त्वं हि ब्रह्मविदां श्रेष्ठः संस्कारान्कर्तुमर्हसि ।
बालयोरनयोर्नॄणां जन्मना ब्राह्मणो गुरुः ॥
tvaṁ hi brahma-vidāṁ śreṣṭhaḥ saṁskārān kartum arhasi |
bālayor anayor nṝṇāṁ janmanā brāhmaṇo guruḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.8.6)
“[Nanda Mahārāja to Garga Muni:] Since you are the best of knowers of Brahman, you are fit to perform the saṁskāras for these two boys [viz., Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma]. A brāhmaṇa by birth is the guru of human beings.”
Commentary
janmanā janma-mātreṇaiva kiṁ punar jñānādinety arthaḥ |
(Bṛhad Vaṣṇava-toṣaṇī-ṭīkā)
“‘By birth’ (janmanā) means just by birth alone, so how much more [so is a brāhmaṇa the guru of human beings] by virtue of knowledge and so forth [i.e., conduct and other qualities]? This is the meaning.”
janmanā jātyaiva kiṁ punar jñānādinety arthaḥ |
(Laghu Vaṣṇava-toṣaṇī-ṭīkā)
“‘By birth’ (janmanā) means just by birth, so how much more [so is a brāhmaṇa the guru of human beings] by virtue of knowledge and so forth [i.e., conduct and other qualities]? This is the meaning.”
janmanā jātyaiva |
(Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā)
“‘By birth’ (janmanā) means just by birth.”