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Bhīṣma said:
O king, the one who protects the good and restrains the wicked should alone be appointed by the king as the royal priest.
Here too, an ancient story is told: the conversation between Purūravas, son of Ila, and Mātariśvan.
Aila said:
From where is the brāhmaṇa born, and from where are the three classes? From what does one become superior? O Vāyu, please explain this to me.
Vāyu said:
O best of kings, it is said that the Brāhmaṇa was created from the mouth of Brahman, the Kṣatriya from the arms, and the Vaiśya from the thighs.
O best of men, the Śūdra, the fourth class, was created from the feet for the service of the other three classes.
The brāhmaṇa, though just born, was born after the earth. The lord (brāhmaṇa) exists for the protection of the treasury of dharma for all beings.
Then he created the second class, the Kṣatriya, as the protector of the earth and wielder of authority, for the protection of the people.
But the Vaiśya, through wealth and grain, should support the three varṇas; the Śūdra should serve them—this is the command of the Veda.
Aila said:
Tell me, does this earth belong to the twice-born, to a degraded Kṣatriya, or to whom? Is it by righteousness, with wealth, or truly by force? Declare this to me.
Vāyu said:
Those skilled in dharma know that all this in the world belonging to the Brāhmaṇa, whatever it may be, is due to the eldest and noble birth.
A brāhmaṇa enjoys, wears, and gives only what is his own. The teacher is indeed the eldest and best among all castes, and truly the foremost among the twice-born.
When her husband is absent, a woman indeed accepts the husband's younger brother as her husband; in the same way, due to succession, the earth accepts the Kṣatriya class as her lord.
This is the first method for you; if you encounter adversity, there may be another. If you seek the highest place in heaven through righteousness.
Whoever conquers land should offer it to a Brāhmaṇa who is learned in the Vedas, of good conduct, knowledgeable in dharma, and an ascetic.
He who is fully content with his own duty, not attached to wealth, and who guides the king with intelligence that is complete in every way.
A Brāhmaṇa, who is born in a noble family, endowed with wisdom and gentle speech, and who speaks with eloquence, leads the king to prosperity.
The king, eager to listen and free from self-boasting, follows the dharma demonstrated by the brāhmaṇa, firmly established in the vow of a kṣatriya.
By that much, the wise one remains long in glory; the royal priest partakes in all his righteousness.
In this way, all the subjects, having sought refuge in the king, behaved properly, remained steadfast in their own duties, and were free from any kind of fear.
In a kingdom, when dharma is practiced and protected by the king and the virtuous, the king receives a fourth share of that dharma as his own.
Gods, humans, ancestors, gandharvas, serpents, and rākṣasas all live only by sacrifice; where there is no ruler, there is no activity.
It is through giving here that the gods and ancestors are sustained. Among the kṣatriyas, the security and prosperity of this dharma is established.
One finds comfort in shade, water, and wind during heat; and in fire, clothing, and the sun during cold.
The mind delights in sound, touch, taste, form, and smell; among all these enjoyments, the fearless person attains happiness.
Only the one who gives fearlessness receives the greatest reward. Indeed, there is no gift equal to life in all the three worlds.
Indra is the king, Yama is the king, Dharma is the king, and so too in the same way. The king assumes many forms; by the king, all this is upheld.
