Mahabharata — Volume IX (Dutt edition) — Chapter 24
MBh 9 24.1
युधिष्ठिर उवाच इदं मे तत्त्वतो राजन् वक्तुमर्हसि भारत। अहिंसयित्वापि कथं ब्रह्महत्या विधीयते॥
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca idaṃ me tattvato rājan vaktumarhasi bhārata| ahiṃsayitvāpi kathaṃ brahmahatyā vidhīyate||
Yudhishthira said O descendant of Bharata's race, you should answer this question of mine truly and in detail. What are those circumstances under which a person may become guilty of Brahmanicide without actually killing a Brahmana.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 24.2
भीष्म उवाच व्यासमामन्त्र्य राजेन्द्र पुरा यत् पृष्टवानहम्। तत्तेऽहं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि तदिहैकमनाः शृणु॥
bhīṣma uvāca vyāsamāmantrya rājendra purā yat pṛṣṭavānaham| tatte'haṃ sampravakṣyāmi tadihaikamanāḥ śṛṇu||
Bhishma said Formerly, O king, I had one day requested Vyasa to explain to me this very subject. I shall now describe to you what Vyasa told me on that occasion. Do you listen to it with rapt attention.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 24.3
चतुर्थस्त्वं वसिष्ठस्य तत्त्वमाख्याहि मे मुने। अहिंसयित्वा केनेह ब्रह्महत्या विधीयते॥
caturthastvaṃ vasiṣṭhasya tattvamākhyāhi me mune| ahiṃsayitvā keneha brahmahatyā vidhīyate||
Going to Vyasa, I addressed him saying You, O great ascetic, are the fourth in descent from Vaishishtha! Do you explain to me this. What are those circumstances under which one becomes guilty of Brahmanicide without actually killing a Brahmana?
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 24.4
इति पृष्टो मया राजन् पराशरशरीरजः। अब्रवीन्निपुणो धर्मे नि:संशयमनुत्तमम्॥
iti pṛṣṭo mayā rājan parāśaraśarīrajaḥ| abravīnnipuṇo dharme ni:saṃśayamanuttamam||
Thus addressed by me, the own begotten son of Parashara, o king an adept in the science of morality gave me the following answer at once excellent and fraught with certainly.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 24.5
ब्राह्मणं स्वयमाहूय भिक्षार्थे कृशवृत्तिनम्। बयानास्तीति यः पश्चात्तं विद्याद् ब्रह्मघातिनम्॥
brāhmaṇaṃ svayamāhūya bhikṣārthe kṛśavṛttinam| bayānāstīti yaḥ paścāttaṃ vidyād brahmaghātinam||
You should know that man as guilty of Brahmanicide who having of his own accord invited a Brahmana of pious conduct to his house for giving him alms then refuses too give anything on the pretence of there being nothing in the house.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 24.6
मध्यस्थस्येह विप्रस्य योऽनूचानस्य भारत। वृत्तिं हरति दुर्बुद्धिस्तं विद्याद् ब्रह्मघातिनम्॥
madhyasthasyeha viprasya yo'nūcānasya bhārata| vṛttiṃ harati durbuddhistaṃ vidyād brahmaghātinam||
You should, O Bharata, know that man as guilty of Brahmanicide who destroys the means of living of a Brahmana well-read in the Vedas, and all their branches and who is shorn of attachments to worldly creatures and goods.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 24.7
गोकुलस्य तृषार्तस्य जलार्थे वसुधाधिप। उत्पादयति यो विघ्नं तं विद्याद् ब्रह्मघातिनम्॥
gokulasya tṛṣārtasya jalārthe vasudhādhipa| utpādayati yo vighnaṃ taṃ vidyād brahmaghātinam||
You should o king, know that man to be guilty of Brahmanicide who puts impediments in the way of thirsty kine while engaged in satisfying that thirst.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 24.8
यः प्रवृत्तां श्रुति सम्यक् शास्त्रं वा मुनिभिः कृतम्। दूषयत्यनभिज्ञाय तं विद्याद् ब्रह्मघातिनम्॥
yaḥ pravṛttāṃ śruti samyak śāstraṃ vā munibhiḥ kṛtam| dūṣayatyanabhijñāya taṃ vidyād brahmaghātinam||
You should take that man as guilty of Brahmanicide who, without studying them, finds fault with the Shrutis that have come down: from preceptor to pupil for ages and ages together, or with those scriptures that have been composed by the Rishis.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 24.9
आत्मजां रूपसम्पन्नां महतीं सदृशे वरे। न प्रयच्छति यः कन्यां तं विद्याद् ब्रह्मघातिनम्॥
ātmajāṃ rūpasampannāṃ mahatīṃ sadṛśe vare| na prayacchati yaḥ kanyāṃ taṃ vidyād brahmaghātinam||
You should know that man as guilty of Brahmanicide who does not confer upon a suitable bridegroom his daughter endued with beauty and other excellent qualities.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 24.10
अधर्मनिरतो मूढो मिथ्या यो वै द्विजातिषु। दद्यान्मर्मातिगं शोकं तं विद्याद् ब्रह्मघातिनम्॥
adharmanirato mūḍho mithyā yo vai dvijātiṣu| dadyānmarmātigaṃ śokaṃ taṃ vidyād brahmaghātinam||
You should know that foolish and sinful wightought to be guilty of Brahmanicide who pains the Brahmanas to the very core of their hearts.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 24.11
चक्षुषा विप्रहीणस्य पंगुलस्य जडस्य वा। हरेत यो वै सर्वस्वं तं विद्याद् ब्रह्मघातिनम्॥
cakṣuṣā viprahīṇasya paṃgulasya jaḍasya vā| hareta yo vai sarvasvaṃ taṃ vidyād brahmaghātinam||
You should know that man to be guilty of Brahmanicide who robs the blind, the lame, and idiots.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 24.12
आश्रमे वा वने वापि ग्रामे वा यदि वा पुरे। अग्निं समुत्सृजेन्मोहात्तं विद्याद् ब्रह्मघातिनम्॥
āśrame vā vane vāpi grāme vā yadi vā pure| agniṃ samutsṛjenmohāttaṃ vidyād brahmaghātinam||
You should know that man to be guilty of Brahmanicide who sets fire to the hermitage of ascetics or to forests or to a village or a town.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 24.13
आश्रमे वा वने वापि ग्रामे वा यदि वा पुरे। अग्निं समुत्सृजेन्मोहात्तं विद्याद् ब्रह्मघातिनम्॥
āśrame vā vane vāpi grāme vā yadi vā pure| agniṃ samutsṛjenmohāttaṃ vidyād brahmaghātinam||
You should know that man to be guilty of Brahmanicide who sets fire to the hermitage of ascetics or to forests or to a village or a town.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)