SECTION CLIII
"The god of wind said, 'Hear, O deluded man, what the attributes are that
belong to Brahmanas all of whom are endued with high souls. The Brahmana
is superior to all those which, O king, thou hast named! In days of yore,
the earth, indulging in a spirit of rivalry with the kind of the Angas,
forsook her character as Earth. The regenerate Kasyapa caused destruction
to overtake her by actually paralysing her. The Brahmanas are always
unconquerable, O king, in heaven as also on earth. In days of yore, the
great Rishi Angiras, through his energy, drank off all the waters. The
high-souled Rishi, having drank off all the waters as if they were milk,
did not feel yet his thirst to be slaked. He, therefore, once more caused
the earth to be filled with water by raising a mighty wave. On another
occasion, when Angiras became enraged with me, I fled away, leaving the
world, and dwelt for a long time concealed in the Agnihotra of the
Brahmanas through fear of that Rishi. The illustrious Purandara, in
consequence of his having coveted the body of Ahalya, was cursed by
Gautama, yet, for the sake of Righteousness and wealth, the Rishi did not
destroy outright the chief of the deities. The Ocean, O king, that was
full in former days of crystal water, cursed by the Brahmanas, became
saline in taste.[608] Even Agni who is of the complexion of gold, and who
blazes with effulgence when destitute of smoke, and whose flames uniting
together burn upwards, when cursed by the angry Angiras, became divested
of all these attributes.[609] Behold, the sixty thousand sons of Sagara,
who came here to adore the Ocean, have all been pulverised by the
Brahmana. Kapila of golden complexion. Thou art not equal to the
Brahmanas. Do thou, O king, seek thy own good. The Kshatriya of even
great puissance bows to Brahmana children that are still in their
mothers' wombs. The large kingdom of the Dandakas was destroyed by a
Brahmana. The mighty Kshatriya Talajangala was destroyed by a single
Brahmana. viz., Aurva. Thou too hast acquired a large kingdom, great
might, religious merit, and learning, which are all difficult of
attainment, through the grace of Dattatreya. Why dost thou, O Arjuna,
worship Agni everyday who is a Brahmana? He is the bearer of sacrificial
libations from every part of the universe. Art thou ignorant of this
fact? Why, indeed, dost thou suffer thyself to be stupefied by folly when
thou art not ignorant of the fact that a superior Brahmana is the
protector of all creatures in the world and is, indeed, the creator of
the living world? The Lord of all creatures, Brahman, unmanifest, endued
with puissance, and of unfading glory, who created this boundless
universe with its mobile and immobile creatures (is a Brahman). Some
persons there are, destitute of wisdom, who say that Brahman was born of
an Egg. From the original Egg, when it burst forth, mountains and the
points of the compass and the waters and the earth and the heavens all
sprang forth into existence. This birth of the creation was not seen by
any one. How then can Brahman be said to have taken his birth from the
original Egg, when especially he is declared as Unborn? It is said that
vast uncreate Space is the original Egg. It was from this uncreate Space
(or Supreme Brahman) that the Grandsire was born. If thou askest,
'Whereon would the Grandsire, after his birth from uncreate Space, rest,
for there was then nothing else?' The answer may be given in the
following words, 'There is an existent Being of the name of
Consciousness. That mighty Being is endued with great energy. There is no
Egg. Brahman, however, is existent. He is the creator of the universe and
is its king! Thus addressed by the god of wind, king Arjuna remained
silent.'"[610]
