The Sacred Triad, and How a Brahmin Loses His Brahmanhood

Verse 1 (14.117.1)

कीदृशानां तु शूद्राणां नानुगृह्णासि चार्चनम् । उद्वेगस्तव कस्माद्धि तन्मे ब्रूहि सुरेश्वर ॥

kīdṛśānāṃ tu śūdrāṇāṃ nānugṛhṇāsi cārcanam | udvegastava kasmāddhi tanme brūhi sureśvara

What kind of Shudras' worship do you not accept? Why is there aversion in you? Tell me that, O lord of the gods.

Note on the text: Appendix I No. 4 (14,096.015d@004), lines _3278–_3279; not in the critical edition's constituted text (the CE prints 'yudhiṣṭhira uvāca' at @004_3277).

Verse 2 (14.117.2)

अव्रतेनाप्यभक्तेन स्पृष्टां शूद्रेण चार्चनाम् । तां वर्जयामि राजेन्द्र श्वपाकविहितामिव ॥

avratenāpyabhaktena spṛṣṭāṃ śūdreṇa cārcanām | tāṃ varjayāmi rājendra śvapākavihitāmiva

A worship touched by a Shudra who keeps no vows and has no devotion I reject, O king of kings, as though it had been performed by a dog-cooker.

Note on the text: Appendix I No. 4 (14,096.015d@004), lines _3280–_3281; not in the critical edition's constituted text (the CE prints 'bhagavān uvāca' at @004_3279).

Verse 3 (14.117.3)

नन्वहं शङ्करश्चापि गावो विप्रास्तथैव च । अश्वत्थोऽमररूपं हि त्रयमेतद्युधिष्ठिर ॥

nanvahaṃ śaṅkaraścāpi gāvo viprāstathaiva ca | aśvattho'mararūpaṃ hi trayametadyudhiṣṭhira

Indeed, there are I and Shankara too, and the cows and the Brahmins, and the ashvattha tree, which has a divine form — this is the triad, O Yudhishthira.

Note on the text: Appendix I No. 4 (14,096.015d@004), lines _3282–_3283; not in the critical edition's constituted text.

Verse 4 (14.117.4)

एतत्त्रयं हि मद्भक्तो नावमन्येत कर्हिचित् । अवमानितमेतत्तु दहत्यासप्तमं कुलम् ॥

etattrayaṃ hi madbhakto nāvamanyeta karhicit | avamānitametattu dahatyāsaptamaṃ kulam

A devotee of mine must never slight this triad; when slighted, it burns the family down to the seventh generation.

Note on the text: Appendix I No. 4 (14,096.015d@004), lines _3284–_3285; not in the critical edition's constituted text.

Verse 5 (14.117.5)

अश्वत्थो ब्राह्मणा गावो मन्मयास्तारयन्ति हि । तस्मादेतत्प्रयत्नेन त्रयं पूजय पाण्डव ॥

aśvattho brāhmaṇā gāvo manmayāstārayanti hi | tasmādetatprayatnena trayaṃ pūjaya pāṇḍava

The ashvattha, the Brahmins and the cows are full of me, and they carry others across. Therefore, O Pandava, worship these three with great effort.

Note on the text: Appendix I No. 4 (14,096.015d@004), lines _3286–_3287; not in the critical edition's constituted text.

Verse 6 (14.117.6)

ब्राह्मणेनैव देहेन कथं शूद्रत्वमाप्नुयात् । ब्रह्म वा नश्यति कथं वक्तुं देव त्वमर्हसि ॥

brāhmaṇenaiva dehena kathaṃ śūdratvamāpnuyāt | brahma vā naśyati kathaṃ vaktuṃ deva tvamarhasi

How can a man become a Shudra in this very body of a Brahmin? Or how does his Brahmanhood perish? O Lord, you ought to tell me.

Note on the text: Appendix I No. 4 (14,096.015d@004), lines _3288–_3289; not in the critical edition's constituted text (the CE prints 'yudhiṣṭhira uvāca' at @004_3287).

Verse 7 (14.117.7)

कूपस्नानं तु यो विप्रः कुर्याद्द्वादशवार्षिकम् । स तेनैव शरीरेण शूद्रत्वं यात्यसंशयम् ॥

kūpasnānaṃ tu yo vipraḥ kuryāddvādaśavārṣikam | sa tenaiva śarīreṇa śūdratvaṃ yātyasaṃśayam

A Brahmin who bathes in a well for twelve years becomes a Shudra in that very body, without doubt.

Note on the text: Appendix I No. 4 (14,096.015d@004), lines _3290–_3291; not in the critical edition's constituted text (the CE prints 'bhagavān uvāca' at @004_3289).

Verse 8 (14.117.8)

यस्तु राजाश्रयेणैव जीवेद्द्वादशवार्षिकम् । स शूद्रत्वं व्रजेद्विप्रो वेदानां पारगोपि सन् ॥

yastu rājāśrayeṇaiva jīveddvādaśavārṣikam | sa śūdratvaṃ vrajedvipro vedānāṃ pāragopi san

A Brahmin who lives for twelve years on a king's support goes to the state of a Shudra, even though he is a master of the Vedas.

Note on the text: Appendix I No. 4 (14,096.015d@004), lines _3292–_3293; not in the critical edition's constituted text.

Verse 9 (14.117.9)

पत्तने नगरे वाऽपि यो द्वादशसमा वसेत् । स शूद्रत्वं व्रजेद्विप्रो नात्र कार्या विचारणा ॥

pattane nagare vā'pi yo dvādaśasamā vaset | sa śūdratvaṃ vrajedvipro nātra kāryā vicāraṇā

A Brahmin who lives for twelve years in a town or a city goes to the state of a Shudra; there is no need to doubt this.

Note on the text: Appendix I No. 4 (14,096.015d@004), lines _3294–_3295; not in the critical edition's constituted text.

Verse 10 (14.117.10)

उत्पादयति यः पुत्रं शूद्रायां काममोहितः । तस्य कायगतं ब्रह्म सद्य एव विनश्यति ॥

utpādayati yaḥ putraṃ śūdrāyāṃ kāmamohitaḥ | tasya kāyagataṃ brahma sadya eva vinaśyati

For one who, deluded by lust, fathers a son on a Shudra woman, the sacred power in his body is destroyed at once.

Note on the text: Appendix I No. 4 (14,096.015d@004), lines _3296–_3297; not in the critical edition's constituted text. The CE has two further lines (@004_3298–3299, "madyapī strīmukhaṃ mohād āsvādayati yo naraḥ / tasya kāyagataṃ brahma sadya eva vinaśyati") between this verse and the next, which Wikisource lacks; not added.

Verse 11 (14.117.11)

यः सोमलतिकां विप्रः केवलं भक्षयेद्वृथा । तस्य कायगतं ब्रह्म सद्य एव विनश्यति ॥

yaḥ somalatikāṃ vipraḥ kevalaṃ bhakṣayedvṛthā | tasya kāyagataṃ brahma sadya eva vinaśyati

A Brahmin who eats the soma plant by itself, to no purpose — the sacred power in his body is destroyed at once.

Note on the text: Appendix I No. 4 (14,096.015d@004), lines _3300–_3301; not in the critical edition's constituted text.

Verse 12 (14.117.12)

मैथुनं कुरुते यस्तु जिह्वायां ब्राह्मणो नृप । तस्य कायगतं ब्रह्म सद्य एव विनश्यति ॥

maithunaṃ kurute yastu jihvāyāṃ brāhmaṇo nṛpa | tasya kāyagataṃ brahma sadya eva vinaśyati

A Brahmin, O king, who commits sexual union with the tongue — the sacred power in his body is destroyed at once.

Note on the text: Appendix I No. 4 (14,096.015d@004), lines _3302–_3303; not in the critical edition's constituted text.

Verse 13 (14.117.13)

विप्रत्वं दुर्लभं प्राप्य दुर्मार्गैरेवमादिभिः । विनाशयन्ति ये तत्तु ताञ्शोचामि युधिष्ठिर ॥

vipratvaṃ durlabhaṃ prāpya durmārgairevamādibhiḥ | vināśayanti ye tattu tāñśocāmi yudhiṣṭhira

Having won the rare state of a Brahmin, those who destroy it by such evil paths and the like — for them I grieve, O Yudhishthira.

Note on the text: Corrected दुर्मर्गै → दुर्मार्गै (misprint in Wikisource; short vowel; CE durmārgair). Appendix I No. 4 (14,096.015d@004), lines _3304–_3305; not in the critical edition's constituted text.

Verse 14 (14.117.14)

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन मत्प्रियो यो युधिष्ठिर । जातिभ्रंशकरं कर्म न कुर्यादीदृशं द्विजः ॥

tasmātsarvaprayatnena matpriyo yo yudhiṣṭhira | jātibhraṃśakaraṃ karma na kuryādīdṛśaṃ dvijaḥ

Therefore, O Yudhishthira, a twice-born who is dear to me should, with all effort, never do such an act, which brings loss of one's class.

Note on the text: Corrected सर्वप्रत्नेन → सर्वप्रयत्नेन (misprint in Wikisource; dropped य; CE sarvaprayatnena). Appendix I No. 4 (14,096.015d@004), lines _3306–_3307; not in the critical edition's constituted text.