Skandapurana 3.2.38
English (machine translation) 3.2.38
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3.2.38.4
Vyāsa said: / Then, at clear dawn, having performed their morning rites, / dressed in auspicious garments, with fruits in their hands, one by one, / their muscular arms adorned with jeweled armlets, ornamented with rings, / adorned with ear-ornaments, they arrived full of joy. / Reaching the king's gate, the exponents of the Veda stood there. / Seeing them, the powerful prince laughed slightly: / “Having gone to Rāma and Hanumat, the brahmins have arrived! / Listen, all ministers! Look at the best of the twice-born!”
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Having spoken this word, the king stood silent.
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Then, by twos and threes, all the twice-born sat down in order. // 5
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They asked the king after the welfare of his elephants, chariots, and infantry.
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Then the high-minded king spoke to the brahmins: // 6
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“By the grace of the Arihant, all is well with me everywhere.
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That is a tongue which praises the Jina; those are hands which worship the Jina; // 7
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that is sight which is absorbed in the Jina; that is a mind which delights in the Jina.
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Compassion is to be practiced everywhere; the living soul is always to be honored. // 8
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One should indeed go to the meditation hall; salutation to the guru must be performed.
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The great Navakāra mantra should be recited day and night. // 9
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Paryuṣaṇa must be observed, and alms should always be given to the ascetic.”
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Hearing his speech, the brahmins then gritted their teeth. // 3.2.38.10
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Releasing a long sigh, they said to the king:
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“It was spoken, O king, by Rāma and the wise Hanumat: // 11
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‘Let the livelihood of the brahmins be given, for you are righteous on the surface of the earth.
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It is known: let it be given by you, let it certainly not be withheld.’ // 12
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Protect the word of Rāma; having done so, may you be happy.” // 13
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The king said:
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“Wherever Rāma and Hanumat are, let all indeed go there.
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Rāma will give everything; why have the twice-born come here? // 14
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I will not give, I will not give even a single cowrie,
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neither a village nor a livelihood! Go wherever you please!” // 15
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Hearing that harsh speech, the twice-born were agitated with wrath:
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“Endure now the wrath of Rāma and of Hanumat!” // 16
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Having said this, the packet given by Hanumat, which had come from his left armpit,
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was thrown into his residence, and the best of the twice-born turned away. // 17
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When the assembly of brahmins had departed, it became filled with wreaths of flames;
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indeed everything there became engulfed in flames of fire. // 18
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The royal belongings burned: umbrellas and fly-whisks,
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all the treasuries and the armory as well; // 19
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queens, princes, elephants, and many horses;
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aerial chariots burned, and conveyances burned; // 3.2.38.20
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various litters and thousands of chariots.
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Seeing everything burning everywhere, even the king was distressed. // 21
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There was no savior for him; people were bewildered with fear.
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That fire could not be subdued by mantras, yantras, or herbal roots. // 22
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When Rāma, destroyer of millions of wicked wiles, becomes enraged,
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everyone perishes there; what is that Kumārapāla? // 23
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Seeing all that ablaze, the naked mendicants then,
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holding bowls in hand and taking along their fine staves, // 24
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grabbing red blankets, trembling again and again,
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and without sandals, all fled in the ten directions. // 25
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Raising a clamor, saying: “Flee!
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We have all been burned by the chief brahmins, no doubt!” // 26
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Some had their bowls broken, and others had their staves broken;
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and unclothed, they fled, crying “Vītarāga!” // 27
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and some crying “Arhat!”, intent on fleeing.
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Then a wind arose, as if swinging the fire to and fro, // 28
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sent indeed by Hanumat out of a desire to please the brahmins.
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Then that king ran after them, here and there, // 29
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on foot, alone, weeping and babbling: “Where are the brahmins?”
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Having heard from the people, the king then went there where the twice-born were.
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Having gone there swiftly, O king, taking hold of the feet at that time,
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of the brahmins, the king then fell unconscious upon the ground.
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Devoted to humility, the king addressed the brahmins with these words,
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chanting the name of Rāma, the son of Daśaratha, repeatedly saying, 'Rāma, Rāma':
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'I am the servant of that servant, both of Rāma and of the twice-born.
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Blinded by the darkness of ignorance, I have indeed become blind now.
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And I have obtained the collyrium, the great remedy of Rāma’s name.
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Indeed, whatever mortals abandon Rāma and worship another deity,
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they are burned by fire, O master, just as I, whose mind is foolish, [have been burned].
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Hari is the Bhāgīrathī, O brahmins; the brahmins are the Bhāgīrathī [and] Hari.
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The Bhāgīrathī, Hari, [and] the brahmins are the single essence in the three worlds.
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And the staircase to heaven here consists of the brahmins, the Bhāgīrathī, [and] Hari,
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by which one is led to Vaikuṇṭha with the great rope of Rāma's name.'
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Thus bowing down with folded hands, the king spoke this word:
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'Let the fire be appeased, O brahmins; I grant you a charter.
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I am your servant now, O brahmins; may my word not prove false.
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Whatever sin belongs to the murder of a brahmin, to those who violate another’s wife,
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whatever sin belongs to drinkers of liquor and likewise to thieves of gold,
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whatever sin belongs to slayers of gurus—may that sin be mine [if I fail]!
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Whatever desire one thinks of, that very thing I shall grant again.
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Devotion to the brahmins must always be practiced, and likewise devotion to Rāma.
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Never should anything contrary be done by me, O best of the twice-born!'
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Vyāsa said:
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On that occasion, the brahmins became compassionate toward the king.
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The other small packet which remained was given for the appeasement of the curse.
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And when the hairs were cast, that army was restored to life.
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The quarters became clear; the sounds arising from the quarters ceased.
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The subjects there became at ease, their minds overflowing with joy.
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Sons, grandsons, and the rest remained as before.
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And the people became obedient to the commands of the brahmins, just as in former times.
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Apart from the dharma of Viṣṇu, they recognized no other dharma.
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Having issued a new royal charter according to rule, as before,
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the heretics who had propagated fabricated treatises were expelled.
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Those who stood outside the Vedas perished—the high, the low, and the middling.
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The thirty-six thousand who formerly had been Gobhujas—
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among them arose the merchants of Aḍhavīja lineage.
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All of them were appointed by the king to the service of the brahmins.
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Practicing good conduct, highly skilled, worshippers of gods and brahmins,
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having abandoned the heretical path, they were devoted to Viṣṇu.
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Approaching the bank of the Jāhnavī, the king granted [gifts] to the masters of the three Vedas.
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Indeed, when the charter was given to them with devotion,
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those brahmins who had deviated from the duty of their place arrived.
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The king was petitioned by those trouble-making brahmins as follows:
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'O king, expel those eminent brahmins who have broken their word!'
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Mutual disputes arose concerning the granted livelihood.
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And the members of the assembly were summoned to administer justice.
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When the signatures were examined, each was proved separately.
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Hearing this, the king then indeed performed the gift of one's weight [in gold].
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While the gift was being given, the masters of the four Vedas spoke:
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'Our caste has been lost by us; how can we accept this gift?'
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Then all those twice-born Moherakas were expelled from the place,
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fifteen thousand [in number], who had mastered the Vedas and their auxiliary sciences.
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Thereupon, O king, by that monarch who followed Rāma,
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those brahmins were summoned, and he established a division of castes.
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Those brahmins versed in the three Vedas who had gone to the Lord toward Setubandha
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should receive the livelihood; the others should have no share in the livelihood.
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Those who did not go there attained the status of masters of the four Vedas.
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There was to be no connection with merchants, nor marriage with them,
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nor any connection in the village livelihood, once the caste division was made.
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The Śūdras devoted to serving twice-borns, who were not corrupted by heretics,
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and who turned away from the Jaina faith, became excellent landowners.
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And those who were devoted to heresy and broke the royal decree of Rāma,
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all those brahmins as well as Śūdras were placed under restraint.
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Those who kept true to their vows remained there and were happy.
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The Cāturvidyas were made to dwell outside the village by that king,
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[thinking,] "I must certainly act in such a way that Rāma is not angered."
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Indeed, those who turned their backs on Rāma but followed the virtuous
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are to be known as Cāturvidyas; they were then deprived of their livelihood.
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Then King Kumārapāla, having accomplished his duty,
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spoke words with humility before the brahmins:
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"The village livelihood was not abolished by me; indeed, this was ordained by fate.
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When men commit offences themselves, to whom should blame not be assigned?
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Just as in a forest, fire may arise from the friction of dry wood by the decree of fate,
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so was a condition made by you for the sake of a token of recognition.
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Having issued the decree of Rāma for the sake of the son of the wind-god,
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you brahmins turned away—to whom is that fault to be attributed?
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Even if laden with great sin, remembering Hari at the moment of death,
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a man quickly goes to the world of Viṣṇu; how could there be any doubt about this?
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When great merit arises, men's minds are turned toward the highest good;
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and at the time sin arises, it becomes quite the opposite.
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He who continually protects these three worlds by means of dharma,
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and who is the inner Self of living beings—doubt concerning him is not beneficial.
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All the immortals beginning with Indra, and those rich in austerity beginning with Sanaka,
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worship here for the sake of liberation—doubt concerning him is not beneficial.
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The name of Rāma is sung as equal to the thousand names [of Viṣṇu];
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having felt hesitation regarding it, how could accomplishment arise here?
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Out of the merit earned throughout my lives, Hari gave me this token of recognition.
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Whatever sin was incurred from heresy has been wiped away by bowing to you;
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may you be pleased with me, abandoning your anger toward me now."
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The brahmins said:
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"O king, your virtue was lost, and yet it has been recovered once again.
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Things that are destined to happen do happen, even to the great.
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The nakedness of Nīlakaṇṭha, Hari's sleeping on the great serpent—
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all this is wrought by fate, which is the master of joy and sorrow.
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Let the Traividyas, true to their vows, enjoy the decree of Rāma;
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but give us another place where we may dwell."
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Hearing their words, wishing for the happiness of the twice-born,
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he gave them a place called Sukhavāsa.
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Gold, patterned garments, wish-yielding cows, O king,
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all kinds of gold ornaments, and a heap of various articles—
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having given [all this] with supreme faith, the ruler of men found joy.
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Those are to be known as Traividyas who were settled by the three deities;
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settled in Sukhavāsa by the fourth, the king,
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those excellent twice-born became the Cāturvidyas in the Kali age.
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All those Cāturvidyas, established in Dharmāraṇya,
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bestowed blessings prescribed by the Vedas upon that great-souled king.
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Being carried by chariots and horses, having achieved their purpose,
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the twice-born, filled with great joy, reached the great Moheraka.
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On the thirteenth day of the bright half of Pauṣa, the charter was obtained by the twice-born,
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and an offering was made, dedicated to the family deity.
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Every year the offering must be made according to ritual prescription,
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and an auspicious ritual ablution must be performed by the noble man.
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On that day one should certainly arrange song, dance, and instrumental music,
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in such a way that on that day in that month, no loss of livelihood may occur.
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If, by fate, when the time has passed, an occasion of growth occurs,
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then having performed [the rite] first, the growth rite is prescribed afterwards.
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The Traividyas of the Moḍha lineage, who are mostly of distinct lineages,
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and the Cāturvedins perform the worship of the family deity.
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It should be performed within the year, even when Janārdana is asleep.
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And if someone neglects it in the month of Pauṣa and performs Vedic and Smārta rituals,
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the family deities, overcome with anger, slay him there.
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At the time of a wedding festival, and in rituals such as the tying of the muñja girdle,
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the moment belongs to Gaṇanātha; from then on, it is auspicious.
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Those brahmins who were banished by King Āma from their charter
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went, fifteen thousand in number, to a pleasant dwelling place.
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Rama himself formerly gave fifty-five villages;
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the merchants living there provided their livelihood:
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The Aḍālajā, Māṇḍalīya, Gobhūja, and pure ones—
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they provided the livelihood of the brahmins, devoted to the service of Brahmā.
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Thus ends the thirty-eighth chapter, named 'Description of the Brahmins' Obtaining of Charter and Livelihood,' in the Dharmāraṇyamāhātmya of the first part of the Brahmakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses.
Linked texts (1)
- Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit