12.074
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said:
rājñā purohitaḥ kāryo bhavedvidvān bahuśrutaḥ। ubhau samīkṣya dharmārthāvaprameyāvanantaram ॥12-74-1॥
The king should appoint as priest a learned and well-versed person. After thoroughly examining both dharma and artha, which are immeasurable, he should proceed accordingly.
dharmātmā dharmavidyeṣāṃ rājñāṃ rājñpurohitaḥ। rājā caivaṃ guṇo yeṣāṃ kuśalaṃ teṣu sarvaśaḥ॥12-74-2॥
O king, among kings, the chief priest is one whose soul is righteousness and who knows dharma; and the king, in whom there is such virtue and skill, is in every way excellent among them.
ubhau prajā vardhayato devān pūrvān parān pitṝn। yau sameyāsthitao dharme śraddheyau sutapasvinau ॥12-74-3॥
Both, who increase offspring, the gods, ancestors, others, and forefathers, who abide together in dharma, are worthy of faith and are excellent ascetics.
parasparasya suhṛdau saṃmatau samacetasau। brahmakṣatrasya saṃmānātprajāḥ sukhamavāpnuyuḥ ॥12-74-4॥
When the two friends, the Brāhmaṇa and the Kṣatriya, are in agreement and of equal mind, and honor each other, the people attain happiness.
vimānanāttayoreva prajā naśyeyureva ha। brahmakṣatraṃ hi sarveṣāṃ dharmāṇāṃ mūlamucyate ॥12-74-5॥
If respect for both the Brāhmaṇa and the Kṣatriya is lost, the people would surely perish. The Brāhmaṇa and the Kṣatriya are regarded as the foundation of all dharmas.
atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam। ailakaśyapasaṃvādaṃ taṃ nibodha yudhiṣṭhira ॥12-74-6॥
Here too, an ancient story is cited. Listen, Yudhishthira, to the dialogue between the descendant of Ila and Kashyapa.
aila uvāca॥
Aila said:
yadā hi brahma prajahāti kṣatraṃ; kṣatraṃ yadā vā prajahāti brahma. anvag-balaṃ katame'smin bhajante; tathā abalyaṃ katame'smin viyanti ॥12-74-7॥
When the brāhmaṇa abandons the kṣatriya, or when the kṣatriya abandons the brāhmaṇa, which among them in this situation partake of strength, and which among them are dispersed in weakness?
kaśyapa uvāca॥
Kaśyapa said:
vyṛddhaṃ rāṣṭraṃ bhavati kṣatriyasya; brahma kṣatraṃ yatra virudhyate ha. anvag-balaṃ dasyavas-tad-bhajante; 'balyaṃ tathā tatra viyanti santaḥ ॥12-74-8॥
Where sacred knowledge opposes warrior power, the kingdom of the kṣatriya decays. There, robbers follow strength and seize it, while the virtuous are destroyed by weakness. "12-74-8"
naiṣām ukṣā vardhate na uta usrā; na gargaro mathyate no yajante. naiṣāṃ putrā vedam adhīyate ca; yadā brahma kṣatriyāḥ santyajanti ॥12-74-9॥
For these people, neither the bull nor the cow prospers; the grinding stone is not used, nor are sacrifices performed. Their sons do not study the Veda, and when the Brahmins and Kṣatriyas abandon their duties.
naiṣāmukṣā vardhate jātu gehe; nādhīyate saprajā no yajante. apadhvastā dasyubhūtā bhavanti; ye brāhmaṇāḥ kṣatriyān santyajanti ॥12-74-10॥
Among these, the bull never prospers in the house; study is not pursued, nor are sacrifices performed with offspring. Those Brāhmaṇas who abandon the Kṣatriyas become ruined and like robbers.
etau hi nityasaṃyuktāvitaretaradhāraṇe। kṣatraṃ hi brahmaṇo yoniryoniḥ kṣatrasya ca dvijāḥ ॥12-74-11॥
These two, the brāhmaṇa and the kṣatriya, are always mutually connected in sustaining each other. The kṣatriya is indeed the source of the brāhmaṇa, and the brāhmaṇa is the source of the kṣatriya, and so are the twice-born.
ubhāvetau nityam abhiprapannau; samprāpatur mahatīṃ śrīpratiṣṭhām। tayoḥ sandhir bhidyate cet purāṇa; tataḥ sarvaṃ bhavati hi sampramūḍham ॥12-74-12॥
Both of these, when always united, attain great prosperity. If the ancient union between them is broken, then everything indeed becomes utterly confused.
nātra plavaṃ labhate pāragāmī; mahāgādhe nauriva sampraṇunnā. cāturvarṇyaṃ bhavati ca sampramūḍhaṃ; tataḥ prajāḥ kṣayasaṃsthā bhavanti ॥12-74-13॥
Here, one who wishes to cross finds no raft; in the great depths, it is like a boat that has sunk. When the fourfold order is utterly confused, then the people come to ruin.
brahmavṛkṣo rakṣyamāṇo madhu hema ca varṣati। arakṣyamāṇaḥ satatamaśru pāpaṃ ca varṣati ॥12-74-14॥
When the tree of Brahman is protected, it yields honey and gold; when unprotected, it continually yields only tears and sin.
abrahmacārī caraṇādapeto; yadā brahmā brahmaṇi trāṇamicchet। āścaryaśo varṣati tatra deva; statrābhīkṣṇaṃ duḥsahāścāviśanti ॥12-74-15॥
When a person who is not a celibate departs from the path, and when Brahmā seeks protection in Brahman, then the god rains there in a wonderful way; there, constantly, unbearable ones enter.
striyaṃ hatvā brāhmaṇaṃ vāpi pāpaḥ; sabhāyāṃ yatra labhate'nuvādam। rājñaḥ sakāśe na bibheti cāpi; tato bhayaṃ jāyate kṣatriyasya ॥12-74-16॥
If a sinner, having killed a woman or a brāhmaṇa, receives reproach in the assembly but does not fear even in the presence of the king, then fear arises for the kṣatriya.
pāpaiḥ pāpe kriyamāṇe'tivelaṃ; tato rudro jāyate deva eṣaḥ। pāpaiḥ pāpāḥ sañjanayanti rudraṃ; tataḥ sarvānsādhvasādhūnhinasti ॥12-74-17॥
When sin is committed excessively, this god Rudra arises. It is by sins that the sinful cause Rudra to manifest; then he destroys all, both the righteous and the unrighteous.
aila uvāca॥
Aila said:
kuto rudraḥ kīdṛśo vāpi rudraḥ; sattvaiḥ sattvaṃ dṛśyate vadhyamānam। etadvidvan kaśyapa me pracakṣva; yato rudro jāyate deva eṣaḥ ॥12-74-18॥
From where does Rudra originate, and what is his nature, or who indeed is Rudra? Among beings, the being is seen as being slain. O learned Kaśyapa, please tell me this: from whom is this god Rudra born?
kaśyapa uvāca॥
Kaśyapa said:
ātmā rudro hṛdaye mānavānāṃ; svaṃ svaṃ dehaṃ paradehaṃ ca hanti। vātotpātaiḥ sadṛśaṃ rudramāhu; rdāvairjīmūtaiḥ sadṛśaṃ rūpamasya ॥12-74-19॥
Rudra, as the self in the hearts of men, destroys both their own and others' bodies. They say Rudra is like wind-storms; his form is like forest-fires and clouds.
aila uvāca॥
Aila said:
na vai vātaṃ parivṛṇoti kaścin na jīmūto varṣati naiva dāvaḥ। tathāyukto dṛśyate mānaveṣu; kāmadveṣādbadhyate mucyate ca ॥12-74-20॥
No one can restrain the wind; the cloud does not always rain, nor does the forest fire always burn. Likewise, among men, one is seen to be bound or freed by desire and hatred.
kaśyapa uvāca॥
Kaśyapa said:
yathaikagehe jātavedāḥ pradīptaḥ; kṛtsnaṃ grāmaṃ pradahetsa tvarāvān। vimohanaṃ kurute deva eṣa; tataḥ sarvaṃ spṛśyate puṇyapāpaiḥ ॥12-74-21॥
Just as the kindled fire in a single house, being swift, can burn down the entire village, so too does this god create delusion, after which everything is affected by merit and demerit.
aila uvāca॥
Aila said:
yadi daṇḍaḥ spṛśate puṇyabhājaṃ; pāpaiḥ pāpe kriyamāṇe'viśeṣāt. kasya hetoḥ sukṛtaṃ nāma kuryā; duṣkṛtaṃ vā kasya hetoḥ na kuryāt ॥12-74-22॥
If punishment befalls the virtuous without distinction when sins are committed, then for what reason should anyone perform good deeds, or refrain from evil deeds?
kaśyapa uvāca॥
Kaśyapa said:
asantyāgāt pāpakṛtām apāpāṃ; tulyaḥ daṇḍaḥ spṛśate miśrabhāvāt. śuṣkeṇa ārdraṃ dahyate miśrabhāvān na miśraḥ syāt pāpakṛdbhiḥ kathañcit ॥12-74-23॥
If the innocent do not abandon association with evil-doers, they too receive equal punishment because of their mingled state. Just as the wet is burnt by the dry when mixed together, one should never mingle with evil-doers in any way.
aila uvāca॥
Aila said:
sādhvasādhūndhārayatīha bhūmiḥ; sādhvasādhūṃstāpayatīha sūryaḥ। sādhvasādhūnvātayatīha vāyu; āpastathā sādhvasādhūnvahanti ॥12-74-24॥
In this world, the earth supports both the virtuous and the wicked; the sun scorches both the virtuous and the wicked; the wind blows upon both the virtuous and the wicked; likewise, the waters carry both the virtuous and the wicked.
kaśyapa uvāca॥
Kaśyapa said:
evamasmin vartate loka eva; nāmutraivaṃ vartate rājaputra. pretyaitayor antaravān viśeṣo; yo vai puṇyaṃ carate yaś ca pāpam ॥12-74-25॥
O prince, thus it is in this world, but not so in the other world. After death, there is a distinction between these two: one who performs merit and one who performs sin.
puṇyasya loko madhumān-ghṛtārcir-hiraṇyajyotir-amṛtasya nābhiḥ। tatra pretya modate brahmacārī; na tatra mṛtyur na jarā nota duḥkham ॥12-74-26॥
The realm of virtue is sweet, with flames of ghee and golden light, the very center of immortality. There, after death, the celibate rejoices; in that place, there is no death, no old age, nor any suffering.
pāpasya loko nirayo'prakāśo; nityaṃ duḥkhaḥ śokabhūyiṣṭha eva. tatra ātmānaṃ śocate pāpakarmā; bahvīḥ samāḥ prapatan na pratiṣṭhaḥ ॥12-74-27॥
The world of sin is hell, dark and always filled with suffering and grief. There, the sinner grieves for himself, falling for many years without stability.
mitho bhedād brāhmaṇa-kṣatriyāṇāṃ; prajā duḥkhaṃ duḥsahaṃ cāviśanti. evaṃ jñātvā kārya eveha vidvānpurohito naika-vidyo nṛpeṇa ॥12-74-28॥
When Brāhmaṇas and Kṣatriyas are divided, the people fall into unbearable suffering. Therefore, knowing this, the king should appoint as priest a learned person, not one with limited knowledge.
taṃ caivānvabhiṣicyeta tathā dharmo vidhīyate। agryo hi brāhmaṇaḥ proktaḥ sarvasyaiveha dharmataḥ ॥12-74-29॥
He, too, should be anointed accordingly; thus, dharma is established. The brāhmaṇa is declared to be the foremost of all here by virtue of dharma.
pūrvaṃ hi brāhmaṇāḥ sṛṣṭā iti dharmavido viduḥ। jyeṣṭhenābhijanenāsya prāptaṃ sarvaṃ yaduttaram ॥12-74-30॥
It is known by those versed in dharma that formerly the Brāhmaṇas were created. Whatever was later obtained by the eldest and by noble birth belonged to him.
tasmān mānyaś ca pūjyaś ca brāhmaṇaḥ prasṛtāgrabhuk। sarvaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ variṣṭhaṃ ca nivedyaṃ tasya dharmataḥ॥12-74-31॥
Therefore, the brāhmaṇa, being worthy of respect and worship and as the recipient of the foremost offerings, should be given all that is best and most excellent, in accordance with dharma.
avaśyam etat kartavyaṃ rājñā balavatā api hi। brahma vardhayati kṣatraṃ kṣatrato brahma vardhate ॥12-74-32॥
This must certainly be done by the king, even if he is powerful. The spiritual power (Brahman) strengthens the royal power (Kṣatra), and from the royal power, the spiritual power also grows.
