Shloka 2

Devanagari script

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

Transliteration

sarveṣām eva bhūtānāṃ puruṣaḥ śreṣṭha ucyate | puruṣebhyo dvijān āhur dvijebhyo mantradarśinaḥ ||

Translation

ในหมู่สรรพสัตว์ทั้งปวง มนุษย์ถูกประกาศว่าเป็นผู้ประเสริฐ ในหมู่มนุษย์นั้น ทวิชะเป็นผู้สูงกว่า และในหมู่ทวิชะ ผู้เป็นมันทระทัรศิน คือพราหมณ์ผู้รู้พระเวท ย่อมได้รับการยกย่องว่าสูงสุด

Word by Word

सर्वेषाम्of all

एवindeed/only

भूतानाम्of beings/creatures

पुरुषःman/human

श्रेष्ठःbest/superior

उच्यतेis said/is called

पुरुषेभ्यःthan/from men

द्विजान्the twice-born (dvijas)

आहुःthey say/call

द्विजेभ्यःthan/from dvijas

मन्त्रदर्शिनःseers/knowers of mantras

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

puruṣa (human beings)

dvija (twice-born)

mantradarśin (Veda-knowing Brahmins)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.