Jivanmuktiviveka 2.17_2.p4

2.17_2.p4

ityādinā pratyuttaraṃ nārado dadau |
tādṛśasyāpi rāmasya pativratāśiromaṇibhūtāyā jaganmātuḥ sītāyāśca śrotumaśakyo janāpavādaḥ sampravṛttaḥ; kimu vaktavyamanyeṣāṃ ? tathā hi deśaviśeṣeṇa parasparaṃ nindābāhulyamupalabhyate | dākṣiṇyātyairviprairauttarā vedavido viprā māṃsabhakṣiṇo nindyante | auttaraiśca mātulasutodvāhino yātrāsu mṛdbhāṇḍavāhino dākṣiṇātyā nindyante | bahvṛcā āśvalāyanaśākhāṃ kāṇvaśākhāyāḥ praśastāṃ manyante | vājasaneyinastu vaiparītyena | evaṃ svasvakulagotrabandhuvargeṣṭadevatādipraśaṃsā parakīyanindāca āvidvadaṅganāgopālaṃ sarvatra prasiddhā | etadevābhipretyoktaṃ - śuciḥ piśāco vicalo vicakṣaṇaḥ kṣamo'pyaśakto balavāṃśca duṣṭaḥ |
niścittacoraḥ subhago'pi kāmī ko lokamārādhayituṃ samarthaḥ ||

With these and other [words], Nārada gave the reply. / Even of such a Rāma, and of Sītā, the mother of the world and the crest-jewel of chaste wives, there arose public censure that was unbearable to hear; what need then to speak of others? For an abundance of mutual censure is observed according to different regions. By southern brāhmaṇas, northern brāhmaṇas who know the Vedas are censured because they eat meat. And by northerners, southerners who marry their maternal uncle's daughter and carry earthen vessels on journeys are censured. The Ṛgvedins consider the Āśvalāyana recension superior to the Kāṇva recension, but the Vājasaneyins [consider it] the reverse. In this way, praising one's own family, lineage, relatives, chosen deity, and so forth, and censuring those of others, is well known everywhere, from scholars down to women and cowherds. Having precisely this in mind, it is said: / 'A pure man is [called] a goblin, a clever man fickle, a patient man incapable, and a strong man wicked; / a tranquil man is [called] a thief, and a charming man lustful; who is capable of pleasing the world?'