Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 28
वायोर्वा सदृशं किंचिद् ब्रूहि त्वं ब्राह्मणोत्तमम् । अपां वै सदृशं वद्लेः सूर्यस्य नभसो5पि वा,अथवा यदि कोई जल, अग्नि, सूर्य, वायु एवं आकाशके समान श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मण हो तो उसको भी बताइये
Arjuna uvāca | vāyor vā sadṛśaṃ kiñcid brūhi tvaṃ brāhmaṇottamam | apāṃ vai sadṛśaṃ vaktre sūryasya nabhaso 'pi vā | athavā yadi kaścid jalāgni-sūrya-vāyu-ākāśa-samo 'pi śreṣṭho brāhmaṇaḥ, tam api me vada ||
Wika ni Arjuna: “O pinakadakila sa mga Brahmin, sabihin mo sa akin ang isang taong kahawig ng hangin sa likas na ugali. O magsalita ka tungkol sa maihahambing sa tubig; o sa araw; o maging sa kalangitan. Tunay, kung may isang dakilang Brahmin na tulad ng tubig, apoy, araw, hangin, at espasyo sa kahusayan at pagkatao, ituro mo rin siya sa akin.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ethical excellence through natural metaphors: like wind (unattached and moving), water (purifying and sustaining), fire (austere and transformative), sun (illumining and life-giving), and space/sky (vast, impartial, accommodating). Arjuna seeks a concrete exemplar—an outstanding Brahmin whose character embodies these virtues—so that dharma can be understood not only as theory but as lived conduct.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused setting, Arjuna addresses a revered Brahmin teacher and asks him to identify persons comparable to elemental forces. The request signals Arjuna’s desire to learn by example—who, in human form, manifests the highest qualities associated with the elements.