860
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 3, Ch. 22]
chandomayas tapo-vidyā- yoga-yuktān alampaṭān
manuḥ —Manu;  uvāca —said;  brahmā —Lord Brahmā;  asṛjat —created;  sva-mukhataḥ —from his face;  yuṣmān —you ( brāhmaṇas );  ātma-parīpsayā —to protect himself by expanding;  chandaḥ-mayaḥ —the form of the  Vedas ;  tapaḥ-vidyā-yoga-yuktān —full of austerity, knowledge and mystic power;  alampaṭān —averse to sense gratification.
TRANSLATION
Manu replied:  To expand himself in Vedic knowledge, Lord Brahmā, the personified Veda, from his face created you, the  brāhmaṇas , who are full of austerity, knowledge and mystic power and are averse to sense gratification.
PURPORT
The purpose of the  Vedas  is to propagate the transcendental knowledge of the Absolute Truth. The  brāhmaṇas  were created from the mouth of the Supreme Person, and therefore they are meant to spread the knowledge of the  Vedas  in order to spread the glories of the Lord. In  Bhagavad-gītā  also Lord Kṛṣṇa says that all the  Vedas  are meant for understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is especially mentioned here ( yoga-yuktān alampaṭān ) that  brāhmaṇas  are full of mystic power and are completely averse to sense gratification. Actually there are two kinds of occupations. One occupation, in the material world, is sense gratification, and the other occupation is spiritual activity—to satisfy the Lord by His glorification. Those who engage in sense gratification are called demons, and those who spread the glorification of the Lord or satisfy the transcendental senses of the Lord are called demigods. It is specifically mentioned here that the  brāhmaṇas  are created from the face of the cosmic personality or  virāṭa-puruṣa ; similarly the  kṣatriyas  are said to be created from His arms, the  vaiśyas  are created from His waist, and the  śūdras  are created from His legs.  Brāhmaṇas  are especially meant for austerity, learning and knowledge and are averse to all kinds of sense gratification.
TEXT 3
तत्त्राणायासृजचासान्दोःसहस्रात्सहस्रपात्।
हृदयं तस्य हि मम क्षत्रमङ्गं प्रचक्षते ॥ ३ ॥