Srimad Bhagavatam. Canto 9: Liberation

Chapter 9: The Dynasty of Amsuman. Text 29

एष हि ब्राह्मणो विद्वांस्तपःशीलगुणान्वितः ।
आरिराधयिषुर्ब्रह्म महापुरुषसंज्ञितम् ।
सर्वभूतात्मभावेन भूतेष्वन्तर्हितं गुणैः ॥२९॥

eá¹£a hi brÄhmaṇo vidvÄá¹s
tapaḥ-śīla-guṇÄnvitaḥ
ÄrirÄdhayiá¹£ur brahma
mahÄ-puruá¹£a-saá¹jñitam
sarva-bhÅ«tÄtma-bhÄvena
bhūteṣv antarhitaṠguṇaiḥ

 eá¹£aḥ - this; hi - indeed; brÄhmaṇaḥ - a qualified brÄhmaṇa; vidvÄn - learned in Vedic knowledge; tapaḥ - austerity; Å›Ä«la - good behavior; guṇa-anvitaḥ - endowed with all good qualities; ÄrirÄdhayiá¹£uḥ - desiring to be engaged in worshiping; brahma - the Supreme Brahman; mahÄ-puruá¹£a - the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa; saá¹jñitam - known as; sarva-bhÅ«ta - of all living entities; Ätma-bhÄvena - as the Supersoul; bhÅ«teá¹£u - in every living entity; antarhitam - within the core of the heart; guṇaiḥ - by qualities.


Text

Here is a learned, highly qualified brÄhmaṇa, 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 brÄhmaṇa did not regard her husband as a superficial brÄhmaṇa who was called a brÄhmaṇa merely because he was born of a brÄhmaṇa family. Rather, this brÄhmaṇa was actually qualified with the brahminical symptoms. Yasya yal laká¹£aṇaá¹ proktam (BhÄg. 7.11.35). The symptoms of a brÄhmaṇa are stated in the Å›Ästra:

Å›amo damas tapaḥ Å›aucaá¹
 ká¹£Äntir Ärjavam eva ca
jñÄnaá¹ vijñÄnam Ästikyaá¹
 brahma-karma svabhÄvajam

“Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness — these are the qualities by which the brÄhmaṇas work.†(Bg. 18.42) Not only must a brÄhmaṇa be qualified, but he must also engage in actual brahminical activities. Simply to be qualified is not enough; one must engage in a brÄhmaṇa’s duties. The duty of a brÄhmaṇa is to know the paraá¹ brahma, Kṛṣṇa (paraá¹ brahma paraá¹ dhÄma pavitraá¹ paramaá¹ bhavÄn). Because this brÄhmaṇa was actually qualified and was also engaged in brahminical activities (brahma-karma), killing him would be a greatly sinful act, and the brÄhmaṇa’s wife requested that he not be killed.