Mahābhārata · Adhyāya 8.38

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8.38.1

इति शल्य विजानीहि हन्त भूयो ब्रवीमि ते ।
उन्यमानं मया सम्यक्त्वमेकाग्रमनाः शृणु ॥ ८.३८.१ ॥

Thus, Śalya, understand. Now I tell you again: listen with one-pointed mind to what is being fully told by me.

8.38.2

ब्राह्मणः किल नो गेहमध्यगच्छत्पुराऽतिथिः ।
आचारं तत्र सम्प्रेक्ष्य प्रीतो वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ ८.३८.२ ॥

Once a brahmin came as a guest to our house; seeing our conduct there, pleased, he spoke these words.

8.38.3

मया हिमवतः शृङ्गमेकेनाध्युषितं चिरम् ।
दृष्टाश्च बहवो देशा नानाधर्मसमावृताः ॥ ८.३८.३ ॥

I have dwelt alone for a long time on a peak of the Himālaya, and have seen many lands covered with various dharmas.

8.38.4

न च केन च धर्मेण विरुध्यन्ते प्रजा इमाः ।
सर्वाश्चाप्याचरन्धर्मं यदुक्तं वेदपारगैः ॥ ८.३८.४ ॥

These peoples are in conflict with no dharma at all; all of them practise the dharma that was declared by the masters of the Vedas.

8.38.5

अटता तु मया देशान्नानाधर्मसमाकुलान् ।
आगच्छता महाराज बाह्लीकेषु निशामितम् ॥ ८.३८.५ ॥

O great king, while wandering through lands full of various dharmas and coming back, I heard this among the Bāhlīkas.

8.38.6

तत्र वै ब्राह्मणो भूत्वा पुनर्भवति क्षत्रियः ।
वैश्यः शूद्रश्च बाह्लीकस्ततो भवति नापितः ॥ ८.३८.६ ॥

There, one who was a brahmin becomes again a kshatriya; he becomes a vaishya and a shudra too; and among the Bāhlīkas he then becomes a barber.

8.38.7

नापितश्च ततो भूत्वा पुनर्भवति ब्राह्मणः ।
द्विजो भूत्वा च तत्रैव पुनर्दासोऽभिजायते ॥ ८.३८.७ ॥

Having become a barber, he is then reborn a brahmin there; having become twice-born, he is again born there as a servant.

8.38.8

भवन्त्येककुले विप्राः शिष्टा ये कामचारिणः ।
गान्धारा मद्रकाश्चैव बाह्लीकाश्चाप्यतेजसः ॥ ८.३८.८ ॥

Brahmins born in one family, who are learned yet act at their own will; the Gandharas, the Madrakas and likewise the Bāhlīkas are without splendor.

8.38.9

एतन्मया श्रुतं तत्र धर्मसङ्करकारकम् ।
कृत्स्नामटित्वा पृथिवीं बाह्लीकेषु विपर्ययः ॥ ८.३८.९ ॥

This I heard there, which causes confusion of dharma: having wandered the entire earth, among the Bāhlīkas there is reversal.

8.38.10

इति शल्य विजानीहि हन्त भूयो ब्रवीमि ते ।
यदप्यन्योऽब्रवीद्वाक्यं बाह्लीकानां विकुत्सितं ॥ ८.३८.१० ॥

Know this, O Śalya; and I tell you again, the reproachful words which another spoke concerning the Bāhlīkas.

8.38.11

आनीयेहाक्षता काचिदारट्टात्किल दस्युभिः ।
अधर्मतश्चोपयाता सा तानभ्यशपत्ततः ॥ ८.३८.११ ॥

A certain unharmed woman, brought here from Āraṭṭa by robbers, who had unrighteously come to them, then cursed them.

8.38.12

बालां बन्धुमतीं यन्मामधर्मेणोपगच्छथ ।
तस्मात्कुमार्यः स्वैरिण्यो भविष्यन्ति कुलेषु वः ॥ ८.३८.१२ ॥

"Because you approached me, a young woman with kin, unrighteously, therefore your maidens in your families shall become wanton."

8.38.13

न चैवास्मात्प्रमोक्षध्वं घोराच्छापान्नराधमाः ।
तस्मात्तेषां भागहरः कथं धर्मान्वदिष्यसि ॥ ८.३८.१३ ॥

Nor shall you ever be freed from this dreadful curse, you lowest of men. Then how, sharing in their portion, will you speak of dharma?

8.38.14

कुरवः सहपाञ्चालाः साल्वा मात्स्याः सनैमिशाः ।
कोसलाः काशपौण्ड्राश्च कालिङ्गा मागधास्तथा ॥ ८.३८.१४ ॥

The Kurus together with the Pañcālas, the Sālvas, the Matsyas and the Naimiśas, the Kosalas, the Kāśis and Pauṇḍras, and likewise the Kāliṅgas and the Māgadhas.

8.38.15

चेदयश्च महाभागा धर्मं जानन्ति शाश्वतम् ।
नानादेशेष्वसन्तश्च प्रायो बाह्यालयानृते ॥ ८.३८.१५ ॥

The Cedis too, greatly fortunate, know the eternal dharma; but the wicked of various lands, for the most part, except those who dwell outside.

8.38.16

आमत्स्येभ्यः कुरुपाञ्चालसाल्वा ।
आनैमिशाच्चेदयो ये विशिष्टाः।
धर्मं पुराणमुपजीवन्ति सन्तो ।
मद्रानृते पाञ्चनदांश्च जिह्मान् ॥ ८.३८.१६ ॥

From the Matsyas to the Kurus, Pañcālas and Sālvas, and from the Naimiśas to the Cedis, those excellent good men who live by the ancient dharma — except the Madras and the crooked Pañcanadas.

8.38.17

एवं विद्वान्धर्मकथासु राजं… ।
स्तूष्णींभूतः शल्य भवेः सदा त्वम्।
त्वं तस्य गोप्ता च जनस्य राजा ।
षड्भागहर्ता शुभदुष्कृतस्य ॥ ८.३८.१७ ॥

Knowing this, in discourses on dharma the king… O Śalya, you should always remain silent. You are his protector and king of the people, the taker of the sixth part of good and evil deeds.

8.38.18

अथवा दुष्कृतस्य त्वं हर्ता तेषामरक्षिता ।
रक्षिता पुण्यभाग्राजा प्रजानां त्वं ह्यपुण्यभाक् ॥ ८.३८.१८ ॥

Or else you are the taker of their evil deeds, one who does not protect them; the king who protects his subjects shares in merit, but you indeed share in demerit.

8.38.19

पूज्यमाने पुरा धर्मे सर्वदेशेषु शाश्वते ।
धर्मं पाञ्चनदं दृष्ट्वा धिगित्याह पितामहः ॥ ८.३८.१९ ॥

Long ago, when eternal dharma was honored in all lands, the grandsire saw the custom of the Pañcanada people and said, "Shame!"

8.38.20

व्रात्यानां दाशकीयानां कृतेऽप्यशुभकर्मणाम् ।
ब्रह्मणा निन्दितान्धर्मान्कश्चित्सिद्धात्मकोऽब्रवीत् ॥ ८.३८.२० ॥

Concerning the customs of the vrātya and Dāśakīya outcasts, condemned by Brahmā for their evil deeds, some perfected sage said —

8.38.21

इति पाञ्चनदं धर्मवमेने पितामहः ।
स्वधर्मस्थेषु वर्णेषु सोऽप्येतान्नाभ्यपूजयत् ॥ ८.३८.२१ ॥

Thus the grandsire disregarded the Pañcanada dharma, and did not honor them even among the social classes abiding in their own dharma.

8.38.22

इति शल्य विजानीहि हन्त भूयो ब्रवीमि ते ।
कल्माषपादः सरसि निमज्जन्राक्षसोऽब्रवीत् ॥ ८.३८.२२ ॥

Know this, Śalya. Now I will tell you again: the rākṣasa Kalmāṣapāda, sinking in the lake, said —

8.38.23

क्षत्रियस्य मलं भैक्ष्यं ब्राह्मणस्याश्रुतं मलम् ।
मलं पृथिव्या बाह्लीकाः स्त्रीणां कौतूहलं मलम् ॥ ८.३८.२३ ॥

Begging is the defilement of a kṣatriya; unlearning is the defilement of a brahmin; the Bāhlīkas are the defilement of the earth; curiosity is the defilement of women.

8.38.24

निमज्जमानमुद्धृत्य कश्चिद्राजा निशाचरम् ।
अपृच्छत्तेन चाख्यातं तच्छृणुष्व नराधिप ॥ ८.३८.२४ ॥

A certain king lifted the sinking night-wanderer and asked him; what was told to him, listen to it, O lord of men.

8.38.25

मानुषाणां मलं म्लेच्छा म्लेच्छानां मुष्टिका मलम् ।
मुष्टिकानां मलं षण्ढाः षण्ढानां राजयाजकाः ॥ ८.३८.२५ ॥

The filth of men is the barbarians; the filth of the barbarians is the Muṣṭikas; the filth of the Muṣṭikas is the eunuchs; the filth of the eunuchs is the king's sacrificial priests.

8.38.26

राजयाजकयाज्यानां मद्रकाणां च यन्मलम् ।
तद्भवेद्वै तव मलं यद्यस्मान्न विमुञ्चसि ॥ ८.३८.२६ ॥

The filth of the royal sacrificial priests and of those for whom they sacrifice, and the filth of the Madrakas, that will indeed become your filth, if you do not free yourself from it.

8.38.27

इति रक्षोपसृष्टेषु विषवीर्यहतेषु च ।
विद्वद्भिर्भेषजं दृष्टं संसिद्धवचनोत्तरम् ॥ ८.३८.२७ ॥

Thus, for those seized by demons and struck down by the power of poison, the wise have found a remedy, taking the words of the perfected sages as the final word.

8.38.28

ब्राहयाः पञ्चालाः कौरवेयास्तु धर्म्याः ।
सत्या मत्स्याः शूरसेनाश्च याज्याः।
प्राच्या दासा वृषला दाक्षिणात्याः ।
स्तेना बाह्लीकाः सङ्कार वै सुराष्ट्राः ॥ ८.३८.२८ ॥

The Bāhyas, the Pañcālas and the Kauravas are righteous; the Satyas, the Matsyas and the Śūrasenas are fit to be sacrificed for. The eastern peoples are servants and low-born; the southern peoples are thieves; the Bāhlīkas are mixed-born, and the Surāṣṭras likewise.