Mahābhārata · Adhyāya 13.68
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13.68.1
किं राज्ञः सर्वकृत्यानां गरीयः स्यात्पितामह ।
कुर्वन्किं कर्म नृपतिरुभौ लोकौ समश्रुते ॥ १३.६८.१ ॥
Grandsire, what is the most weighty of all the duties of a king? By doing what action does a king attain both worlds?
13.68.2
एतद्राज्ञः कृत्यतममभिषिक्तस्य भारत ।
ब्राह्मणानां रक्षणं च पूजा च सुखमिच्छतः ॥ १३.६८.२ ॥
This, Bhārata, is the most important duty of an anointed king who desires happiness: the protection of brahmins and the honouring of them.
13.68.3
कर्तव्यं पार्थिवेन्द्रेण तथैव भरतर्षभ ।
श्रोत्रियान्ब्राह्मणान्वृद्धान्नित्यमेवाभिपूजयेत् ॥ १३.६८.३ ॥
Bull of the Bharatas, the lord of kings too must act in this way: he should always honour the brahmins learned in the Veda and the elders.
13.68.4
पौरजानपदांश्चापि ब्राह्मणांश्च बहुश्रुतान् ।
सांत्वेन भोगदानेन नमस्कारैः सदाऽर्चयेत् ॥ १३.६८.४ ॥
He should always honour the townsfolk and the country folk, and the widely learned brahmins too, with conciliation, gifts of wealth and salutations.
13.68.5
एतत्कृत्यतमं राज्ञो नित्यमेवोपलक्षयेत् ।
यथाऽऽत्मानं यथा पुत्रांस्तथैतान्प्रतिपालयेत् ॥ १३.६८.५ ॥
The king should always keep this as his most important duty: as he protects himself and his sons, so he should protect these.
13.68.6
ये चाप्येषां पूज्यतमास्तान्दृढं प्रतिपूजयेत् ।
तेषु शान्तेषु तद्राष्ट्रं सर्वमेव विराजते ॥ १३.६८.६ ॥
Those among them who are most worthy of honour he should firmly honour in return; when they are at peace, that whole kingdom shines.
13.68.7
ते पूज्यास्ते नमस्कार्या मान्यास्ते पितरो यथा ।
तेष्वेव यात्रा लोकानां भूतानामिव वासवे ॥ १३.६८.७ ॥
They are to be honoured, to be bowed to, to be respected as fathers are; the course of life of the worlds rests on them, as the life of beings rests on Vāsava.
13.68.8
अभिचारैरुपायैश्च दहेयुरपि चेतसा ।
निःशेपं कुपिताः कुर्युरुग्राः सत्यपराक्रमाः। ॥ १३.६८.८ ॥
When angered, they could burn everything with sorcery and stratagems, even by the mind alone; fierce and of true valour, they could utterly destroy all.
13.68.9
नान्तमेषां प्रपश्यामि न दिशश्चाप्यपावृताः ।
कुपिताः समुदीक्षन्ते दावेषअवग्निशिखा इव ॥ १३.६८.९ ॥
I see no end to them, nor are the directions closed to them; angered, they gaze like the flames of a forest fire.
13.68.10
मान्यास्तेषां साधवो ये न निन्द्याश्चाप्यसाधवः ।
बिभ्यत्येषां साहसिका गुणास्तेषामतीव हि।
कूपा इव तृणच्छन्ना विशुद्धा द्यौरिवापरे ॥ १३.६८.१० ॥
Among them, the good are to be honoured, and even the wicked are not to be blamed. People fear their daring qualities; some are like wells covered with grass, others pure like the sky.
13.68.11
प्रसह्यकारिणः केचित्कार्पासमृदवोऽपरे ।
सन्ति चैषामतिशठास्तथैवान्ये तपस्विनः ॥ १३.६८.११ ॥
Some of them act by force, others are soft as cotton; some are exceedingly deceitful, and others are ascetics.
13.68.12
कृषिगोरक्ष्यमप्येके भैक्ष्यमन्येऽप्यनुष्ठिताः ।
चोराश्चान्येऽनृताश्चान्ये तथाऽन्ये नटनर्तकाः ॥ १३.६८.१२ ॥
Some practise farming and cattle-keeping, others live by begging; some are thieves, some are liars, and others are actors and dancers.
13.68.13
सर्वकर्मसहाश्चान्ये पार्थिवेष्वितरेषु च ।
विविधाचारयुक्ताश्च ब्राह्मणा भरतर्षभ ॥ १३.६८.१३ ॥
Bull of the Bharatas, some brahmins are capable of every kind of work, among kings and among others as well; they are endowed with various modes of conduct.
13.68.14
नानाकर्मसु रक्तानां बहुकर्मोपजीविनाम् ।
धर्मज्ञानां सतां तेषां नित्यमवोनुकीर्तयेत् ॥ १३.६८.१४ ॥
One should always praise those who are devoted to various occupations, who live by many kinds of work, and who are virtuous and know dharma.
13.68.15
पितॄणां देवतानं च मनुष्योरगरक्षसाम् ।
पुराऽप्येते महाभागा ब्राह्मणा वै जनाधिप ॥ १३.६८.१५ ॥
Lord of people, even in former times these greatly fortunate brahmins were revered by the ancestors, the gods, men, serpents and rākṣasas.
13.68.16
नैते देवैर्न पितृभिर्न गन्धर्वैर्न राक्षसैः ।
नासुरैर्न पिशाचैश्च शक्या जेतुं द्विजातयः ॥ १३.६८.१६ ॥
These twice-born brahmins cannot be conquered by gods, nor by ancestors, nor by gandharvas, nor by rākṣasas, nor by asuras, nor by piśācas.
13.68.17
अदैवं दैवतं कुर्युर्दैवतं चाप्यदैवतम् ।
यमिच्छेयुः स राजा स्याद्यं द्विष्युः स पराभवेत् ॥ १३.६८.१७ ॥
They may make the non-divine divine, and make even the divine non-divine. The one they wish for becomes king; the one they hate is ruined.
13.68.18
परिवादं च ये कुर्युर्ब्राह्मणानामचेतसः ।
सत्यं ब्रवीमि ते राजन्विनश्येयुर्न संशयः ॥ १३.६८.१८ ॥
Those senseless ones who slander brahmins, O king, I tell you the truth: they will perish, without doubt.
13.68.19
निन्दाप्रशंसाकुशलाः कीर्त्यकीर्तिपरायणाः ।
परिकुप्यन्ति ते राजन्सततं द्विषतां द्विजाः ॥ १३.६८.१९ ॥
O king, the twice-born brahmins, skilled in censure and praise and intent on fame and infamy, are always angry with those who hate them.
13.68.20
ब्राह्मणा यं प्रशंसन्ति पुरुषः स प्रवर्धते ।
ब्राह्मणैर्यः पराकृष्टः पराभूयात्क्षणाद्धि सः ॥ १३.६८.२० ॥
The man whom the brahmins praise prospers; he who is dragged down by the brahmins is overthrown in an instant.
13.68.21
शका यवनकाम्भोजास्तास्ताः क्षत्रियजातयः ।
वृषलत्वं परिगता ब्राह्मणानामदर्शनात् ॥ १३.६८.२१ ॥
The Śakas, Yavanas and Kāmbojas — these and those kṣatriya lineages — have fallen into the state of outcastes through not seeing brahmins.
13.68.22
द्राविडाश्च कलिङ्गाश्च पुलिन्दाश्चाप्युशीनराः ।
कोलिसर्पा महिपकास्तास्ताः क्षत्रियजातयः ॥ १३.६८.२२ ॥
The Drāviḍas, Kalingas, Pulindas and also the Uśīnaras; the Kolisarpas and Mahiṣakas — these and those kṣatriya lineages.
13.68.23
वृपलत्वं परिगता ब्राह्मणानामदर्शनात् ।
श्रेयान्पराजयस्तेभ्यो न जयो जयतांवर ॥ १३.६८.२३ ॥
Through not seeing brahmins, they have fallen into the state of outcastes. O best of victors, better is defeat at their hands than victory over them.
13.68.24
यस्तु सर्वमिदं हन्याद्ब्राह्मणं च न तत्समम् ।
ब्रह्मवध्या महान्दोष इत्याहुः परमर्षयः ॥ १३.६८.२४ ॥
Whoever might kill all this, it is not equal to killing one brahmin. The slaying of a brahmin is a great sin, so say the supreme sages.
13.68.25
परिवादो द्विजातीनां न श्रोतव्यः कथञ्चन ।
आसीताधोमुखस्तूष्णीं समुत्थाय व्रजेत वा ॥ १३.६८.२५ ॥
One must never listen to slander of the twice-born in any way; one should sit silent with face downcast, or rise and go away.
13.68.26
न स जातो जनिष्यो वा पृथिव्यामिह कश्चन ।
यो ब्राह्मणविरोधेन सुखं जीवितुमुत्सहेत् ॥ १३.६८.२६ ॥
No one has been born, or will be born, on this earth who would dare to live happily while opposing the brahmins.
13.68.27
दुर्ग्राह्यो मुष्टिना वायुर्दुःस्पर्शः पाणिना शशी ।
दुर्धरा पृथिवी मूर्ध्ना दुर्जया ब्राह्मणा भुवि ॥ १३.६८.२७ ॥
Hard it is to grasp the wind in a fist, hard to touch the moon with the hand, hard to bear the earth on the head, and hard to conquer the brahmins on this earth.