How Brahmin-Slaying Is Incurred Without Killing

Verse 1 (13.63.1)

इदं मे तत्त्वतो राजन्वक्तुमर्हसि भारत । अहिंसयित्वाऽपि कथं ब्रह्महत्या विधीयते ॥

idaṃ me tattvato rājanvaktumarhasi bhārata | ahiṃsayitvā'pi kathaṃ brahmahatyā vidhīyate

Tell me this truly, O king, O Bharata: how is the guilt of killing a brahmin incurred even without any killing?

Note on the text: Line 2 reads 'अहिंसयित्वाऽपि कथं' where CE 13.25.1 has 'ahiṃsayitvā keneha'; recension variant, kept.

Verse 2 (13.63.2)

व्यासमामन्त्र्य राजेन्द्र पुरा यत्पृष्टवानहम् । तत्तेऽहं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि तदिहैकमनाः शृणु ॥

vyāsamāmantrya rājendra purā yatpṛṣṭavānaham | tatte'haṃ sampravakṣyāmi tadihaikamanāḥ śṛṇu

O best of kings, I will tell you what I once asked of Vyasa after addressing him. Listen to it with a single mind.

Verse 3 (13.63.3)

चतुर्थस्त्वं वसिष्ठस्य तत्त्वमाख्याहि मे मुने । अहिंसयित्वा केनेह ब्रह्महत्या विधीयते ॥

caturthastvaṃ vasiṣṭhasya tattvamākhyāhi me mune | ahiṃsayitvā keneha brahmahatyā vidhīyate

"You are fourth in descent from Vasishtha; tell me the truth, O sage: how is the guilt of killing a brahmin incurred even without any killing?"

Note on the text: These words are Bhishma's own question to Vyasa, quoted within his narration; the speaker stays Bhishma.

Verse 4 (13.63.4)

इति पृष्टो मया राजन्पराशरशरीरजः । अब्रवीन्निपुणो धर्मे निःसंशयमनुत्तमम् ॥

iti pṛṣṭo mayā rājanparāśaraśarīrajaḥ | abravīnnipuṇo dharme niḥsaṃśayamanuttamam

Thus questioned by me, O king, the son of Parashara, who is deeply versed in dharma, gave this answer, supreme and free of doubt.

Verse 5 (13.63.5)

ब्राह्मणं स्वयमाहूय भिक्षार्थे कृशवृत्तिनम् । ब्रूयान्नास्तीति यः पश्चात्तं विद्याद्ब्रह्मघातिनम् ॥

brāhmaṇaṃ svayamāhūya bhikṣārthe kṛśavṛttinam | brūyānnāstīti yaḥ paścāttaṃ vidyādbrahmaghātinam

Know him to be a slayer of a brahmin who, having himself called a brahmin of meagre means to come for alms, afterwards says, "There is nothing."

Note on the text: Speaker: Vyasa's reply. The page prints no heading between verses 4 and 5, so the reply is given to Vyasa; the heading 'भीष्म उवाच' printed before verse 2 stands over the narration.

Verse 6 (13.63.6)

मध्यस्थस्येह विप्रस्य योऽनूचानस्य भारत । वृत्तिं हरति दुर्बुद्धिस्तं विद्याद्ब्रह्मघातिनम् ॥

madhyasthasyeha viprasya yo'nūcānasya bhārata | vṛttiṃ harati durbuddhistaṃ vidyādbrahmaghātinam

Know him to be a slayer of a brahmin who, being ill-minded, takes away the livelihood of a learned brahmin who stands neutral in this world, O Bharata.

Verse 7 (13.63.7)

गोकुलस्य तृषार्तस्य जलार्थमभिधावतः । उत्पादयति यो विघ्नं तं विद्याद्ब्रह्मघातिनम् ॥

gokulasya tṛṣārtasya jalārthamabhidhāvataḥ | utpādayati yo vighnaṃ taṃ vidyādbrahmaghātinam

Know him to be a slayer of a brahmin who puts an obstacle in the way of a herd of cattle, tormented by thirst, as it runs towards water.

Note on the text: Restored the lost letters: Wikisource prints 'तं विद्या** ह्मघातिनम्' (two asterisks standing for the missing syllables); restored to 'तं विद्याद्ब्रह्मघातिनम्', the refrain of every verse of this passage (CE 13.25.7c 'taṃ vidyād brahmaghātinam'). Line 1 'जलार्थमभिधावतः' is a recension variant of CE 13.25.7a ('jalārthe vasudhādhipa'), kept.

Verse 8 (13.63.8)

यः प्रवृत्तां श्रुतिं सम्यक् शास्त्रं वा मुनिभिः कृतम् । दूषयत्यनभिज्ञाय तं विद्याद्ब्रह्मघातिनम् ॥

yaḥ pravṛttāṃ śrutiṃ samyak śāstraṃ vā munibhiḥ kṛtam | dūṣayatyanabhijñāya taṃ vidyādbrahmaghātinam

Know him to be a slayer of a brahmin who, without understanding, reviles the Veda as rightly followed, or a scripture composed by the sages.

Note on the text: Corrected सम्यकू → सम्यक् and शास्त्र वा → शास्त्रं वा (misprints in Wikisource; a stray ू on the final consonant and a dropped anusvara; CE 13.25.8 'samyak śāstraṃ vā'). CE star lines 13.25.8b*0217_01-02 follow in the CE; Wikisource lacks them and they are not added.

Verse 9 (13.63.9)

आत्मजां रूपसम्पन्नां महतीं सदृशे वरे । न प्रयच्छति यः कन्यां तं विद्याद्ब्रह्मघातिनम् ॥

ātmajāṃ rūpasampannāṃ mahatīṃ sadṛśe vare | na prayacchati yaḥ kanyāṃ taṃ vidyādbrahmaghātinam

Know him to be a slayer of a brahmin who does not give his beautiful, grown daughter to a suitable bridegroom.

Note on the text: Corrected ब्रह्मधातिनम् → ब्रह्मघातिनम् (misprint in Wikisource; ध for घ; CE 13.25.9 'brahmaghātinam').

Verse 10 (13.63.10)

अधर्मनिरतो मूढो मिथ्या यो वै द्विजातिषु । दद्यान्मर्मातिगं शोकं तं विद्याद्ब्रह्मघातिनम् ॥

adharmanirato mūḍho mithyā yo vai dvijātiṣu | dadyānmarmātigaṃ śokaṃ taṃ vidyādbrahmaghātinam

Know him to be a slayer of a brahmin who, a fool given to unrighteousness, falsely inflicts upon the twice-born a grief that pierces to the vitals.

Note on the text: CE star lines 13.25.10b*0218_01-02 follow in the CE; Wikisource lacks them and they are not added.

Verse 11 (13.63.11)

चक्षुषा विप्रहीणस्य पङ्गुलस्य जडस्य वा । हरेत यो वै सर्वस्वं तं विद्याद्ब्रह्मघातिनम् ॥

cakṣuṣā viprahīṇasya paṅgulasya jaḍasya vā | hareta yo vai sarvasvaṃ taṃ vidyādbrahmaghātinam

Know him to be a slayer of a brahmin who seizes all the property of one who has lost his sight, or of a lame man, or of a dullard.

Note on the text: Restored the lost letters: Wikisource prints 'तं विद्या *** घातिनम्' (asterisks standing for the missing syllables); restored to 'तं विद्याद्ब्रह्मघातिनम्', the refrain of this passage (CE 13.25.11c 'taṃ vidyād brahmaghātinam'). Line 1 'चक्षुषा विप्रहीणस्य' agrees with CE.

Verse 12 (13.63.12)

आश्रमे वा वने वाऽपि ग्रामे वा यदि वा पुरे । अग्निं समुत्सृजेन्मोहात्तं विद्याद्ब्रह्मघातिनम् ॥

āśrame vā vane vā'pi grāme vā yadi vā pure | agniṃ samutsṛjenmohāttaṃ vidyādbrahmaghātinam

Know him to be a slayer of a brahmin who, in delusion, sets fire loose in a hermitage or a forest, in a village or a city.

Note on the text: Line 1 reads 'वने वाऽपि ग्रामे वा' where CE 13.25.12 has 'vane vā yo grāme vā'; recension variant, kept. The relative is left to be understood.