Shloka 3

Jāpakānāṃ Gatiḥ — The Destinies of Japa-Practitioners (Śānti Parva 12.190)

Devanagari script

शौचाचारस्थित: सम्यग्विघसाशी गुरुप्रिय: । नित्यव्रती सत्यपर: स वै ब्राह्मण उच्यते

Transliteration

bharadvāja uvāca | śaucācārasthitaḥ samyag vighasāśī gurupriyaḥ | nityavratī satyaparaḥ sa vai brāhmaṇa ucyate ||

Translation

婆伽（Bhagu）说道：“安住于清净与正行者，只食祭献之后所余之食者，敬爱师长者，恒守誓戒者，专志于真实者——此人方可称为真正的婆罗门（brāhmaṇa）。”

Word by Word

• शौचाचारस्थितः: one established in purity and right conduct
• शौचाचारस्थितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शौचाचारस्थित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सम्यक्: properly, rightly
• सम्यक्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक्

• विघसाशी: eating the remnants of sacrifice (yajña-śiṣṭa)
• विघसाशी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विघसाशिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गुरुप्रियः: dear to (or loving) the teacher
• गुरुप्रियः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुरुप्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नित्यव्रती: one who observes vows regularly
• नित्यव्रती: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्यव्रतिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सत्यपरः: devoted to truth
• सत्यपरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्यपर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उच्यते: is called
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Present, Passive, Third, Singular

Speaker

भरद्वाज उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bharadvāja
• guru (teacher)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that true brāhmaṇa status is grounded in character: purity and good conduct, disciplined vows, devotion to one’s teacher, restraint in food (eating sanctified remnants), and unwavering commitment to truth.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a didactic exchange within Śānti Parva, Bharadvāja states a normative definition of who deserves to be called a brāhmaṇa, emphasizing ethical and ritual discipline as the criteria.