Rajadharmanushasana Parva — Can a Brahmana follow the duties of Vaishya?

Yudhishthira said "It is said that in seasons of distress a Brahmana may support himself by following Kshatriya duties. But can be, however, at any time, maintain himself by following the duties of the Vaishyas?”

"When a Brahmana loses his means of livelihood and is visited by distress, he may certainly act like a Vaishya and derive his support by agriculture and tending cattle, if, of course, he is not capable to perform Kshatriya duties.'

Yudhishthira said "If a Brahmana, O foremost of Bharata's race, follows the duties of a Vaishya, what articles may he sell without losing his chance of attaining heaven?"

Bhishma said 'A Brahmana must not sell wines, salt, sesamum seeds, animals having manes, bulls, honey, meat and cooked food, O Yudhishthira, under any circumstances. A Brahmana, by selling these, would go to hell.

A Brahmana, by selling a goat, commits the sin of selling the god of fire; by selling a sheep, the sin of selling the god of water; by selling a horse, the sin of selling the sun-god; by selling cooked food, the sin of selling land; and by selling a cow, the sin of selling Sacrifices and the Soma juice. A Brahmana, therefore, must not sell these.

The good do not speak highly of the purchase of uncooked food by giving cooked food in return. Uncooked food, however, may be given for procuring cooked food, O Bharata!

We will eat this cooked food of you. You may cook these raw things (that we give in return). In such an agreement there is no sin.

Listen, O Yudhishthira, I shall describe to you the eternal practice, obtaining from days of yore, of persons conducting themselves according to approved usages.

I give you this. Give me this other thing in exchange. Such an exchange is righteous. To take things by force, is sinful.

Such is the old practice followed by the Rishis and others. Forsooth, this is righteous.' Yudhishthira said

“When, O sire, giving up their respective duties, all the castes take up arms against the king, then, of course, the power of the king suffers decrease. How would the king then become the protector and refuge of the people? Remove this doubt of mine, O king, by speaking to me fully." Bhishma said

“By gifts, by penances, by sacrifices, by peacefulness, and by self-control, all the castes led by the Brahmanas should, on such occasions, seek their own behoof.

Those amongst them who are gifted with Vedic strength, should rise up on all sides and like the celestial empowering Indra contribute (by Vedic rites) to increase the strength of the king.

Brahmanas are said to be the refuge of the king while his power is gone. A wise king seeks the increase of his power by means of the power of the Brahmanas.

When the king, after acquiring victory, tries to re-establish peace, all the castes then follow their respective duties.

When robbers overcoming all restraints, lay waste the country, all the orders may take up arms. By doing so, they commit no sin, O Yudhishthira!'

Yudhishthira said “If all the Kshatriyas stand against the Brahmanas, who then will protect the Brahmanas and their Vedas? What then should be the duty of the Brahmanas and who will be their shelter?"

Bhishma said By penances, by Brahmacharya, by weapons, and by (physical) power, applied with or without the help of deceit, the Kshatriyas should be vanquished.

If the Kshatriya misbehaves himself, especially towards Brahmanas, the Vedas themselves will put them down. The Kshatriyas have originated from the Brahmanas.

Fire has originated water; the Kshatriya, from the Brahmana; and iron, from stone. The power of fire, the Kshatriya, and iron, are irresistible. But when these conflict with their sources, their force becomes neutralised.

When iron strikes against stone, or fire fights with water, or the Kshatriya stands against the Brahmana, then the strength of each of those three is destroyed.

Thus, O Yudhishthira, the energy and might of Kshatriya, however great and irresistible be, are destroyed as soon as they are directed against the Brahmanas. When the power of the Brahmanas becomes mild, when that of the Kshatriyas is weakened, when all men ill-treat the Brahmanas, those strong-minded persons, who moved by righteous indignation, then fight, casting off all fear of death, for protecting the Brahmanas. morality, and their own selves,-succeed in winning high regions of bliss hereafter. All persons should fight for the sake of Brahmanas.

Those brave, persons who fight for Brahmanas, acquire those happy regions in heaven which are reserved for persons who have always studied the Vedas with attention, who have practised the austerest of penances, and that have, after fasting, cast off their bodies into burning fires.

The Brahmana, by fighting for the three other castes, does not commit sin. People say that there is no higher duty then renouncing life under such circumstances.

I bow to them and blessed be they who thus renounce their lives while trying to punish the enemies of Brahmanas. Let us attain to that region which is reserved for them. Manu himself has said that those heroes go to the region of Brahman.

As persons become freed off of all their sins by taking the final bath in a horse-sacrifice, so those who die by weapons while fighting wicked people are freed off of all their sins.

Righteousness becomes unrighteousness, and unrighteousness becomes righteousness, according to place and time, Such is the power of place and time.

The friends of humanity, by performing even acts of cruelty, have attained to exalted heaven. Pious Kshatriyas, by doing even sinful acts, to blessed ends.

The Brahmana, by fighting on these three occasions, does not commit sin, viz., for protecting himself, for compelling the other castes to follow their duties, and for punishing robbers,

Yudhishthira said If when robbers become powerful and an intermixture of the orders beings to take place on account of anarchy, and Kshatriyas become incapable, some powerful person except a Kshatriya seeks to put down those robbers for protecting the people, indeed, O best of kings, if that powerful person happens to be a Brahmana or a Vaishya or a Shudra, and if he succeeds in protecting the people by fairly holding the rod of punishment, is he justified in doing what he does, or is he restrained by the ordinances from accomplishing that duty? It seems that others, when the Kshatriyas are so incompetent, should take up arms.

Bhishma said Be he a Shudra or be he the member of any other caste, he that becomes a raft on a raftless current, or a means of crossing where no means exist, forsooth, deserves every respect.

That person, O king, depending upon whom helpless men, oppressed and made miserable by robbers, live happily, deserves to be adored by all as if he were a near relative. The person, O you of Kuru's race, that removes the fears of others, is worthy of every respect.

What use is there of bulls, that would not carry burdens, or of kine that would not give milk, or of a wife who is barren? Likewise, what need is there for a king who is not capable to grant protection?

As an elephant made of wood, or a deer made of leather, as a person without riches, or one that is a eunuch, or a field which is barren, even so is a Brahmana who is void of Vedic learning and a king incapable of giving protection. Both of them are like a cloud that does not pour rain.

That person who always protects the good and checks the wicked, deserves to become a king and to govern the world.'