Shloka 24

पात्रलक्षण-परिक्षा (Pātra-Lakṣaṇa Parīkṣā) — Criteria for a Worthy Recipient

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणं जातिसम्पन्नं धर्मज्ञं संशितं शुचिम्‌ । अपरेषां परेषां च परेभ्यश्रैव येडपरे

Transliteration

brāhmaṇaṁ jātisampannaṁ dharmajñaṁ saṁśitaṁ śucim | apareṣāṁ pareṣāṁ ca parebhyaś caiva ye ’pare ||

Translation

Vāyu nói: “Nên mong cho sự xuất hiện (và hiện diện) của một Bà-la-môn xuất thân cao quý, am tường dharma, nghiêm trì kỷ luật, và thanh tịnh. Giữa kẻ ‘thấp’ và người ‘cao’—thậm chí giữa những bậc còn cao hơn nữa—Bà-la-môn vẫn được xem là cao hơn. Người được những Bà-la-môn như thế tán dương thì thịnh đạt; còn kẻ phỉ báng Bà-la-môn thì chẳng bao lâu sẽ chuốc lấy bại vong.”

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणम्: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जाति-सम्पन्नम्: endowed with good birth/lineage
• जाति-सम्पन्नम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जातिसम्पन्न
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• धर्म-ज्ञम्: knowing dharma
• धर्म-ज्ञम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• संशितम्: disciplined/controlled; well-trained
• संशितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संशित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शुचिम्: pure
• शुचिम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अपरेषाम्: of the others (inferior/earlier ones)
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: अपर
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• परेषाम्: of the others (superior/further ones)
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• परेभ्यः: from/than the superiors
• परेभ्यः: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Plural

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

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

• अपरे: the others (inferior ones)
• अपरे: Karta
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: अपर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• Brāhmaṇa (Brahmin)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that society should value and support disciplined, pure, dharma-knowing Brahmins, and that honoring such learned and virtuous people leads to prosperity, while disparaging them leads to swift decline.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu is speaking in a didactic context, emphasizing the superior esteem accorded to Brahmins and the practical consequences—growth through their approval and defeat through their condemnation—thereby reinforcing norms of reverence toward dharma-authorities.