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Mahābhārata • Parva 13 (Anuśāsanaparva) • Adhyāya 9

Anuśāsanaparva Adhyāya 9

अनुशासनपर्व • अध्यायः 9

Anuśāsanaparva Adhyāya 9 of the classical Mahābhārata with 25 verses.

Total: 25 Verses • Citations: MBh 13.9.1–25 • 250 Lexicon Terms
ब्राह्मणानां तु ये लोके प्रतिश्रुत्य पितामह । न प्रयच्छन्ति मोहात्ते के भवन्ति महामते ॥
English Translation
Yudhishthira said O grandfather, O you of great splendour, what do those men become who, through stupefaction of intellect, do not make gifts to Brahmanas after having promised to make those gifts?
एतन्मे तत्त्वतो ब्रूहि धर्मं धर्मभृतां वर । प्रतिश्रुत्य दुरात्मानो न प्रयच्छन्ति ये नराः ॥
English Translation
O foremost of all righteous persons, do tell me what the duties are in this matter. Indeed, what becomes the end of those wicked men who do not give after having promised to give.
यो न दद्यात्प्रतिश्रुत्य स्वल्पं वा यदि वा बहु । आशास्तस्य हताः सर्वाः क्लीबस्येव प्रजाफलम् ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said The person who, after having promised, does not give, be it little or much, has the mortification to witness his hopes frustrated like the hopes of a eunuch about children.
यां रात्रिं जायते पापो यां च रात्रिं विनश्यति । एतस्मिन्नन्तरे यद्यत्सुकृतं तस्य भारत । यच्च तस्य हुतं किंचित्सर्वं तस्योपहन्यते ॥
English Translation
Whatever good acts such a person does between the day of his birth and that of his death, O Bharata, whatever libations he pours on the sacrificial fire, whatever gifts he makes, o chief of Bharata's race, and whatever penances he performs, all becomes useless.
अत्रैतद्वचनं प्राहुर्धर्मशास्त्रविदो जनाः । निशम्य भरतश्रेष्ठ बुद्ध्या परमयुक्तया ॥
English Translation
They who conversant with the scriptures hold this as their opinion, arriving at it, О chief of the Bharatas, with the help of a well-ordered understanding.
अपि चोदाहरन्तीमं धर्मशास्त्रविदो जनाः । अश्वानां श्यामकर्णानां सहस्रेण स मुच्यते ॥
English Translation
Persons conversant with the scriptures also opine that such a man may be purified by giving away a thousand horses with dark ears. are
अत्रैवोदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । सृगालस्य च संवादं वानरस्य च भारत ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said “Regarding it, this ancient legend, the story of Vasava and the great Shuka, is cited as an illustration.
तौ सखायौ पुरा ह्यास्तां मानुषत्वे परंतप । अन्यां योनिं समापन्नौ सार्गालीं वानरीं तथा ॥
English Translation
While both were human beings, O scorcher of enemies, they were intimate friends. After death one of them became a jackal and the other an ape.
ततः परासून्खादन्तं सृगालं वानरोऽब्रवीत् । श्मशानमध्ये संप्रेक्ष्य पूर्वजातिमनुस्मरन् ॥
English Translation
Seeing the jackal one day eating an animal car-case in the midst of a crematorium, the ape, remembering his own and his friend's pristine birth as human beings, addressed him, saying,
किं त्वया पापकं कर्म कृतं पूर्वं सुदारुणम् । यस्त्वं श्मशाने मृतकान्पूतिकानत्सि कुत्सितान् ॥
English Translation
Verily, what dreadíul sin did you commit in your pristine birth on account of which you are obliged in this birth to feed in a crematorium upon such repulsive food as the putrid car-case of an animal?
एवमुक्तः प्रत्युवाच सृगालो वानरं तदा । ब्राह्मणस्य प्रतिश्रुत्य न मया तदुपाकृतम् ॥
English Translation
Thus addressed the jackal replied to the ape, saving Having promised to give to a Brahmana I did not make him the gift.
तत्कृते पापिकां योनिमापन्नोऽस्मि प्लवंगम । तस्मादेवंविधं भक्ष्यं भक्षयामि बुभुक्षितः ॥
English Translation
It is for that sin, O ape, that I have fallen into this wretched state of existence. It is for that reason that, when hungry, I am obliged to cat such food.
इत्येतद्ब्रुवतो राजन्ब्राह्मणस्य मया श्रुतम् । कथां कथयतः पुण्यां धर्मज्ञस्य पुरातनीम् ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said I heard this, O king, from my preceptor while he was discoursing upon the subject of Brahmanas. I heard this from that pious person when he recounted the old and sacred declarations of this topic.
श्रुतं चापि मया भूयः कृष्णस्यापि विशां पते । कथां कथयतः पूर्वं ब्राह्मणं प्रति पाण्डव ॥
English Translation
I heard this from Krishna also, o king, while he was discoursing, O son of Pandu, upon Brahmanas.
एवमेव च मां नित्यं ब्राह्मणाः संदिशन्ति वै । प्रतिश्रुत्य भवेद्देयं नाशा कार्या हि ब्राह्मणैः ॥
English Translation
The Brahmanas always taught me this. Having promised to make them a gift, the gift should be made. A superior Brahmana should never be disappointed in his expectations. an
ब्राह्मणो ह्याशया पूर्वं कृतया पृथिवीपते । सुसमिद्धो यथा दीप्तः पावकस्तद्विधः स्मृतः ॥
English Translation
A Brahmana, O king, in whom expectation has been raised, has, O king, been said to be like a burning fire.
यं निरीक्षेत संक्रुद्ध आशया पूर्वजातया । प्रदहेत हि तं राजन्कक्षमक्षय्यभुग्यथा ॥
English Translation
That man upon whom a Brahmana with raised expectations looks, is sure, O king, to be reduced to ashes as a heap of straw is capable of being consumed by a burning fire.
स एव हि यदा तुष्टो वचसा प्रतिनन्दति । भवत्यगदसंकाशो विषये तस्य भारत ॥
English Translation
When the Brahmana, gratified by the king, addresses the king in delightful and affectionate words, he becomes, O Bharata, a source of great good to the king, for he continucs to live in the kingdom like a physician fighting against various ills of the body.
पुत्रान्पौत्रान्पशूंश्चैव बान्धवान्सचिवांस्तथा । पुरं जनपदं चैव शान्तिरिष्टेव पुष्यति ॥
English Translation
Such a Brahimana is sure to maintain peacefully the sons and grandsons and animals and relatives and ministers and other officers and the city and the provinces of the king.
एतद्धि परमं तेजो ब्राह्मणस्येह दृश्यते । सहस्रकिरणस्येव सवितुर्धरणीतले ॥
English Translation
Such is the energy of the Brahimana, like to that of the thousand-rayed Sun himself, on the Earth.
तस्माद्दातव्यमेवेह प्रतिश्रुत्य युधिष्ठिर । यदीच्छेच्छोभनां जातिं प्राप्तुं भरतसत्तम ॥
English Translation
Therefore, O Yudhishthira, if one wishes to come by a respectable or happy order of being in his next birth, he should, having made the promise to a Brahmana, certainly satisfy it by actually making the gift to him.
ब्राह्मणस्य हि दत्तेन ध्रुवं स्वर्गो ह्यनुत्तमः । शक्यं प्राप्तुं विशेषेण दानं हि महती क्रिया ॥
English Translation
By making gifts to a Brahmana one is sure to acquire the highest heaven. Verily, the making of gifts is the highest of deeds that one can perform.
इतो दत्तेन जीवन्ति देवताः पितरस्तथा । तस्माद्दानानि देयानि ब्राह्मणेभ्यो विजानता ॥
English Translation
The gods and the departed manes are supported by the gifts one makes to a Brahmana. Hence one endued with knowledge should ever make gifts to the Brahmanas.
महद्धि भरतश्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणस्तीर्थमुच्यते । वेलायां न तु कस्यांचिद्गच्छेद्विप्रो ह्यपूजितः ॥
English Translation
O chief of the Bharatas, the Brahmana is considered as the highest object to whom gifts should be made. At no time should a Brahmana be received without due adoration.
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