Chapter 9

“Yudhisthira said, ‘O grandsire, O thou of great splendour, what do thosemen become who, through stupefaction of intellect, do not make gifts untoBrahmanas after having promised to make those gifts? O thou that art theforemost of all righteous persons, do tell me what the duties are in thisrespect. Indeed, what becomes the end of those wicked wights that do notgive after having promised to give.'”

“Bhishma said, ‘The person that, after having promised, does not give, beit little or much, has the mortification to see his hopes (in everydirection) become fruitless like the hopes of a eunuch in respect ofprogeny. Whatever good acts such a person does between the day of hisbirth and that of his death, O Bharata, whatever libations he pours onthe sacrificial fire, whatever gifts he makes, O chief of Bharata’s race,and whatever penances he performs all become fruitless. They that areconversant with the scriptures declare this as their opinion, arriving atit, O chief of the Bharatas, with the aid of a well-orderedunderstanding. Persons conversant with the scriptures are also of opinionthat such a man may be cleansed by giving away a thousand horses withears of a dark hue. In this connection is cited the old narrative of thediscourse between a jackal and an ape. While both were human beings, Oscorcher of foes, they were intimate friends. After death one of thembecame a jackal and the other an ape. Beholding the jackal one day eatingan animal carcase in the midst of a crematorium, the ape, remembering hisown and his friend’s former birth as human beings, addressed him,saying,–Verily, what terrible sin didst thou perpetrate in thy formerbirth in consequence of which thou art obliged in this birth to feed in acrematorium upon such repulsive fare as the putrid carcase of ananimal?–Thus addressed, the jackal replied unto the ape, saying,–Havingpromised to give unto a Brahmana I did not make him the gift. It is forthat sin, O ape, that I have fallen into this wretched order ofexistence. It is for that reason that, when hungry, I am obliged to eatsuch food.’

“Bhishma continued, ‘The jackal then, O best of men, addressed the apeand said,–What sin didst thou commit for which thou hast become an ape?’

“The ape said, ‘In my former life I used to appropriate the fruitsbelonging to Brahmanas. Hence have I become an ape. Hence it is clearthat one possessed of intelligence and learning should never appropriatewhat belongs to Brahmanas. Verily, as one should abstain from this, oneshould avoid also all disputes with Brahmanas. Having promised, oneshould certainly make the promised gift unto them.’

“Bhishma continued, ‘I heard this, O king, from my preceptor while he wasengaged in discoursing upon the subject of Brahmanas. I heard this fromthat righteous person when he recited the old and sacred declaration onthis topic. I heard this from Krishna also, O king, while he was engagedin discoursing, O son of Pandu, upon Brahmanas.[14] The property of aBrahmana should never be appropriated. They should always be let alone.Poor, or miserly, or young in years, they should never be disregarded.The Brahmanas have always taught me this. Having promised to make them agift, the gift should be made. A superior Brahmana should never bedisappointed in the matter of his expectations. A Brahmana, O king, inwhom an expectation has been raised, has, O king, been said to be like ablazing fire.[15] That man upon whom a Brahmana with raised expectationscasts his eye, is sure, O monarch, to be consumed even as a heap of strawis capable of being consumed by a blazing fire.[16] When the Brahmana,gratified (with honours and gifts) by the king addresses the king indelightful and affectionate words, he becomes, O Bharata, a source ofgreat benefit to the king, for he continues to live in the kingdom like aphysician combating against diverse ills of the body.[17] Such a Brahmanais sure to maintain by his puissance and good wishes, the sons andgrandsons and animals and relatives and ministers and other officers andthe city and the provinces of the king.[18] Even such is the energy, sogreat, of the Brahmana like unto that of the thousand-rayed Suryahimself, on the Earth. There-fore, O Yudhishthira, if one wishes toattain to a respectable or happy order of being in one’s next birth, oneshould, having passed the promise to a Brahmana, certainly keep it byactually making the gift to him. By making gifts to a Brahmana one issure to attain to the highest heaven. Verily, the making of gifts is thehighest of acts that one can achieve. By the gifts one makes to aBrahmana, the deities and the pitris are supported. Hence one possessedof knowledge should ever make gifts unto the Brahmanas. O chief of theBharatas, the Brahmana is regarded as the highest object unto whom giftsshould be made. At no time should a Brahmana be received without beingproperly worshipped.”