SB 5.4.13 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.4.13

यवीयांस एकाशीतिर्जायन्तेया: पितुरादेशकरा महाशालीना महाश्रोत्रिया यज्ञशीला: कर्मविशुद्धा ब्राह्मणा बभूवु: ॥ १३ ॥

yavīyāṁsa ekāśītir jāyanteyāḥ pitur ādeśakarā mahā-śālīnā mahā-śrotriyā yajña-śīlāḥ karma-viśuddhā brāhmaṇā babhūvuḥ.

[yaveeyaamsa ekaasheetir jaayanteyaah pitur aadeshakaraa mahaa-shaaleenaa mahaa-shrotriyaa yajna-sheelaah karma-vishuddhaa braahmanaa babhoovuh.]

Word-for-word

yavīyāṁsaḥ — younger ekāśītiḥ — numbering eighty-one jāyanteyāḥ — the sons of Jayantī, the wife of Ṛṣabhadeva pituḥ — of their father ādeśakarāḥ — following the order mahā-śālīnāḥ — well-behaved, well-cultured mahā-śrotriyāḥ — extremely learned in Vedic knowledge yajña-śīlāḥ — expert in performing ritualistic ceremonies karma-viśuddhāḥ — very pure in their activities brāhmaṇāḥ — qualified brāhmaṇas babhūvuḥ — became.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

yavīyāṁsa ekāśītir jāyanteyāḥ pitur ādeśakarā mahā-śālīnā mahā-śrotriyā yajña-śīlāḥ karma-viśuddhā brāhmaṇā babhūvuḥ.

yavīyāṁsaḥ

younger

ekāśītiḥ

numbering eighty-one

jāyanteyāḥ

the sons of Jayantī, the wife of Ṛṣabhadeva

pituḥ

of their father

ādeśakarāḥ

following the order

mahā-śālīnāḥ

well-behaved, well-cultured

mahā-śrotriyāḥ

extremely learned in Vedic knowledge

yajña-śīlāḥ

expert in performing ritualistic ceremonies

karma-viśuddhāḥ

very pure in their activities

brāhmaṇāḥ

qualified brāhmaṇas

babhūvuḥ

became.

In addition to these nineteen sons mentioned above, there were eighty-one younger ones, all born of Ṛṣabhadeva and Jayantī. According to the order of their father, they became well-cultured, well-behaved, very pure in their activities and expert in Vedic knowledge and the performance of Vedic rituals. Thus they all became perfectly qualified brāhmaṇas.

Purport

From this verse we have good information of how the castes are qualified according to quality and work. Ṛṣabhadeva, a king, was certainly a kṣatriya. He had a hundred sons, and out of these, ten were engaged as kṣatriyas and ruled the planet. Nine sons became good preachers of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam ( mahā-bhāgavatas ), and this indicates that they were above the position of brāhmaṇas. The other eighty-one sons became highly qualified brāhmaṇas. These are some practical examples of how one can become fit for a certain type of activity by qualification, not by birth. All the sons of Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva were kṣatriyas by birth, but by quality some of them became kṣatriyas, and some became brāhmaṇas. Nine became preachers of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam ( bhāgavata-dharma-darśanāḥ ), which means that they were above the categories of kṣatriya and brāhmaṇa.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

The eighty-one younger sons of Jayantī, who followed the order of their father, were humble, learned and dedicated to performing sacrifice. Mahāśālināḥ means very humble or well-behaved.

Personal Guidance

Quality and work, not birth, determine real social position. Even the sons of a kṣatriya king became brāhmaṇas through training and character. Where you were born is the start; where you arrive depends on what you cultivate.

Reflection Questions

What 'birth labels' (background, family, profession) are you still hiding behind instead of growing past?
Which qualities are you actually cultivating that would justify a higher position than your background granted?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io