Shloka 2
Adhyāya 214: Tapas Redefined—Perpetual Discipline, Hospitality, and the Ethics of Eating (तपः-निरूपणम्, विघसाशी-अतिथिप्रिय-धर्मः)
सर्वेषामेव भूतानां पुरुष: श्रेष्ठ उच्यते । पुरुषेभ्यो द्विजानाहुर्द्धिजेभ्यो मन्त्रदर्शिन:,समस्त प्राणियोंमें मनुष्य श्रेष्ठ कहलाता है। मनुष्योंमें द्विजोंको और द्विजोंमें भी मन्त्रद्रष्टा (वेदज्ञ) ब्राह्मणोंको श्रेष्ठ बताया गया है
sarveṣām eva bhūtānāṃ puruṣaḥ śreṣṭha ucyate | puruṣebhyo dvijān āhur dvijebhyo mantradarśinaḥ ||
Bhīṣma disse: “Entre todos os seres, o ser humano é declarado o mais eminente. Entre os humanos, diz-se que os dvija, os ‘nascidos duas vezes’, são superiores; e entre os dvija, os videntes de mantra—brâmanes versados no Veda—são tidos como os mais elevados.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a graded notion of excellence: humans are foremost among beings due to moral and spiritual agency; within humans, the twice-born are esteemed for disciplined life and study; and highest among them are those with realized knowledge of Vedic mantras, seen as most capable of preserving and teaching dharma.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Bhīṣma is advising Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he states a traditional hierarchy of beings and social-spiritual roles to emphasize the authority and responsibility of Veda-knowers in guiding righteous conduct.