युधिष्ठिर उवाच ब्राह्मणानां तु ये लोकाः प्रतिश्रुत्य पितामह। न प्रयच्छन्ति मोहात् ते के भवन्ति महाद्युते॥
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 धर्मे धर्मभृतां वर। प्रतिश्रुत्य दुरात्मानो न प्रयच्छन्ति ये नराः॥
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 दद्यात् प्रतिश्रुत्य स्वल्पं वा यदि वा बहु। आशास्तस्य हताः सर्वाः क्लीबस्येव प्रजाफलम्॥
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 जीवां यां रात्रिं च विनश्यति। एतस्मिन्नन्तरे यद् यत् सुकृतं तस्य भारत।॥ यच्च तस्य हतं किंचिद् दत्तं वा भरतर्षभ। तपस्तप्तमथो वापि सर्वं तस्योपहन्यते॥
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.
अथैतद् वचनं प्राहुर्धर्मशास्त्रविदो जनाः। निशम्य भरतश्रेष्ठ बुद्धया परमयुक्तया।॥
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 सहस्त्रेण स मुच्यते।।७।
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। शृगालस्य च संवादं वानरस्य च भारत॥
Regarding it is cited the old discourse between a jackal and an ape.
तौ सखायौ पुरा ह्यास्तां मानुषत्वे परंतप। अन्यां योनि समापन्नौ शार्गाली वानरी तथा॥
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 परासून् खादन्तं शृगालं वानरोऽब्रवीत्। श्मशानमध्ये सम्प्रेक्ष्य पूर्वजातिमनुस्मरन्॥
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 पूर्वं कृतं कर्म सुदारुणम्। यस्त्वं श्मशाने मृतकान् पूतिकानत्सि कुत्सितान्॥
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 शृगालो वानरं तदा। ब्राह्मणस्य प्रतिश्रुत्य न मया तदुपाहतम्॥
Thus addressed the jackal replied to the ape, saving Having promised to give to a Brahmana I did not make him the gift.
तत्कृते पापकी योनिमापन्नोऽस्मि प्लवङ्गम। तस्मादेवंविधं भक्ष्यं भक्षयामि बुभुक्षितः॥
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.
भीष्म उवाच शृगालो वानरं प्राह पुनरेव नरोत्तम। किं त्वया पातकं कर्म कृतं येनासि वानरः॥
Bhishma said The jackal then, O best of men, addressed the monkey and said What sin did you commit for which you have become an ape.
वानर उवाच सदा चाहं फलाहारो ब्राह्मणानां प्लवङ्गमः। तस्मान्न ब्राह्मणस्वं तु हर्तव्यं विदुषा सदा। समं विवादो मोक्तव्यो दातव्यं स प्रतिश्रुतम्॥
The ape said In my former life I used to eat the fruits belonging to Brahmanas. Hence have I become an ape. Hence it is clear that one endued with intelligence and learning should never take what belongs to Brahmanas. As one should abstain from this, one should avoid also all quarrels with Brahmanas. Having promised, one should certainly make the promised gift lo them.
भीष्म उवाच इत्येतद् ब्रुवतो राजन् ब्राह्मणस्य मया श्रुतम्। कथां कथयतः पुण्यां धर्मज्ञस्य पुरातनीम्॥
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.
श्रुतश्चापि मया भूयः कृष्णस्यापि विशाम्पते। कथां कथयतः पूर्वं ब्राह्मणं प्रति पाण्डव॥
I heard this from Krishna also, o king, while he was discoursing, O son of Pandu, upon Brahmanas.
न हर्तव्यं विप्रधनं क्षन्तव्यं तेषु नित्यशः। बालाश्च नावमन्तव्या दरिद्राः कृपणा अपि॥
The property of a Brahmana should never be taken. They should always be let alone. Poor, or miserly, or young in years, they should never be dishonored.
एवमेव च मां नित्यं ब्राह्मणाः संदिशन्ति वै। प्रतिश्रुत्य भवेद् देयं नाशा कार्या द्विजोत्तमे॥
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॥
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। प्रदहेच्च हि तं राजन् कक्षमक्षय्यभुग यथा॥
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॥
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.
पुत्रान् पौत्रान् पशुंश्चैव बान्धवान् सचिवांस्तथा। पुरं जनपदं चैव शान्तिरिष्टेन पोषयेत्॥
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। सहस्त्रकिरणस्येव सवितुर्धरणीतले॥
Such is the energy of the Brahimana, like to that of the thousand-rayed Sun himself, on the Earth.
तस्माद् दातव्यमेवेह प्रतिश्रुत्य युधिष्ठिर। यदीच्छेच्छोभनां जाति प्राप्तुं भरतसत्तम॥
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। शक्यः प्राप्तुं विशेषेण दानं हि महती क्रिया॥
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। तस्माद् दानानि देयानि ब्राह्मणेभ्यो विजानता॥
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 कस्यांचिद् गच्छेद् विप्रो ह्यपूजितः।।२८
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.