Dhammapada · Verse 396

Ekabrāhmaṇavatthu

Pali

Na cāhaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ brūmi,
yonijaṁ mattisambhavaṁ;
Bhovādi nāma so hoti,
sace hoti sakiñcano;
Akiñcanaṁ anādānaṁ,
tamahaṁ brūmi brāhmaṇaṁ.

English

I don’t call someone a brahmin
after the mother’s womb they’re born from.
If they still have attachments,
they’re just someone who says “worthy”.
Having nothing, taking nothing:
that’s who I declare a brahmin.

License: English CC0 (Bhikkhu Sujato); Pali public domain. Source: SuttaCentral (sc-data).