The Qualities of Priests and the Duty of Sacrificial Gifts

Verse 1 (12.79.1)

क्व समर्थाः कथंशीला ऋत्विजः स्युः पितामह । कथंविधाश्च राजेन्द्र तद्ब्रूहि वदतां वर ॥

kva samarthāḥ kathaṃśīlā ṛtvijaḥ syuḥ pitāmaha | kathaṃvidhāśca rājendra tadbrūhi vadatāṃ vara

Grandfather, where are capable priests to be found, and of what character should they be? And of what kind, O king of kings? Tell me that, best of speakers.

Verse 2 (12.79.2)

प्रतिकर्मपरा राजन्वृत्तिरस्य विधीयते । छन्दः सामादि विज्ञाय द्विजानां श्रुतमेव च ॥

pratikarmaparā rājanvṛttirasya vidhīyate | chandaḥ sāmādi vijñāya dvijānāṃ śrutameva ca

O king, the livelihood of such a man is laid down as devotion to rites of remedy; he should first have mastered the metres, the Samans and the rest, and what the twice-born have learned.

Note on the text: Corrected श्रुतमेवच → श्रुतमेव च (misprint in Wikisource; two words run together). The wording differs from CE 12.80.2 (pratikarma purācāra ṛtvijāṃ sma vidhīyate ...) and is kept as a recension variant.

Verse 3 (12.79.3)

ये त्वेकरतयो नित्यं धीराश्च प्रियवादिनः । परस्परस्य सुहृदः समन्तात्समदर्शिनः ॥

ye tvekaratayo nityaṃ dhīrāśca priyavādinaḥ | parasparasya suhṛdaḥ samantātsamadarśinaḥ

Those who are always devoted to a single purpose, steadfast, pleasant in speech, friends to one another on every side, and who look on all alike,

Verse 4 (12.79.4)

आनृशंस्यं सत्यवाक्यमहिंसा दम आर्जवम् । अद्रोहोऽनभिमानश्च ह्रीस्तितिक्षा दमः शमः ॥

ānṛśaṃsyaṃ satyavākyamahiṃsā dama ārjavam | adroho'nabhimānaśca hrīstitikṣā damaḥ śamaḥ

freedom from cruelty, truthful speech, non-violence, self-control, uprightness, freedom from malice, absence of pride, modesty, forbearance, restraint and tranquillity:

Note on the text: Line 1 and line 2 are CE 12.80.4a and 4c. The CE's star lines 12.80.4d*0197_01 and *0198_01 follow; only the second appears on the page, at the start of the next verse.

Verse 5 (12.79.5)

यस्मिन्नेतानि दृश्यन्ते स पुरोहित उच्यते । धीमान्सत्यधृतिर्दान्तो भूतानामविहिंसकः । अकामद्वेषसंयुक्तस्त्रिभिः शुक्लैः समन्वितः ॥

yasminnetāni dṛśyante sa purohita ucyate | dhīmānsatyadhṛtirdānto bhūtānāmavihiṃsakaḥ | akāmadveṣasaṃyuktastribhiḥ śuklaiḥ samanvitaḥ

The man in whom these qualities are seen is called a purohita. He is intelligent, firm in truth, self-controlled, harmless to living beings, free from desire and hatred, and possessed of the three pure endowments.

Note on the text: Removed the backtick, the quote mark and the doubled daṇḍa Wikisource prints around line 1. Not matched by the alignment: line 1 is the CE star line 12.80.4d*0198_01 (yasminn etāni dṛśyante sa purohita ucyate); lines 2-3 are CE 12.80.5a and 5c.

Verse 6 (12.79.6)

अहिंसको ज्ञानतृप्तः स ब्रह्मासनमर्हति । एते महर्त्विजस्तात सर्वे मान्या यथार्हतः ॥

ahiṃsako jñānatṛptaḥ sa brahmāsanamarhati | ete mahartvijastāta sarve mānyā yathārhataḥ

A man who is harmless and content with knowledge deserves the seat of the Brahman priest. These, dear child, are the great priests, and all of them are to be honoured according to their worth.

Verse 7 (12.79.7)

यदिदं वेदवचनं दक्षिणासु विधीयते । इदं देयमिदं देयं न क्वचिद्व्यवतिष्ठते ॥

yadidaṃ vedavacanaṃ dakṣiṇāsu vidhīyate | idaṃ deyamidaṃ deyaṃ na kvacidvyavatiṣṭhate

This Vedic saying that is laid down about the fees, 'give this, give this', never comes to rest anywhere.

Note on the text: Corrected क्वचिव्द्यवतिष्ठते → क्वचिद्व्यवतिष्ठते (misprint in Wikisource; व्द् for द्व्; the critical edition reads kva cid vyavatiṣṭhate).

Verse 8 (12.79.8)

देयं प्रतिधनं शास्त्रमापद्धर्मा न शास्त्रतः । आज्ञा शास्त्रस्य घोरेयं न शक्तिं समवेक्षते ॥

deyaṃ pratidhanaṃ śāstramāpaddharmā na śāstrataḥ | ājñā śāstrasya ghoreyaṃ na śaktiṃ samavekṣate

The scripture says the gift must match one's wealth, yet the rules for emergencies are not from the scripture. This command of the scripture is harsh; it does not look at what one is able to do.

Note on the text: Corrected घोरे यं → घोरेयं (misprint in Wikisource; word wrongly divided; the critical edition reads ghoreyaṃ). Line 1 (देयं प्रतिधनं शास्त्रमापद्धर्मा न शास्त्रतः) differs from CE nedaṃ prati dhanaṃ śāstram āpaddharmam aśāstrataḥ; it is good Sanskrit and is kept as a variant.

Verse 9 (12.79.9)

श्रद्धामालम्ब्य यष्टव्यमित्येषा वैदिकी श्रुतिः । मिथ्योपेतस्य यज्ञस्य किमु श्रद्धा करिष्यति ॥

śraddhāmālambya yaṣṭavyamityeṣā vaidikī śrutiḥ | mithyopetasya yajñasya kimu śraddhā kariṣyati

'One should sacrifice with faith': this is the Vedic text. When a sacrifice is marred by falsehood, what can faith do for it?

Verse 10 (12.79.10)

न वेदानां परिभवान्न शाठ्येन न मायया । कश्चिन्महदवाप्नोति मा ते भूद्बुद्धिरीदृशी ॥

na vedānāṃ paribhavānna śāṭhyena na māyayā | kaścinmahadavāpnoti mā te bhūdbuddhirīdṛśī

No one wins greatness by disrespect for the Vedas, by trickery or by deceit. Let no such thought arise in you.

Verse 11 (12.79.11)

यज्ञाङ्गं दक्षिणा तात मन्त्राणां परिबृंहणम् । न मन्त्रा दक्षिणाहीनास्तारयन्ति कथंचन ॥

yajñāṅgaṃ dakṣiṇā tāta mantrāṇāṃ paribṛṃhaṇam | na mantrā dakṣiṇāhīnāstārayanti kathaṃcana

The fee is a limb of the sacrifice, dear child, and it strengthens the mantras. Mantras without a fee never carry one across.

Verse 12 (12.79.12)

शक्तिस्तु पूर्णपात्रेण संमिता नावमा भवेत् । अवश्यं तात यष्टव्यं त्रिभिर्वर्णैर्यथाबलम् ॥

śaktistu pūrṇapātreṇa saṃmitā nāvamā bhavet | avaśyaṃ tāta yaṣṭavyaṃ tribhirvarṇairyathābalam

Let one's capacity be measured by a full vessel, and let it not fall short. Dear child, the three classes must by all means sacrifice according to rule, as far as their strength allows.

Note on the text: Corrected त्रिभिर्वर्णैर्थथाबलम् → त्रिभिर्वर्णैर्यथाबलम् (misprint in Wikisource; थ for य). Line 2 has यथाबलम् where the CE has yathāvidhi, a recension variant.

Verse 13 (12.79.13)

सोमो राजा ब्राह्मणानामित्येषा वैदिकी श्रुतिः । तं च विक्रेतुमिच्छन्ति न तथा वृत्तिरिष्यते ॥

somo rājā brāhmaṇānāmityeṣā vaidikī śrutiḥ | taṃ ca vikretumicchanti na tathā vṛttiriṣyate

'Soma is the king of the brahmins': this is the Vedic text. They wish to sell him, but such a livelihood is not approved.

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment: line 1 = CE 12.80.13a; line 2 = CE 13c (न तथा वृत्तिरिष्यते for CE na vṛthā vṛttir iṣyate, a variant).

Verse 14 (12.79.14)

तेन क्रीतेन धर्मेण ततो यज्ञः प्रतायते । इत्येवं धर्ममाख्यातमृषिभिर्धर्मकोविदैः ॥

tena krītena dharmeṇa tato yajñaḥ pratāyate | ityevaṃ dharmamākhyātamṛṣibhirdharmakovidaiḥ

Through Soma bought in accordance with dharma the sacrifice is then performed. So the sages who know dharma have declared the rule.

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment: line 1 = CE 12.80.13e (tena krītena dharmeṇa tato yajñaḥ pratāyate); line 2 = CE 12.80.14a (ityevaṃ dharmataḥ khyātam ṛṣibhir dharmavādibhiḥ; धर्ममाख्यातम् and धर्मकोविदैः are variants).

Verse 15 (12.79.15)

पुमान्यज्ञश्च सोमश्च न्यायवृत्तो यदा भवेत् । अन्यायवृत्तः पुरुषो न परस्य न चात्मनः ॥

pumānyajñaśca somaśca nyāyavṛtto yadā bhavet | anyāyavṛttaḥ puruṣo na parasya na cātmanaḥ

The man, the sacrifice and the Soma should all be of righteous conduct; a man of unrighteous conduct benefits neither another nor himself.

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment: line 1 = CE 12.80.14c (यदा भवेत् for CE yathā bhavet, a variant); line 2 = CE 12.80.14e (anyāyavṛttaḥ puruṣo na parasya na cātmanaḥ).

Verse 16 (12.79.16)

शरीरं यज्ञपात्राणि इत्येषा श्रूयते श्रुतिः । तानि सम्यक्प्रणीतानि ब्राह्मणानां महात्मनाम् ॥

śarīraṃ yajñapātrāṇi ityeṣā śrūyate śrutiḥ | tāni samyakpraṇītāni brāhmaṇānāṃ mahātmanām

'The body is the sacrificial vessels': so the Veda is heard. These vessels are rightly prepared in great-souled brahmins.

Verse 17 (12.79.17)

तपो यज्ञादपि श्रेष्ठमित्येषा परमा श्रुतिः । तत्ते तपः प्रवक्ष्यामि विद्वंस्तदपि मे शृणु ॥

tapo yajñādapi śreṣṭhamityeṣā paramā śrutiḥ | tatte tapaḥ pravakṣyāmi vidvaṃstadapi me śṛṇu

'Austerity is better even than sacrifice': this is the highest of texts. I shall tell you of that austerity; listen to it from me, learned one.

Verse 18 (12.79.18)

अहिंसा सत्यवचनमानृशंस्यं दमो घृणा । एतत्तपो विदुर्धीरा न शरीरस्य शोषणम् ॥

ahiṃsā satyavacanamānṛśaṃsyaṃ damo ghṛṇā | etattapo vidurdhīrā na śarīrasya śoṣaṇam

Non-violence, truthful speech, freedom from cruelty, self-control and compassion: this the steadfast know as austerity, not the withering of the body.

Verse 19 (12.79.19)

अप्रामाण्यं च वेदानां शास्त्राणां चातिलङ्घनम् । अव्यवस्था च सर्वत्र तद्वै नाशनमात्मनः ॥

aprāmāṇyaṃ ca vedānāṃ śāstrāṇāṃ cātilaṅghanam | avyavasthā ca sarvatra tadvai nāśanamātmanaḥ

Disregard for the authority of the Vedas, transgression of the scriptures, and lawlessness everywhere: that is indeed the destruction of oneself.

Verse 20 (12.79.20)

निबोध दशहोतॄणां विधानं पार्थ यादृशम् । चित्तिः स्रुक् चित्तमाज्यं च पवित्रं ज्ञानमुत्तमम् । न शाठ्यं न च जिह्मत्वं कालो देशश्च ते दश ॥

nibodha daśahotṝṇāṃ vidhānaṃ pārtha yādṛśam | cittiḥ sruk cittamājyaṃ ca pavitraṃ jñānamuttamam | na śāṭhyaṃ na ca jihmatvaṃ kālo deśaśca te daśa

Learn, Partha, how the rite of the ten priests is arranged. Intention is the ladle, the mind is the clarified butter, and knowledge is the supreme purifier. No deceit, no crookedness, time and place: these are the ten.

Note on the text: Removed the backtick, quote mark and doubled daṇḍa Wikisource prints around line 3, and corrected जिह्यत्वं → जिह्मत्वं (misprint; य for म; the critical edition reads jihmatvaṃ). Not matched by the alignment: lines 1-2 are CE 12.80.19a and 19c; line 3 is the CE star line 12.80.19d*0199_01 (na śāṭhyaṃ na ca jihmatvaṃ kālo deśaś ca te daśa).

Verse 21 (12.79.21)

सर्वं जिह्मं मृत्युपदमार्जवं ब्रह्मणः पदम् । एतावाञ्ज्ञानविषयः किं प्रलापः करिष्यति ॥

sarvaṃ jihmaṃ mṛtyupadamārjavaṃ brahmaṇaḥ padam | etāvāñjñānaviṣayaḥ kiṃ pralāpaḥ kariṣyati

All crookedness is the path of death; uprightness is the abode of Brahman. This much is the range of knowledge; what will idle talk achieve?

Note on the text: Corrected दिह्नं → जिह्मं (misprint in Wikisource; दि and ह्न for जि and ह्म; the critical edition reads jihmaṃ).