Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 2

मृत्योर्ब्रह्मणा नियोजनम् — The Commissioning of Mṛtyu by Brahmā

सर्वान्‌ वेदानधीयीत शुदश्रूषुर्ब्रह्मचर्यवान्‌ । ऋचो यजूंसि सामानि न तेन न स वै द्विज:,जो सम्पूर्ण वेदोंका अध्ययन कर ले, गुरुकी सेवामें रहे, ब्रह्मचर्य-व्रतका पालन करे तथा ऋग्वेद, यजुर्वेद एवं सामवेदका पूरा-पूरा ज्ञान प्राप्त कर ले, वही मुख्य ब्राह्मण है

sarvān vedān adhīyīta śuśrūṣur brahmacaryavān | ṛco yajūṃṣi sāmāni na tena na sa vai dvijaḥ ||

सर्वान् वेदानधीयीत शुश्रूषुर्ब्रह्मचर्यवान्। ऋचो यजूंसि सामानि—न तेन स वै द्विजः॥

सर्वान्all
सर्वान्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्व
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
वेदान्Vedas
वेदान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootवेद
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
अधीयीतshould study
अधीयीत:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootअधि-इ (अधी)
FormOptative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
शुश्रूषुःdesirous of service (obedient attendant)
शुश्रूषुः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootशुश्रूषु
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
ब्रह्मचर्यवान्possessed of brahmacarya (celibate/continent)
ब्रह्मचर्यवान्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootब्रह्मचर्यवत्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
ऋचःṚg-verses (Rigveda hymns)
ऋचः:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootऋच्
FormFeminine, Accusative, Plural
यजूंसिYajus-formulas (Yajurveda)
यजूंसि:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootयजुस्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Plural
सामानिSāman-chants (Samaveda)
सामानि:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootसामन्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Plural
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
तेनby that / thereby
तेन:
Karana
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
सःhe
सः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
वैindeed
वै:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै
द्विजःtwice-born (brahmin)
द्विजः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootद्विज
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular

व्यास उवाच

V
Vyāsa
V
Vedas
Ṛgveda
Y
Yajurveda
S
Sāmaveda
D
dvija (twice-born)

Educational Q&A

Textual mastery of the Vedas, service to the teacher, and strict student-discipline are valuable, but they are not sufficient by themselves to constitute true dvija-hood; the verse implies that inner virtue and lived dharma must complete learning.

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Vyāsa states a criterion about what does—and does not—make someone truly ‘twice-born,’ using Vedic study and brahmacarya as examples to show the limits of mere formal qualifications.