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Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness and also uprightness, knowledge, realisation and belief in God are the duties of the Brahmanas, born of (their own) nature.

Calm, self-restraint, austerity, purity, patience, uprightness, knowledge, realised wisdom and faith in what is beyond: these are the work of a brahmin, born of his nature.

The work of the brahmin is described through inner qualities: calm, self-control, austerity, purity, forbearance, straightforwardness, knowledge, realised wisdom (vijñāna) and faith in a reality beyond the visible. Notably, the list contains no privileges or rituals, only demanding virtues. It presents the brahmin's role as one of learning, teaching and inner discipline. The verse sets a high ideal against which any claim to such a role can be measured.