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Bhīṣma said.
Here too, they recount an ancient story: Among the Aṅgas, there was a renowned king named Vasuhoma.
The king, ever devoted to righteousness, together with his wife, who was a great ascetic, then went to Muñjapṛṣṭha, a place honored by assemblies of divine sages.
There, on the peak of Himavat, on Meru, on the golden mountain, at the muñja altar, Rāma commanded the removal of his matted hair.
From then on, O King, that region, worshipped by Rudra, was called Muñjapṛṣṭha by sages of austere vows.
There, he, always endowed with many qualities consisting of śruti, approved by the Brāhmaṇas, became like a divine sage.
Once, the king Māndhātā, honored as the friend of Śakra and steadfast in spirit, destroyer of enemies, came to him.
But Māndhātā, having approached Vasuhoma, the king, saw him excelling in austerity and stood near him with humility.
Vasuhoma also offered a cow and arghya to the king, and then inquired about the welfare of the eight-limbed and the kingdom.
Vasuhoma, seeing that he was properly following the ways established by the virtuous in the past, asked him: "O king, what can I do for you?"
O Kurunandana, Māndhātā, the best of kings, being extremely pleased, spoke to the greatly wise Vasuhoma, who was seated.
O king, you have studied all of Bṛhaspati's teachings, and likewise, you have understood the treatise of Uśanas, O ruler of men.
I wish to hear this: How does punishment arise? What awakens first, or what is said to come after?
How is punishment now established among the kṣatriyas? Tell me, O greatly wise one, and I will give the teacher's fee.
Vasuhoma said.
Listen, O king, how punishment has come into being for the order of the world; for the protection of discipline among the people, the essence of dharma is eternal.
It has indeed been heard by us that Brahmā, the venerable grandfather of all worlds, desiring to test, saw that the priest was not equal to himself.
The god bore the embryo on his head for many years. When a thousand years had passed, the embryo fell out as he sneezed.
O subduer of enemies, he who was born as Prajāpati was named Kṣupa. At that time, the priest was present in the sacrifice of that great-souled Kṣatriya.
O bull among kings, when that sacrifice of Brahman commenced, due to the manifestation of a delighted form, the staff disappeared.
When he disappeared, then confusion arose among beings. There was no distinction of duty or non-duty, nor of what was edible or inedible.
There was no distinction between what could be drunk or not, nor between what could be approached or not; there was no concept of others' property or one's own, and all was indeed equal. People did not harm each other.
They plundered one another like dogs fighting over flesh. The strong killed the weak and behaved without any restraint.
Then the grandsire, after worshipping Viṣṇu, the eternal divine bestower of boons, addressed Mahādeva.
Here, you should show only true compassion. Let it be arranged in such a way that confusion does not arise here.
Then the revered Lord, Śiva, after long meditation, himself created the staff by his own power, he who is the best among the gods.
Therefore, the goddess Sarasvatī, who practises dharma and right conduct, created the science of punishment, which is renowned in the three worlds.
Again, the venerable one, Śiva, after meditating for a long time, with his excellent spear as his weapon, made each group have its own lord.
He made Indra, the lord of the gods, who has a thousand eyes; and Yama, the son of Vivasvat, he made the lord of the ancestors.
Kubera is the lord of treasures and of the Rākṣasas; Meru is the lord of mountains; and the great ocean is the lord of rivers.
He appointed Varuṇa as the lord in the kingdom of waters and among the gods; Death as the lord of life-breath; and Fire as the lord of energies.
The master appointed Mahadeva, the great-souled and eternal lord of the Rudras, as their protector—he who is wide-eyed and everlasting.
He made Vasiṣṭha the lord of the Brāhmaṇas, Jātavedas the lord of the Vasus, the sun the lord of the lustres, and the moon the lord of the stars.
He appointed Aṃśumant as the lord of plants, and Kumāra, the twelve-armed Skanda, as the best among the kings of beings.
He created time, the lord of all, characterized by destruction and restraint; and death, with its fourfold division, of suffering and happiness.
The Lord, who pervades all bodies, is the king of kings and the lord of wealth. Among all the Rudras, he is known as the one who holds the trident, as stated in the scripture.
He gave him, Kṣupa, the only son of Brahmā, born after, as the lord of the people, the best even among all upholders of dharma.
Then Mahadeva, after that sacrifice was performed according to rule, gave the honored staff of dharma, the protector, to Viṣṇu.
Viṣṇu gave (the knowledge) to Aṅgiras; Aṅgirā, the foremost sage, gave it to Indra and Marīci; Marīci gave it to Bhṛgu.
Bhṛgu gave that staff of dharma to the sages; the sages gave it to the guardians of the worlds, and the guardians of the worlds gave it to Kṣupa.
But the tree gave it to Manu and to the son of Āditya; the deity of śrāddha gave it to the sons for the subtle reason of dharma and artha. Manu, the son of Sūrya, indeed gave him as a protector.
Punishment should be administered after due consideration and in accordance with righteousness, not arbitrarily. The restraint of those who speak ill is a form of bondage; the pursuit of gold is merely an external act.
Mutilation or killing of the body, or such bodily afflictions, should not be inflicted for a slight reason; but abandonment of the body and banishment are (the punishments).
In succession, the authority watches over the people, protecting them. Indra, the blessed, stays awake; from Indra, Agni (Vibhāvasu, fire) stays awake.
Varuṇa awakens from Agni; from Varuṇa, Prajāpati arises; from Prajāpati, then Dharma, which is of the nature of humility, awakens.
Effort, the eternal offspring of dharma and Brahman, gives rise to energy, which then awakens and protects.
Herbs originate from energy; from those herbs, mountains are formed; from the mountains, sap arises; thus, it is from the quality of sap.
The goddess Nirṛti awakens, and even the lights belong to Nirṛti; the Vedas are established as the foundation above the lights; from that, Hayashiras is the lord.
Brahmā, the grandfather, is ever-vigilant; from him, the imperishable Lord remains awake. From the grandfathers, Mahādeva, the blessed Śiva, remains ever-vigilant.
All the gods, as well as from Śiva, and from all the gods, thus the sages; from the sages, the blessed Soma; from Soma, the eternal gods.
Understand thus: In the world, Brāhmaṇas remain vigilant due to the gods. And from the Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas protect the worlds by righteousness. Both the immovable and the movable are eternally dependent on the Kṣatriyas.
In this world, the subjects are vigilant; among them, punishment remains vigilant as well. Punishment, which encompasses all, is a lord equal to the grandsire.
O Bhārata, the Lord of all worlds, Mahadeva, the lord of creatures, awakens time at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end.
Śiva, the god of gods, ever-awake lord, destroyer, beneficent, matted-haired, Rudra, source of existence, immovable, and consort of Umā, is always vigilant.
Thus, this punishment is established at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end. The king who knows dharma should act according to this, in accordance with justice.
Bhīṣma said.
Thus, this is Vasuhoma's opinion; any man who listens to it and acts properly after hearing it, that king will attain his desires.
O Bhārata, thus I have told you everything about that punishment which, being governed by dharma, controls all the worlds, O best of men.
