Mahābhārata · Adhyāya 12.76

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12.76.1

स्वकर्मण्यपरे युक्तास्तथैवान्ये विकर्मणि ।
तेषां विशेषमाचक्ष्व ब्राह्मणानां पितामह ॥ १२.७६.१ ॥

Those engaged in their own duty and likewise others engaged in forbidden duty — explain to me the distinction among these brahmins, O grandsire.

12.76.2

विद्यालक्षणसंपन्नाः सर्वत्राम्नायदर्शिनः ।
एते ब्रह्मसमा राजन्ब्राह्मणाः परिकीर्तिताः ॥ १२.७६.२ ॥

Endowed with the marks of learning and seeing the Vedic tradition everywhere — these brahmins, O king, are proclaimed equal to Brahman.

12.76.3

ऋत्विगाचार्यसंपन्नाः स्वेषु कर्मस्ववस्थिताः ।
एते देवसमा राजन्ब्राह्मणानां भवन्त्युत ॥ १२.७६.३ ॥

Endowed with the office of officiating priest and of teacher, established in their own duties — these, O king, are among brahmins like the gods.

12.76.4

गोऽजाविमहिषाणां च बडवानां च पोषकाः ।
वृत्त्यर्थं प्रतिपद्यन्ते तान्वैश्यान्संप्रचक्षते ॥ १२.७६.४ ॥

Those who tend cows, goats, sheep, buffaloes and mares, and take up this work for their livelihood — these are called vaiśyas.

12.76.5

ऐश्वर्यकामा ये चापि सामिपा वाऽपि भारत ।
निग्रहानुग्रहरतांस्तान्द्विजान्क्षत्रियान्विदुः ॥ १२.७६.५ ॥

Those twice-born who desire power, or are fond of flesh, and delight in punishment and favour — know them as kṣatriyas, O Bhārata.

12.76.6

अश्वारोहा गजारोहा रथिनोऽथ पदातयः ।
एते वैश्यसमा राजन्ब्राह्मणानां भवन्त्युत ॥ १२.७६.६ ॥

Horse-riders, elephant-riders, charioteers and foot-soldiers — these, O king, are among brahmins like the vaiśyas.

12.76.7

जन्मकर्मविहीना ये कदर्या ब्रह्मबन्धवः ।
एते शूद्रसमा राजन्ब्राह्मणानां भवन्त्युत ॥ १२.७६.७ ॥

Those who lack both birth and conduct, who are miserly and are brahmins only in name, O king, these become equal to śūdras among brahmins.

12.76.8

अश्रोत्रियाः सर्वे एते सर्वे चानाहिताग्नयः ।
तान्सर्वान्धार्मिको राजा बलिं विष्टिं च कारयेत् ॥ १२.७६.८ ॥

All these are unlearned in the Veda, and none of them keeps the sacred fires. The righteous king should make all of them pay tribute and render forced labour.

12.76.9

आह्वायका देवलका नाक्षत्रा ग्रामयाजकाः ।
एते ब्राह्मणचाण्डाला महापथिकपञ्चमाः ॥ १२.७६.९ ॥

Summoners to feasts, temple priests, astrologers, and village sacrificers — these are brahmin outcastes, and travellers on the great roads are the fifth.

12.76.10

ऋत्विक्पुरोहितो मन्त्री दूतो वार्तानुकर्षकः ।
एते क्षत्रसमा राजन्ब्राह्मणानां भवन्त्युत ॥ १२.७६.१० ॥

Officiating priests, household priests, counsellors, envoys, and drawers-in of news — these become equal to kṣatriyas among brahmins, O king.

12.76.11

म्लेच्छदेशाश्च ये केचित्पापैरध्युषिता नरैः ।
गत्वा तु ब्राह्मणस्तांश्च चण्डालः प्रेत्य चेह च ॥ १२.७६.११ ॥

A brahmin who goes to certain barbarian lands inhabited by sinners becomes a caṇḍāla, both after death and here in this world.

12.76.12

व्रात्यान्म्लेच्छांश्च शूद्रांश्च याजयित्वा द्विजाधमः ।
अकीर्तिमिह संप्राप्य नरकं प्रतिपद्यते ॥ १२.७६.१२ ॥

The lowest of the twice-born who has sacrifices performed for vrātyas, barbarians, and śūdras, obtains infamy here and goes to hell.

12.76.13

महावृन्दसमुद्राभ्यां पर्यायेणैकविंशतिम् ।
ब्राह्मणो ऋग्यजुः साम्नां मूढः कृत्वा तु विप्लवम् ॥ १२.७६.१३ ॥

By great multitudes and oceans, in turn, twenty-one times—the brahmin who, deluded, brings corruption upon the Ṛg, Yajur and Sāma Vedas.

12.76.14

कल्पमेकं कृमिस्थोऽथ नानाविष्ठासु जायते ।
व्रात्ये म्लेच्छे तथा शूद्रे तस्करे पत्तितेऽशुचौ ॥ १२.७६.१४ ॥

Having been a worm for one aeon, he is then born in various kinds of filth—when he has performed sacrifice for an outcast, a barbarian, a śūdra, a thief, a fallen one, or an impure person.

12.76.15

कुदेशे च सुरापे च ब्रह्मघ्ने वृषलीपतौ ।
अनधीतेषु सर्वत्र भुञ्जाने यत्र तत्र वा ॥ १२.७६.१५ ॥

In a wicked land, for a drinker of liquor, a slayer of a brahmin, a husband of a śūdra woman, among the unlearned, everywhere—for one who eats wherever he happens to be.

12.76.16

वालस्त्रीवृद्धहन्तुश्च मातापित्रोर्गुरोस्तथा ।
मित्रद्रुहि कृतघ्ने च गोघ्ने चैव कथंचन ॥ १२.७६.१६ ॥

For a killer of a child, a woman or an old man, for one who kills mother, father or teacher, for a betrayer of friends, an ungrateful man, or a slayer of cows—in no way whatever.

12.76.17

पुत्रघातिनि शत्रौ च न मन्त्राद्याजयेद्द्विजः ।
स तेषां विप्लवः प्रोक्तो मन्त्रविद्भिः सनातनैः ॥ १२.७६.१७ ॥

A twice-born man should not have a son-killer or an enemy sacrifice with mantras. That, the ancient knowers of mantra declare, is their 'corruption' (viplava).

12.76.18

यदि विप्रो विदेशस्थस्तीर्थयात्रां गतोऽपि वा ।
यदि भीतः प्रपन्नो वा कुदेशं शौचवर्जितम् ॥ १२.७६.१८ ॥

If a brahmin is staying in a foreign land, or has gone on pilgrimage, or has taken refuge out of fear, or is in a wicked country lacking purity—

12.76.19

सुसयतः शुचिर्भुत्वा मन्त्रानुच्चारयेद्द्विजः ।
आर्तश्चोच्चारयेन्मन्त्रमार्तत्राणपरोऽथवा।
हीनेष्वपि प्रयुञ्जानो नासौ विप्लावकः स्मृतः ॥ १२.७६.१९ ॥

A twice-born man, well restrained and pure, should recite the mantras; even when distressed, or intent on protecting the distressed, he may recite a mantra. Even if he employs them among the lowly, he is not held to be a defiler.

12.76.20

क्रूरकर्मा विकर्मा वा कर्मभिर्वञ्चितोऽथवा ।
तत्त्ववित्तरते पापं शीलवान्सयतेन्द्रियः ॥ १२.७६.२० ॥

Though he be cruel in deed, or one who does forbidden acts, or deprived by his deeds, the man who knows the truth, is virtuous and has his senses restrained, crosses over sin.

12.76.21

एतेभ्यो बलिमादद्याद्धीनकोशो महीपतिः ।
ऋते ब्रह्मसमेभ्यश्च देवकल्पेभ्य एव च ॥ १२.७६.२१ ॥

A king whose treasury is depleted may take tribute from these, but not from those equal to Brahman and those like gods.

12.76.22

अब्राह्मणानां वित्तस्य स्वामी राजेति नः श्रुतिः ।
ब्राह्मणानां च येकेचिद्विकर्मस्था इति श्रुतिः।
प्रागुक्तांश्चाप्यनुक्तांश्च सर्वास्तान्दापयेत्करान् ॥ १२.७६.२२ ॥

We have heard by tradition that the king is the owner of the wealth of non-brahmins; and by tradition there are brahmins who are engaged in forbidden acts. The king should make all of them pay taxes, both those mentioned before and those not mentioned.