युधिष्ठिर उवाच के पूज्याः के नमस्कार्याः कथं वर्तेते केषु च। किमाचारः कीदृशेषु पितामह न रिष्यते॥
Yudhishthira said Who are worthy of being adored? Who are they to whom we should bow? How, Indeed, should we behave towards whom? What course of conduct, O grandfather, towards what classes of persons is considered faultless?
भीष्म उवाच ब्राह्मणानां परिभवः सादयेदपि देवताः। ब्राह्मणांस्तु नमस्कृत्य युधिष्ठिर न रिष्यते॥
Bhishma said The humiliation of Brahmanas would humiliate the very celestials. By bowing to Brahmanas, one does not, O Yudhishthira, commit any fault.
ते पूज्यास्ते नमस्कार्या वर्तेथास्तेषु पुत्रवत्। ते हि लोकानिमान् सर्वान् धारयन्ति मनीषिणः॥
They, indeed, deserve to be adored. They deserve to have our vows. You should bchave towards them as if they are your sons. Indeed, it is those wise men who upholds all the worlds.
ब्राह्मणा: सर्वलोकानां महान्तो धर्मसेतवः। धनत्यागाभिरामाश्च वाक्संयमरताश्च ये॥
The Brahmanas are the great causeways of Virtue about all the worlds. Their happiness consists in renouncing all kinds of riches. They are devoted to the vow of controlling speech.
रमणीयाश्च भूतानां निधानं च धृतव्रताः। प्रणेतारश्च लोकाना शास्त्राणां च यशस्विनः॥
They are agreeable to all creatures, and observe various excellent vows. They are the refuge of all creatures in the universe. They are the authors of all the regulations which govern the worlds. They are endued with great fame.
तपो येषा धनं नित्यं वाक् चैव विपुलं बलम्। प्रभवश्चैव धर्माणां धर्माज्ञाः सूक्ष्मदर्शिन॥
Penances are always their great riches. Their power consists in speech. Their energy emanates from the duties they observe. Knowing all duties, they are gifted with minute vision, so that they are cognizant of the subtlest consideration.
धर्मकामाः स्थिता धर्मे सुकृतैर्धर्मसेतवः। यान् समाश्रित्य जीवन्ति प्रजाः सर्वाश्चतुर्विधाः॥
They are of righteous desires. They live in the observance of welldone duties. They are the causeways of Virtue. The four kinds of living creatures exist, depending upon them as their refuge.
पन्थानः सर्वनेतारो यशवाहाः सनातनाः। पितृपैतामहीं गुर्वीमुद्वहन्ति धुरं सदा॥
They are the path or road along which all should go. They are the guides of all. They are the eternal upholders of all the sacrifices. They always upholds the heavy loads of fathers and grandfathers.
धुरि ये नावसीदन्ति विषये सद्गवा इव। पित्रुदेवातिथिमुखा हव्यकव्याग्रभोजिनः॥
They never droop under heavy loads even when passing along difficult roads, like strong cattle. They are attentive to the requirements of manes and deities and guests. They are entitles to eat the first portions of Havya and Kavya.
भोजनादेव लोकांस्त्रींस्त्रायन्ते महतो भयात्। दीप: सर्वस्य लोकस्य चक्षुश्चक्षुष्मतामपि॥
By the very food they eat, they rescue the three worlds from great feat. They are, as it were, the Island for all worlds. They are the cyes of all persons gifted with sight.
सर्वशिक्षा श्रुतिधना निपुणा मोक्षदर्शिनः। गतिज्ञाः सर्वभूतानामध्यात्मगतिचिन्तिकाः॥
The wealth they possess consists of all the branches of knowledge known by the name of Shiksha, and all the Shrutis. Gifted with great skill, they are conversant with the most subtile relations of things. They know the ends of all things, and their thoughts are always engaged upon the science of the soul.
आदिमध्यावसानानां ज्ञातारश्छिन्नसंशयाः। परमावरविशेषज्ञा गन्तारः परमां गतिम्॥
They are gifted with the knowledge of the beginning, the middle, and the end of all things, and they are persons in whom doubts no longer exist on account of the certitude of their knowledge. They are fully aware of the distinctions between what is superior and what is inferior. They it is who acquire the highest end.
विमुक्ता धूतपाप्मानो निर्द्वन्द्वा निष्परिग्रहाः। मानार्हा मानिता नित्यं ज्ञानविद्भिर्महात्मभिः॥
Shorn of altachments, purged of all sins, getting over all pairs of opposites, they are unattached to all worldly things. Deserving of every honour, they are always esteemed by persons gifted with knowledge and high souls.
चन्दने मलपङ्के च भोजनेऽभोजने समाः। समं येषां दुकूलं च तथा क्षौमाजिनानि च॥
They cast impartial looks on sandal paste and filth or dirt, on what is food and what is not food. They see with an equal eye their brown dresses of coarse cloth and fabrics of silk and animal skins.
तिष्ठेयुरप्यभुञ्जाना बहूनि दिवसान्यपि। शोषयेयुश्च गात्राणि स्वाध्यायैः संयतेन्द्रियाः॥
They would live for days together without partaking of any food, and dry up their limbs by such abstention. They devote themselves earnestly to the study of the Vedas, controlling their senses.
अदैवं दैवतं कुर्युर्दैवतं चाप्यदैवतम्। लोकानन्यान् सृजेयुस्ते लोकपालांश्च कोपिताः॥
They would make gods of those who are not gods, and not gods of those who are gods. Enraged, they can create other worlds and other Regents of the worlds than those who exist.
अपेयः सागरो येषामपि शापान्महात्मनाम्। येषां कोपाग्निरद्यापि दण्डके नोपशाम्यति॥
Through the curse of those great ones, the ocean become so saline as to be undrinkable. The fire of their anger yet burns in the forest of Dandaka, unquenched by time.
देवानामपि ये देवाः कारणं कारणस्य च। प्रमाणस्य प्रमाणं च कस्तानभिभवेद् बुधः॥
They are the gods of the gods, and the cause of all causes. They are the authority of all authorities. What man of intelligence and wisdom is there who would seek to humiliate them.
येषां वृद्धश्च बालश्च सर्वः सम्मानमहीति। तपोविद्याविशेषात्तु मानयन्ति परस्परम्॥
Amongst them the young and the old all deserve honours. They honour one another on account of distinctions in respect of penances and knowledge.
अविद्वान् ब्राह्मणो देवः पात्रं वै पावनं महत्। विद्वान् भूयस्तरो देवः पूर्णसागरसंनिभः॥
Even the Brahmana who is destitute of knowledge is a god and is a great instrument for purifying others. He amongst them, then, who is possessed of knowledge is a much higher god and like the ocean when full (to the brim).
अवद्विांश्चैव विद्वांश्च ब्राह्मणो दैवतं महत्। प्रणीतश्चाप्रणीतश्च यथाग्निर्दैवतं महत्॥
Learned or unlearned, the Brahmana is always a great deity. Purified or not, Fire is ever a great god.
श्मशाने ह्यपि तेजस्वी पावको नैव दुष्यति। हविर्यज्ञे च विधिवद् गृह एवातिशोभते॥
A blazing fire, even when it burns on a crematorium, is not considered as sullied on account of the character of the spot whereon it burns. Clarified butter looks beautiful whether kept on the sacrificial after or in a chamber.
एवं यद्यप्यनिष्टेषु वर्तते सर्वकर्मसु। सर्वथा ब्राह्मणो मान्यो दैवतं विद्धि तत्परम्॥
So if the Brahmana be always engaged in evil deeds, he is still to be considered as deserving of honours. Indeed, know that the Brahmana is always a great god.