Simhasanadvatrimshika 31.p5

31.p5

bho mantrin, kiṃ tvayā purāṇāni na śrutāni? purā brāhmaṇasya śāpād īśvarasya liṅgapāto jātaḥ. tathā ca:

O minister, have you not heard the purāṇas [ancient histories]? In olden time thru the curse of a brahman Çiva suffered a loss of his sectarian mark [liṅgapāta]. And so (it is said): 4. Even tho a man may have attained high position, let him not by any means insult the reverend (brahmans). Nahuṣa, who had attained to Indra's place, fell because he insulted Agastya. Therefore one must by all means pay respect to all brahmans. And it is said: 5. Brahmans must not be treated with disrespect, for they are revered by the Powers of the three worlds; they are to be worshipt like gods with gifts, honors, and praise. And so: 6. Who would not be destroyed by the anger of those who have made the fire to be the destroyer of all things, the sea to be undrinkable, and the moon to be subject to waning? Moreover: 7. What being is greater than that [the brahman], from whose hand the gods ever eat their sacrifices, and the fathers [manes] their oblations? And so: 8. Who would not honor those persons in the world, O Bhārata, who maintain the practice of asceticism and are honored by all the gods and men as well? 9. What being is greater than those (brahmans), who of old drank up the ocean, restrained in bonds the Vindhya Mountain, and created the gods also? And so: 10. If one desires to worship the eternal God, let him simply propitiate the brahmans zealously and by all possible means. And so, Kṛṣṇa himself at Dvārāvatī has also said: 11. 'Whosoever does not worship a brahman as I do, even if the brahman were to smite him, curse him, and speak harshly against him, that man is a criminal and is to be chastised and punisht in the blazing world-fire; he is not of mine.' Moreover: 12. 'Whosoever wishes to worship me with supreme devotion must always revere the brahmans; in this way I am satisfied.' O minister, let the hand by which the brahman was struck be cut off." So as he was about to have his son's hand cut off, just then the brahman came in and said: "O king, your son acted thus because of his ignorance, and from now on he will commit no further impropriety of this sort. For my sake let yon youth be spared; I am now appeased." Hearing his words the king releast his son; and the brahman returned to his own place.