Shloka 20
अविद्वान ब्राह्माणो देव: पात्र वै पावनं महत् । विद्वान् भूयस्तरो देव: पूर्णमसागरसंनिभ:
avidvān brāhmaṇo devaḥ pātraṃ vai pāvanaṃ mahat | vidvān bhūyastaro devaḥ pūrṇam asāgara-saṃnibhaḥ ||
Disse Bhishma: Mesmo um brâmane sem instrução é considerado um ser divino e um grande receptáculo purificador, digno de reverência. Quanto mais, então, deve ser honrado o brâmane erudito—ele é como uma divindade maior, comparável a um oceano pleno e poderoso, rico em virtudes.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches a hierarchy of reverence grounded in dharma: the Brahmin, by role and sanctifying function, is treated as a purifying and god-like recipient even if unlearned; learning and wisdom elevate that status further, making the learned Brahmin supremely worthy—vast and complete in virtues like a full ocean.
In Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma continues advising on proper honor and valuation of persons. Here he emphasizes the sanctity and social-religious worth of Brahmins, contrasting the unlearned with the learned to underscore how knowledge magnifies merit and reverence.