text stringlengths 0 182 |
|---|
much wealth and become a Brahmana (in thy next life). Do thou, O Bharata, protect thy own means (of support and of doing |
acts of righteousness), as also the means of other people's subsistence. Do thou support thy servants as thy own children. Do |
thou, O Bharata, protect the Brahmanas in the enjoyment of what they have and make gifts unto them of such articles as they |
have not. Let thy life be devoted to the purpose of the Brahmanas. Let it never be said that thou dost not grant protection to the |
Brahmanas. Much wealth or affluence, when possessed by a Brahmana, becomes a source of evil to him. Constant association |
with affluence and prosperity is certain to fill him with pride and cause him to be stupefied (in respect of his true duties). If the |
Brahmanas become stupefied and steeped in folly, righteousness and duties are sure to suffer destruction. Without doubt, if |
righteousness and duty come to an end, it will lead to the destruction of all creatures. That king who having amassed wealth |
makes it over (for safe keep) to his treasury officers and guards, and then commences again to plunder his kingdom, saying |
unto his officers, 'Do ye bring me as much wealth as you can extort from the kingdom,' and who spends the wealth that is thus |
collected at his command under circumstances of fear and cruelty, in the performance of sacrifices, should know that those |
sacrifices of his are never applauded by the righteous. The king should perform sacrifices with such wealth as is willingly paid |
into his treasury by prosperous and unpersecuted subjects. Sacrifices should never be performed with wealth acquired by |
severity and extortion. The king should then perform great sacrifices with large presents in the shape of Dakshina, when in |
consequence of his being devoted to the good of his subjects, the latter bathe him with copious showers of wealth brought |
willingly by them for the purpose. The king should protect the wealth of those that are old, of those that are minors, of those |
that are blind, and of those that are otherwise disqualified. The king should never take any wealth from his people, if they, in a |
season of drought, succeed in growing any corn with the aid of water obtained from wells. Nor should he take any wealth from |
weeping women.[326] The wealth taken from the poor and the helpless is sure to destroy the kingdom and the prosperity of the |
king. The king should always make unto the righteous gifts of all enjoyable articles in abundance. He should certainly dispel |
the fear of famishing which those men may have.[327] There are no men more sinful than those upon whose food children look |
with wistfulness without being able to eat them duly. If within thy kingdom any learned Brahmana languishes with hunger like |
any of those children, thou shalt then incur the sin of foeticide for having allowed such an act. King Sivi himself had said this, |
viz., 'Fie on that king in whose kingdom a Brahmana or even any other man languishes from hunger.' That kingdom in which a |
Brahmana of the Snataka class languishes with hunger becomes overwhelmed with adversity. Such a kingdom with its king |
also incurs reproach. That king is more dead than alive in whose kingdom women are easily abducted from the midst of |
husbands and sons, uttering cries and groans of indignation and grief The subjects should arm themselves to slay that King who |
does not protect them, who simply plunders their wealth, who confounds all distinctions, who is ever incapable of taking their |
lead, who is without compassion, and who is regarded as the most sinful of kings. That king who tells his people that he is their |
protector but who does not or is unable to protect them, should be slain by his combined subjects, like a dog that is affected |
with the rabies and has become mad. A fourth part of whatever sins are committed by the subjects clings to that king who does |
not protect, O Bharata. Some authorities say that the whole of those sins is taken by such a king. Others are of opinion that a |
half thereof becomes his. Bearing in mind, however, the declaration of Manu, it is our opinion that a fourth part of such sins |
becomes the unprotecting king's. That king, O Bharata, who grants protection to his subjects obtains a fourth part of whatever |
merits his subjects acquire living under his protection. Do thou, O Yudhishthira, act in such a way that all thy subjects may |
seek thee as their refuge as long as thou art alive, even as all creatures seek the refuge of the deity of rain or even as the winged |
denizens of the air seek the refuge of a large tree. Let all thy kinsmen and all thy friends and well-wishers, O scorcher of foes, |
seek thee as their refuge even as the Rakshasas seek Kuvera or the deities seek Indra as theirs.'" |
SECTION LXII |
"Yudhishthira said, 'People accept with affection the declarations of the Srutis which say, 'This is to be given.' 'This other thing |
is to be given!' As regards kings, again, they make gifts of various things unto various men. What, however, O grandsire, is the |
best or foremost of all gifts.' |
"Bhishma said, 'Of all kinds of gifts, the gift of earth has been said to be the first (in point of merit). Earth is immovable and |
indestructible. It is capable of yielding unto him who owns it all the best things upon which his heart may be set. It yields robes |
and vestments, jewels and gems, animals, paddy and barley. Amongst all creatures, the giver of earth grows in prosperity for |
ever and ever. As long as the earth lasts, so long does the giver thereof grow in prosperity. There is no gift that is higher, O |
Yudhishthira, than the gift of earth. It hath been heard by us that all men have given a little quantity of earth. All men have |
made gifts of earth, hence all men enjoy a little of earth. Whether in this or in the next world all creatures live under conditions |
dependent upon their own acts. Earth is Prosperity's self. She is a mighty goddess. She makes him her lord (in next life) who |
makes gifts of her in this life to other people. That person, O best of kings, who gives away earth, which is indestructible, as |
Dakshina, becomes born in next life as a man and becomes also a lord of earth. The measure of one's enjoyment in this life is |
commensurate with the measure of one's gifts in a previous life. Even this is the conclusion to which the scriptures point. For a |
Kshatriya should either give away the earth in gift or cast off his life in battle. Even this constitutes the highest source of |
prosperity with regard to Kshatriyas. It has been heard by us that earth, when given away, cleanses and sanctifies the giver. The |
man that is of sinful behaviour, that is guilty of even the slaughter of a Brahamana and of falsehood, is cleansed by a gift of |
earth. Indeed, such a gift rescues even such a sinner from all his sins. The righteous accept gifts of earth only and no other |
thing from kings that are sinful. Like one's mother, earth, when given away, cleanses the giver and the taker. This is an eternal |
and secret name of earth, viz., Priyadatta.[328] Given away or accepted in gift, the name that is dear to her is Priyadatta. The |
gift of earth is desirable. That king who makes a gift of earth unto a learned Brahmana, obtains from that gift a kingdom. Upon |
re-birth in this world, such a man without doubt attains to a position that is equal to that of a king. Hence a king as soon as he |
gets earth, should make gifts of earth unto the Brahmanas. None but a lord of earth; is competent to make gifts of earth. Nor |
should one that is not a deserving person accept a gift of earth. They who desire earth should, without doubt, conduct |
themselves in this way (i.e., make gifts of earth). That person who takes away earth belonging to a righteous person never gets |
any earth. By making gifts of earth unto the righteous, one gets good earth. Of virtuous soul, such a giver acquires great fame |
both here and hereafter. That righteous king respecting whom the Brahmanas say, 'We live on earth given to us by him,' is such |
that his very enemies cannot utter the least reproach respecting his kingdom.[329] Whatever sins a man commits from want of |
the means of support, are all washed off by gift of only so much earth as is covered by a cow-hide. Those kings that are mean |
in their acts or are of fierce deeds, should be taught that gift of earth is exceedingly cleansing and is at the same time the |
highest gift (in respect of merit). The ancients thought that there was always very little difference between the man who |
performs a Horse-sacrifice and him that makes a gift of earth unto one that is righteous. The learned doubt the acquisition of |
merit by doing all other acts of righteousness. The only act with respect to which they do not entertain doubt is the gift of earth |
which, indeed, is the foremost of all gifts. The man of wisdom who makes gifts of earth, gives away all these, viz., gold, silver, |
cloth, gems and pearls and precious stones. Penances, sacrifice, Vedic lore, good behaviour, absence of cupidity, firmness in |
truth, worship of seniors, preceptors, and the deities--all these dwell in him who makes a gift of earth. They who ascend to the |
region of Brahman by leaving off their lives in battle, after having fought without any regard for themselves to secure the |
benefit to their masters--even they are unable to transcend the merit of those that make gilts of earth. As the mother always |
nourishes her own child with milk from her breast, even so doth the earth gratify with all the tastes the person that makes a gift |
of earth. Mrityu, Vaikinkara, Danda, Yama, Fire who is possessed of great fierceness, and all heinous and terrible sins are |
incapable of touching the person that makes a gift of earth. That man of tranquil soul who makes a gift of earth gratifies (by |
that act) the Pitris dwelling in their own region and the deities also hailing from the region that is theirs. The man who makes a |
gift of earth unto one that is emaciated and cheerless and destitute of the means of life and languishing with weakness, and who |
thereby supplies one with the means of subsistence, becomes entitled to the honour and merit of performing a sacrifice. Even as |
an affectionate cow runs towards her calf, with full udders dropping milk, the highly-blessed earth after the same manner, runs |
towards the person who makes a gift of earth. That man who makes unto a Brahmana a gift of earth which has been tilled, or |
sown with seeds or which contains standing crops, or a mansion well-equipped with every necessary, succeeds in becoming (in |
next life) the accomplisher of the wishes of everybody. The man who causes a Brahmana possessed of the means of life, |
owning a domestic fire and of pure vows and practices, to accept a gift of earth, never falls into any danger or distress. As the |
moon waxes day by day, even so the merit of a gift of earth becomes enhanced every time such earth produces crops. Those |
conversant with ancient history sing this verse in connection with the gift of earth. Hearing that verse Jamadagni's son (Rama) |
gave away the whole earth unto Kasyapa. The verse to which I refer is this, 'Receive me in gift. Give me away. By giving me |
away, thou (O giver) shall obtain me again!' That which is given away in this life is re-acquired in the next.[330] That |
Brahmana who recites this high declaration of the Vedas at the time of a Sraddha attains to the highest reward. A gift of earth is |
a high expiation for the sin of those puissant men who betake themselves to Atharvan rites for doing injuries to others. Indeed, |
by making a gift of earth one rescues ten generations of one's paternal and maternal race. That person who is even conversant |
with this Vedic declaration respecting the merits of a gift of earth, succeeds in rescuing ten generations of both his paternal and |
maternal families. The earth is the original source of all creatures (for it is from earth that all creatures derive their sustenance). |
It has been said that the deity of fire is the presiding genius of the earth. After the coronation ceremony has been performed of |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.