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 |
Disse o brâmane: “Os deuses reconhecem como verdadeiro brâmane o homem devotado ao svādhyāya, ao autoestudo e à recitação disciplinada. Aquele que, como o melhor entre os ‘duas-vezes-nascidos’, preserva o brahmacarya, torna-se generoso na conduta, estuda os Vedas e permanece constantemente vigilante, firme no svādhyāya — a esse os seres divinos consideram brâmane.”
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.