Shloka 16

Sāma (Sāntva) and Dāna: The Brāhmaṇa’s Conciliatory Release from a Rākṣasa

Devanagari script

ये योनिशुद्धा: सततं तपस्यभिरता भृशम्‌ । दानाध्ययनसम्पन्नास्ते वै पूज्यतमा: सदा

Transliteration

ye yoniśuddhāḥ satataṃ tapasyabhiratā bhṛśam | dānādhyayanasampannās te vai pūjyatamāḥ sadā ||

Translation

Maitreya nói: Những Bà-la-môn sinh trong dòng dõi thanh tịnh, luôn bền bỉ và mãnh liệt chuyên tâm khổ hạnh, lại đầy đủ lòng bố thí và thánh học—những vị ấy luôn được xem là đáng tôn kính bậc nhất.

Word by Word

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• योनिशुद्धाः: pure by birth/lineage
• योनिशुद्धाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योनिशुद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सततम्: always, continually
• सततम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सततम्

• तपस्याभिरताः: engaged in austerity
• तपस्याभिरताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस्याभिरत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भृशम्: greatly, intensely
• भृशम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम्

• दानाध्ययनसम्पन्नाः: endowed with giving and study
• दानाध्ययनसम्पन्नाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दानाध्ययनसम्पन्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• पूज्यतमाः: most worthy of honor
• पूज्यतमाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्यतम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

Speaker

मैत्रेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Maitreya
• Brāhmaṇa (Brahmins)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True venerability is grounded in sustained discipline (tapas), generosity (dāna), and sacred learning (adhyayana), with purity of birth presented as a supporting condition; honor is ethically tied to character and practice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Maitreya is stating a normative criterion for who deserves the highest respect in society, identifying the Brahmin ideal as one who combines pure lineage with continuous austerity, charitable conduct, and scriptural study.