Chapter 135

“Bhishma said, ‘In this connection is cited the old story of a robber whohaving in this would been observant of restraints did not meet withdestruction in the next. There was a robber of the name of Kayavya, bornof a Kshatriya father and a Nishada mother. Kayavya was a practiser ofKshatriya duties. Capable of smiting, possessed of intelligence andcourage, conversant with the scriptures, destitute of cruelty, devoted tothe Brahmanas, and worshipping his seniors and preceptors with reverence,he protected the ascetics in the observance of their practices. Though arobber, he still succeeded in winning felicity in heaven. Morning andevening he used to excite the wrath of the deer by chasing them. He waswell conversant with all the practices of the Nishadas as also of allanimals living in the forest. Well acquainted with the requirements oftime and place, he roved over the mountains. Acquainted as he was withthe habits of all animals, his arrows never missed their aim, and hisweapons were strong. Alone, he could vanquish many hundreds of troops. Heworshipped his old, blind, and deaf parents in the forest every day. Withhoney and flesh and fruits and roots and other kinds of excellent food,he hospitably entertained all persons deserving of honour and did themmany good offices. He showed great respect for those Brahmanas that hadretired from the world for taking up their residence in the woods.Killing the deer, he often took flesh to them. As regards those that wereunwilling, from fear of others, to accept gifts from him because of theprofession he followed, he used to go to their abodes before dawn andleave flesh at their doors.[406] One day many thousands of robbers,destitute of compassion in their conduct and regardless of allrestraints, desired to elect him as their leader.’

“The robbers said, ‘Thou art acquainted with the requirements of placeand time. Thou hast wisdom and courage. Thy firmness also is great ineverything thou undertakest. Be thou our foremost of leaders, respectedby us all, We will do as thou wilt direct. Protect us duly, even as afather or mother.’

“Kayavya said, ‘Never kill ye a woman, or one that from fear keeps awayfrom the fight, or one that is a child, or one that is an ascetic. Onethat abstains from fight should never be slain, nor should women beseized or brought away with force. None of you should ever slay a womanamongst all creatures. Let Brahmanas be always blessed and you shouldalways fight for their good. Truth should never be sacrificed. Themarriages of men should never be obstructed. No injury should beinflicted on those houses in which the deities, the Pitris, and guestsare worshipped. Amongst creatures, Brahmanas deserve to be exempted byyou in your plundering excursions. By giving away even your all, youshould worship them. He who incurs the wrath of the Brahmanas, he forwhose discomfiture they wish, fails to find a rescuer in the threeworlds. He who speaks ill of the Brahmanas and wishes for theirdestruction, himself meets with destruction like darkness at sunrise.Residing here, ye shall acquire the fruits of your valour. Troops shallbe sent against those that will refuse to give us our dues. The rod ofchastisement is intended for the wicked. It is not intended forself-aggrandisement. They who oppress the god deserve death, it is said.They who seek to aggrandise their fortunes by afflicting kingdoms inunscrupulous ways, very soon come to be regarded as vermin in a deadbody. Those robbers again that would conduct themselves by conforming tothese restraints of the scriptures, would soon win salvation althoughleading a plundering life.’

“Bhishma continued, ‘Those robbers, thus addressed, obeyed all thecommands of Kayavya. By desisting from sin, they obtained greatprosperity. By behaving himself in such a way by thus doing good to thehonest and by thus restraining the robbers from bad practices, Kayavyawon great success (in the next world). He who always thinks of thisnarrative of Kayavya will not have any fear from the denizens of theforest, in fact, from any earthly creature. Such a man will have no fearfrom any creature, O Bharata! He will have no fear from wicked men. Ifsuch a man goes to the forest, he will be able to live there with thesecurity of a king.'”