श्वपचोऽपि कुलज्ञानी ब्राह्मणादतिरिच्यते । कुलाचारविहीनस्तु ब्राह्मणः श्वपचाधमः ॥ ४२ ॥
śvapacō’pi kulajñānī brāhmaṇādatiricyatē | kulācāravihīnastu brāhmaṇaḥ śvapacādhamaḥ || 42 ||
Translation
Even a śvapaca who knows kula surpasses a brāhmaṇa; but a brāhmaṇa without kulācāra is lower than a śvapaca.
Word by word
- śvapacō’pi
- even a śvapaca
- kulajñānī
- who knows kula
- brāhmaṇādatiricyatē
- surpasses a brāhmaṇa
- kulācāravihīnastu
- but one without kulācāra
- brāhmaṇaḥ
- a brāhmaṇa
- śvapacādhamaḥ
- lower than a śvapaca
Meaning
Atiricyate is glossed as "is distinguished, ranks higher". The verse sets knowledge above birth, in the terms of the social order of its time.