སྟག་རྣའ་རྟགས་པ་བརྗད་པ 33

33

“Hearing these words from the outcaste king Triśaṅku, the brahmin Puṣkarasārin remained completely silent and embarrassed, and he stood there with drooping shoulders and head hung low, having nothing to say and absorbed in thought. When the outcaste king Triśaṅku saw that the brahmin Puṣkarasārin remained completely silent and embarrassed, standing there with drooping shoulders and head hung low, having nothing to say and absorbed in thought, he said:

“ ‘As is the seed that is sown,
So is the fruit that is obtained.
Since the lord of creatures is one,¹⁴²
There is no distinction.

“ ‘It is stated that due to a difference in faculties
A division in work activities is observed,¹⁴³
But between a brahmin and another caste
There is nothing that distinguishes them.

“ ‘It makes no sense to deem oneself elevated,
To consider oneself superior here.
Brought about by semen and blood,
Both equally come from the womb.

“ ‘I will speak to you about the four caste categories
As one talks about the laws of domestic animals:
Were you to have your sister as your wife,
It would not be appropriate, brahmin.

“ ‘If indeed this world has been
Engendered by Brahmā himself,
Then brahmin women are the sisters of brahmins,
And kṣatriya women are the sisters of kṣatriyas.

“ ‘Then vaiśya women are that of vaiśyas,
Śūdra women that of śūdras.
A sister is not appropriate as one’s wife
If she has been engendered by Brahmā.

“ ‘But beings are not born from Brahmā;
They are born from mental afflictions and actions.
Each having different dispositions,
Beings are seen to be either high or low.

“ ‘Due to their commonality of birth,
Knowledge occurs equally
In a brahmin, in a kṣatriya,
In a vaiśya, and in a śūdra.¹⁴⁴

“ ‘There is the Ṛgveda, the Yajurveda,
The Sāmaveda, the Atharvaveda,
The epics, and the glossaries—
Not to speak of metrics, which is without meaning—

“ ‘And in our studies there is also the science
Of loving kindness, of flaming,