The Brahmin (Brāhmaṇa Vagga)
Verse 393
Pāli Source
Na jaṭāhi na gottena na jaccā hoti brāhmaṇo; yamhi saccañ ca dhammo ca so sukhī so ca brāhmaṇo.
English Translation
One does not become a brahmin by matted hair, by clan, or by birth. One in whom there is truth and principle — that one is happy, and that one is a true brahmin.
Way to Enlightenment draft translation — not yet reviewed for accuracy.
Editorial Note
From the Brāhmaṇa Vagga (the Dhammapada’s closing chapter), which consistently redefines "brahmin" as a matter of conduct and inner quality rather than birth or caste — a position notable in its historical context.
Source
Pali critical edition: O. von Hinüber & K.R. Norman (Pali Text Society, 1995), digitized by the Dhammakaya Foundation via GRETIL, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0