01.164
Library: Brings up Vashishtha to highlight superiority of Brahmanas, and asks Arjuna to appoint a Brahmana.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
sa gandharvavacaḥ śrutvā tat tadā bharatarṣabha। arjunaḥ parayā prītyā pūrṇacandra ivābabhau ॥1-164-1॥
O Bharata, when Arjuna heard the words of the Gandharva, he was filled with great joy and shone like the full moon.
uvāca ca maheṣvāso gandharvaṃ kurusattamaḥ। jātakautūhalo'tīva vasiṣṭhasya tapobalāt ॥1-164-2॥
The great archer, foremost among the Kurus, driven by intense curiosity arising from the power of Vasiṣṭha's penance, spoke to the Gandharva.
vasiṣṭha iti yasyaitad ṛṣer nāma tvayā iritam। etad icchāmi ahaṃ śrotum yathāvat tad vadasva me॥1-164-3॥
I wish to hear from you, exactly as it is, about the sage whose name "Vasiṣṭha" you have mentioned; please tell me that.
ya eṣa gandharvapate pūrveṣāṃ naḥ purohitaḥ। āsīdetanmamācakṣva ka eṣa bhagavānṛṣiḥ ॥1-164-4॥
O lord of Gandharvas, who is this who was the priest of our ancestors? Please tell me, who is this venerable sage?
gandharva uvāca॥
The gandharva said.
tapasā nirjitau śaśvad ajeyāv amarair api। kāmakrodhāv ubhau yasya caraṇau saṁvahatuḥ ॥1-164-5॥
Even the immortals have always found desire and anger invincible, but by austerity, both have been conquered and have served at the feet of that person.
yastu nocchedanaṃ cakre kuśikānāmudāradhīḥ। viśvāmitrāparādheṇa dhārayanmanyumuttamam ॥1-164-6॥
But he, noble-minded, did not destroy the Kuśikas, even while bearing supreme anger because of Viśvāmitra's offence.
putravyasanasantaptaḥ śaktimān api yaḥ prabhuḥ। viśvāmitravināśāya na mene karma dāruṇam ॥1-164-7॥
Though powerful, the lord, tormented by the misfortune concerning his son, did not deem the cruel act for the destruction of Viśvāmitra.
mṛtāṁś ca punar āhartuṁ yaḥ sa putrān yam akṣayāt| kṛtāntaṁ nāticakrāma velām iva mahodadhiḥ ॥1-164-8॥
He, who wished to bring back his dead sons from Yama, did not cross the boundary set by Kṛtānta (Yama, god of death), just as the great ocean does not cross its shore.
yaṃ prāpya vijitātmānaṃ mahātmānaṃ narādhipāḥ। ikṣvākavo mahīpālā lebhire pṛthivīmimām ॥1-164-9॥
Having attained him, the kings—descendants of Ikṣvāku, rulers of the earth—who had conquered themselves and were great-souled, obtained this earth.
purohitavaraṃ prāpya vasiṣṭham ṛṣisattamam। ījire kratubhiś cāpi nṛpās te kurunandana॥1-164-10॥
O Arjuna, having secured Vasiṣṭha, the best among priests and foremost among sages, those kings also performed sacrifices.
sa hi tānyājayāmāsa sarvān nṛpatisattamān। brahmarṣiḥ pāṇḍavaśreṣṭha bṛhaspatirivāmarān ॥1-164-11॥
O best of the Pāṇḍavas, the Brahmarṣi conquered all those foremost of kings, just as Bṛhaspati conquers the immortals.
tasmāddharmapradhānātmā vedadharmavidīpsitaḥ। brāhmaṇo guṇavānkaścitpurodhāḥ pravimṛśyatām ॥1-164-12॥
Therefore, a Brāhmaṇa whose nature is primarily dharma, who seeks knowledge of Vedic dharma, and who is virtuous, should be carefully chosen as the priest.
kṣatriyeṇa hi jātena pṛthivīṃ jetumicchatā। pūrvaṃ purohitaḥ kāryaḥ pārtha rājyābhivṛddhaye ॥1-164-13॥
O Pārtha, a kṣatriya who desires to conquer the earth must first appoint a priest for the prosperity of the kingdom.
mahīṃ jigīṣatā rājñā brahma kāryaṃ puraḥsaram। tasmātpurohitaḥ kaścidguṇavānastu vo dvijaḥ ॥1-164-14॥
Therefore, for a king wishing to conquer the earth, a virtuous and twice-born priest should precede all sacred acts for you.
