Rajadharmanushasana Parva — The duties of the Brahmanas and of the Kshatriyas.

Bhishma said ‘Drawing the bowstring, destruction of enemies, agriculture, trade, tending cattle and serving others for money are not proper for a Brahmana.

An intelligent Brahmana, living as a householder, should duly perform the six Vedic acts. The retirement of a Brahmana into the woods, after having duly performed all the duties of the domestic mode of life, is highly spoken of.

A Brahmana should avoid service of the king, money obtained by agriculture, sustenance derived from the trade, all kinds of wily conduct, knowing any but his married wives and usury.

That wretch of a Brahmana, who neglects to satisfy his duties and whose conduct becomes wicked becomes, O king, a Shudra. The Brahmana, who marries a Shudra woman, who becomes vile in conduct or a dancer or a village servant or performs other unbecoming acts, becomes a Shudra.

Whether he recites the Vedas or not o king, if he does such improper acts, he is reduced to the position of a Shudra and on occasions of feeding he should be given a place amongst Shudras.

Such Brahmanas become equal to Shudra, O king, and should be discarded at the time of worshipping the gods.

Whatever presents of food dedicated to the departed manes are made to Brahmanas, who have transgressed all restraints or become impure in conduct or addicted to wicked callings and cruel acts or who have neglected their legitimate duties, yield on merit (to the giver.) Therefore, O king, self-control, purity and simplicity have been laid down as the duties of a Brahmana. Besides these, O king, all the four modes of life were prescribed by Brahman for him.

He, who is self-controlled, has drunk the Soma in sacrifices, is of good conduct, has mercy for all creatures and patience to bear everything, has no desire of improving his position by acquisition of wealth, is frank and simple, mild, shorn of cruelty, and forgiving, is truly a Brahmana, and not he who is of sinful deeds.

Men, desirous of acquiring virtue, seek the help, O king, of Sudras, Vaishyas, and Kshatriyas. If, therefore, the members of these (three) castes do not adopt peaceful duties, Vishnu, O son of Pandu, never extends his favour to them.

If Vishnu be not pleased, the happiness of all men in heaven, the merit arising from the duties prescribed by the four orders, the injunctions of the Vedas, all kinds of sacrifices, and all other religions acts of men, and all the duties of the various modes of life, become lost.

Listen now, O son of Pandu, to those duties which should be practised in the four modes of life. These should be known to the Kshatriya who wishes the members of the three (other) orders in his kingdom) to strictly follow the respective duties of those modes.

For a Shudra who wishes to hear (such scriptures as are not forbidden in his case), who has performed his duties, who has procreated a son, between whom and the superior orders there is not much difference for the purity of his conduct, all the modes of life have been laid down save the observance of universal peacefulness and self-control.

For a Shudra practising all these duties, as also for a Vaishya, O king, and a Kshatriya, the Bhikshu mode of life has been sanctioned.

Having performed the duties of his order, and having also served the king, an aged Vaisya with the king's permission, may adopt another mode of life.

Having studied the Vedas duly and the works describing the duties of kings, O sinless one, having procreated children and performed similar other acts, having drunk the Soma and governed and protected all his subjects piously, O foremost of speakers, having celebrated a Rajasuya, the horse sacrifice, and other great sacrifices, having invited learned Brahmanas for reciting the scriptures and made presents to them according to their merits, having obtained victories small or great in battle, having placed on his throne his own begotten son or some Kshatriya of good birth for the protection of his subjects, having worshipped the departed manes by performing with due rites the sacrifice prescribed for honouring them, having attentively adored the gods by performing sacrifices and the Rishis by studying the Vedas, the Kshatriya, who in old age seeks another mode of life, may, O king, adopt it by leaving the preceding one and by the means be is sure to acquire (ascetic) success.

A Kshatriya, for leading the life of a Rishi, O king, may take the Bhikshu mode of life; but he should never do so for enjoying the pleasure of the world. Having abandoned the life of a house-holder, he may adopt the life of mendicancy by begging what would barely maintain his life.

A life of mendicancy is not compulsory for the three orders (viz., Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras), O giver of profuse presents. This mode of life, is open to all the four castes because they can adopt it if they choose.

Amongst men, the highest duties are those which are practised by Kshatriyas. The whole world is subject to the power of their arms. All the duties, principal and minor of the three other castes, depend upon the duties of the Kshatriya. The Vedas declare this.

As the foot-prints of all the other animals are covered by those of the elephant, so all the duties of the other castes, under every circumstances, are covered by those of the Kshatriya.

Men, well-read in the scriptures say that the duties of the other three castes give but limited relief or protection, yield petty rewards. The learned have said that the duties of the Kshatriya afford great relief and yield great rewards.

The royal duties are the foremost of all duties. All the castes are protected by them. Every sort of Renunciation is included in kingly duties, o king, and Renunciation has been declared to be an eternal virtue and the foremost of all. on

If the science of punishment disappears, the Vedas will be lost. All these scriptures also describing the duties of men become lost. Indeed, if these ancient duties the Kshatriyas be abandoned, all the duties of all the modes of life, become lost.

All sorts of renunciation are in kingly duties; all kinds of initiation are in them; all sorts of learning are connected with them; and all sorts of worldly conduct are in them.

As animals, killed by the vulgar, become the instrument of destroying the virtue and the religious acts of the destroyer so all other duties, if deprived of the protection offered by kingly duties, become subject to attack and destruction, and men, full of anxiety, neglect the practices laid down for them.