Who is not a brahmana?

[Guest guest]

THE ENCHANTED LAKE

 

(FROM THE VANA PARVA OF THE MAHÂBHÂRATA-

PAGE 825, LINE 17305, OF THE CALCUTTA QUARTO TEXT.)

 

[in the preceding section the five Panda Princes have been wandering

in the forest, greatly distressed for want of water. The concluding

portion of this translation illustrates a passage in the

"Swargarohana," where the god Dharma praises King Yudhisthira for his

equity and self-denial. The riddles propounded by the Yaksha, some of

which are here omitted, may be considered probably the oldest known to

literature]

 

[...]

 

YAKSHA. Good Prince, tell me true, is a Brahmana made

By birthright? or shall it be rightfully said,

If he reads all the Veds, and the Srutis doth know,

He is this? or doth conduct of life make him so?

 

KING [Yudhisthira]. O Yaksha, listen to the truth:

Not if a man do dwell from youth

Beneath a Brahman's roof, nor when

The Srutis known to holy men

Are learned, and read the Vedas through,

Doth this make any Brahman true.

Conduct alone that name can give

A Brahmana must steadfast live,

Devoid of sin, and free from wrong;

For he who walks low paths along,

Still keeping to the way, shall come

Sooner and safer to his home

Than the proud wanderer on the hill;

And reading, learning, praying, still

Are outward deeds which ofttimes leave

Barren of fruit minds that believe.

Who practises what good he knows,

Himself a Brahmana he shows;

And if an evil nature knew

The sacred Vedas through and through,

With all the Srutis, still must he,

Lower than honest Sudra [1] be.

To know and do the right, and pay

The sacrifice, in peace alway:

This maketh one a Brahmana.

 

[...]

 

---- INDIAN IDYLLS from the Sanscrit OF THE MAHÂBHÂRATA

BY EDWIN ARNOLD, C.S.I. AUTHOR OF "THE LIGHT OF ASIA," ETC.

Boston Little, Brown, and Company 1907