Chapter 8

“Yudhishthira said, ‘Who are deserving of worship? Who are they unto whomone may bow? Who are they, O Bharata, unto whom thou wouldst bend thyhead? Who, again, are they whom thou likest? Tell me all this, O prince.What is that upon which thy mind dwells when affliction overwhelms thee?Do thou discourse to me on what is beneficial here, that is, in thisregion of human beings, as also hereafter.'”[10]

“Bhishma said, ‘I like those regenerate persons whose highest wealth isBrahman, whose heaven consists in the knowledge of the soul, and whosepenances are constituted by their diligent study of the Vedas. My heartyearns after those in whose race persons, young and old diligently bearthe ancestral burthens without languishing under them. Brahmanaswell-trained in several branches of knowledge, self-controlled,mild-speeched, conversant with the scriptures, well-behaved, possessed ofthe knowledge of Brahman and righteous in conduct, discourse inrespectable assemblies like flights of swans.[11] Auspicious, agreeable,excellent, and well-pronounced are the words, O Yudhishthira, which theyutter with a voice as deep as that of the clouds. Fraught with happinessboth temporal and spiritual, such words are uttered by them in the courtsof monarchs, themselves being received with honour and attention andserved with reverence by those rulers of men. Indeed, my heart yearnsafter them who listen to the words uttered in assemblies or the courts ofkings by persons endued with knowledge and all desirable attributes, andare respected by others. My heart, O monarch, always yearns after themwho, for the gratification of Brahmanas, O Yudhishthira, give unto them,with devotion, food that is well-cooked and clean and wholesome. It iseasy to fight in battle, but not so to make a gift without pride orvanity. In this world, O Yudhishthira, there are brave men and heroes byhundreds. While counting them, he that is a hero in gifts should beregarded as superior, O amiable one, if I had been even a vulgarBrahmana, I would have regarded myself as very great, not to speak of oneborn in a good Brahmana family endued with righteousness of conduct, anddevoted to penances and learning. There is no one, O son of Pandu, inthis world that is dearer to me than thou, O chief of Bharata’s race butdearer to me than thou are the Brahmanas. And since, O best of the Kurus,the Brahmanas are very much dearer to me than thou, it is by that truththat I hope to go to all those regions of felicity which have beenacquired by my sire Santanu. Neither my sire, nor my sire’s sire, nor anyone else connected with me by blood, is dearer to me than the Brahmanas.I do not expect any fruit, small or great, from my worship of theBrahmanas (for I worship them as deities because they are deserving ofsuch worship).[12] In consequence of what I have done to the Brahmanas inthought, word, and deed, I do not feel any pain now (even though I amlying on a bed of arrows). People used to call me as one devoted to theBrahmanas. This style of address always pleased me highly. To do good tothe Brahmanas is the most sacred of all sacred acts. I behold manyregions of beautitude waiting for me that have reverentially walkedbehind the Brahmanas. Very soon shall I repair to those regions foreverlasting time, O son. In this world, O Yudhishthira, the duties ofwomen have reference to and depend upon their husbands. To a woman,verily, the husband is the deity and he is the highest end after whichshe should strive. As the husband is to the wife, even so are theBrahmanas unto Kshatriyas. If there be a Kshatriya of full hundred yearsof age and a good Brahmana child of only ten years, the latter should beregarded as a father and the former as a son, for among the two, verily,the Brahmana is superior. A woman in the absence of her husband, takeshis younger brother for her lord; even so the Earth, not having obtainedthe: Brahmana, made the Kshatriya her lord. The Brahmanas should beprotected like sons and worshipped like sires or preceptors. Indeed, Obest of the Kurus, they should be waited upon with reverence even aspeople wait with reverence upon their sacrificial or Homa fires. TheBrahmanas are endued with simplicity and righteousness. They are devotedto truth. They are always engaged in the good of every creature. Yet whenangry they are like snakes of virulent poison. They should, for thesereasons, be always waited upon and served with reverence and humility.One should, O Yudhishthira, always fear these two, viz. Energy andPenances. Both these should be avoided or kept at a distance. The effectsof both are speedy. There is the superiority, however, of Penances, viz.,that Brahmanas endued with Penances, O monarch, can, if angry, slay theobject of their wrath (regardless of the measure of Energy with whichthat object may be endued). Energy and Penances, each of the largestmeasure, become neutralised if applied against a Brahmana that hasconquered wrath. If the two,–that is, Energy and Penances,–be setagainst each other, then destruction would overtake both but notdestruction without, a remnant, for while Energy, applied againstPenances, is sure to be destroyed without leaving a remnant. Penancesapplied against Energy cannot be destroyed completely.[13] As theherdsman, stick in hand, protects the herd, even so should the Kshatriyaalways protect the Vedas and the Brahmanas. Indeed, the Kshatriya shouldprotect all righteous Brahmanas even as a sire protects his sons. Heshould always have his eye upon the house of the Brahmanas for seeingthat their means of subsistence may not be wanting.'”