Critical Edition
युधिष्ठिर उवाच ब्राह्मणानां तु ये लोके प्रतिश्रुत्य पितामह न प्रयच्छन्ति मोहात्ते के भवन्ति महामते
M. N. Dutt: 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?
Supplementary Passages:
13.9.1 Before 1, D7 ins.: *46 दानधर्मेषु भो भीष्म सदैव निश्चयो हि मे
एतन्मे तत्त्वतो ब्रूहि धर्मं धर्मभृतां वर प्रतिश्रुत्य दुरात्मानो न प्रयच्छन्ति ये नराः
M. N. Dutt: 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.
भीष्म उवाच यो न दद्यात्प्रतिश्रुत्य स्वल्पं वा यदि वा बहु आशास्तस्य हताः सर्वाः क्लीबस्येव प्रजाफलम्
M. N. Dutt: 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
M. N. Dutt: 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.
Supplementary Passages:
13.9.4 After 4e, N ins.: *47 दत्तं वा भरतर्षभ तपस्तप्तमथो वापि
अत्रैतद्वचनं प्राहुर्धर्मशास्त्रविदो जनाः निशम्य भरतश्रेष्ठ बुद्ध्या परमयुक्तया
M. N. Dutt: 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
M. N. Dutt: 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
M. N. Dutt: Regarding it is cited the old discourse between a jackal and an ape.
तौ सखायौ पुरा ह्यास्तां मानुषत्वे परंतप अन्यां योनिं समापन्नौ सार्गालीं वानरीं तथा
M. N. Dutt: 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.
Supplementary Passages:
13.9.8 After 8, T G ins.: *48 संभाषमाणौ तु ततः सख्यं तत्र परस्परम्
ततः परासून्खादन्तं सृगालं वानरोऽब्रवीत् श्मशानमध्ये संप्रेक्ष्य पूर्वजातिमनुस्मरन्
M. N. Dutt: 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
M. N. Dutt: 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
M. N. Dutt: 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
M. N. Dutt: 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.
Supplementary Passages:
13.9.12 After 12, B4 ins.: *49 एतन्मया ते कथितं सृगालोऽहं यथाभवम् त्वं तु वानरतां प्राप्तः कर्मणा केन तद्वद वानर उवाच पारक्याणि पुरा लोभात्फलान्यपहृतानि च तेनाहं कर्मदोषेण वानरत्वमुपागतः भीष्म उवाच एवं तौ कथयित्वा तु कर्मदोषान्परस्परम् सृगालो वानरश्चापि प्रतियातौ यथागतम् While Dn D8.10 G4 ins. after 12: *50 भीष्म उवाच सृगालो वानरं प्राह पुनरेव नृपोत्तम किं त्वया पातकं कर्म कृतं येनासि वानरः Dn D8.10 G4 cont.: T G1-3 M ins. after 12: *51 स चाप्याह ब्राह्मणानां फलाहारः प्लवंगमः तस्मान्न ब्राह्मणस्वं तु हर्तव्यं विदुषा सदा सीमाविवादे मोक्तव्यं दातव्यं च प्रतिश्रुतम्
इत्येतद्ब्रुवतो राजन्ब्राह्मणस्य मया श्रुतम् कथां कथयतः पुण्यां धर्मज्ञस्य पुरातनीम्
M. N. Dutt: 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
M. N. Dutt: I heard this from Krishna also, o king, while he was discoursing, O son of Pandu, upon Brahmanas.
Supplementary Passages:
13.9.14 Dn1.n2 ins. after 14: T G after 14ab: *52 न हर्तव्यं विप्रधनं क्षन्तव्यं तेषु नित्यशः बालाश्च नावमन्तव्या दरिद्राः कृपणा अपि
एवमेव च मां नित्यं ब्राह्मणाः संदिशन्ति वै प्रतिश्रुत्य भवेद्देयं नाशा कार्या हि ब्राह्मणैः
M. N. Dutt: 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
M. N. Dutt: 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
M. N. Dutt: 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
M. N. Dutt: 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
M. N. Dutt: 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
M. N. Dutt: 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
M. N. Dutt: 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
M. N. Dutt: 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
M. N. Dutt: 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
M. N. Dutt: 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.