Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 9.9.29

eṣa hi brāhmaṇo vidvāḿs

tapaḥ-śīla-guṇānvitaḥ

ārirādhayiṣur brahma

mahā-puruṣa-saḿjñitam

sarva-bhūtātma-bhāvena

bhūteṣv antarhitaḿ guṇaiḥ

SYNONYMS

eṣaḥ — this; hi — indeed; brāhmaṇaḥ — a qualified brāhmaṇa; vidvān — learned in Vedic knowledge; tapaḥ — austerity; śīla — good behavior; guṇa-anvitaḥ — endowed with all good qualities; ārirādhayiṣuḥ — desiring to be engaged in worshiping; brahma — the Supreme Brahman; mahā-puruṣa — the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa; saḿjñitam — known as; sarva-bhūta — of all living entities; ātma-bhāvena — as the Supersoul; bhūteṣu — in every living entity; antarhitam — within the core of the heart; guṇaiḥ — by qualities.

TRANSLATION

Here is a learned, highly qualified brāhmaṇa, engaged in performing austerity and eagerly desiring to worship the Supreme Lord, the Supersoul who lives within the core of the heart in all living entities.

PURPORT

The wife of the brāhmaṇa did not regard her husband as a superficial brāhmaṇa who was called a brāhmaṇa merely because he was born of a brāhmaṇa family. Rather, this brāhmaṇa was actually qualified with the brahminical symptoms. Yasya yal lakṣaṇaḿ proktam (Bhāg. 7.11.35). The symptoms of a brāhmaṇa are stated in the śāstra:

śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaḿ

kṣāntir ārjavam eva ca

jñānaḿ vijñānam āstikyaḿ

brahma-karma svabhāvajam

"Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness — these are the qualities by which the brāhmaṇas work." (Bg. 18.42) Not only must a brāhmaṇa be qualified, but he must also engage in actual brahminical activities. Simply to be qualified is not enough; one must engage in a brāhmaṇa's duties. The duty of a brāhmaṇa is to know the paraḿ brahma, Kṛṣṇa (paraḿ brahma paraḿ dhāma pavitraḿ paramaḿ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]). Because this brāhmaṇa was actually qualified and was also engaged in brahminical activities (brahma-karma), killing him would be a greatly sinful act, and the brāhmaṇa's wife requested that he not be killed.

<<< >>>

Copyright © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness