to a person addressed as “Bhārata,” affirming a prior point: that brāhmaṇya is the supreme status and that achieving it is rare and difficult for those outside that ideal or social order.