Shloka 14
Purohita-Niyoga and the Brahma–Kṣatra Concord
Aila–Kaśyapa Saṃvāda
ब्रह्मवृक्षो रक्ष्यमाणो मधु हेम च वर्षति । अरक्ष्यमाण: सततमश्रु पापं च वर्षति
brahmavṛkṣo rakṣyamāṇo madhu hema ca varṣati | arakṣyamāṇaḥ satatam aśru pāpaṃ ca varṣati ||
قال كاشيابا: «إنّ البراهمن—وقد شُبِّه بشجرةٍ مقدّسة—إذا حُفِظ وصِين أمطر حلاوةً كالعسل وغنىً كالذهب. أمّا إذا تُرِك بلا حماية فإنه يظلّ يسكب دموع الحزن ويُثمر الإثم. لذلك فإن صونَ البراهمن يقيمُ الرفاه ويكبحُ الانحدارَ الخُلقي.»
कश्यप उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that protecting and honoring the Brāhmaṇa (symbolized as a ‘Brahman-tree’) yields sweet and prosperous outcomes, while neglecting that duty leads to ongoing suffering and the spread of sin; social and moral welfare depend on safeguarding dharma-supporting persons.
In Śānti Parva’s rājadharma-oriented instruction, the sage Kaśyapa speaks in a didactic tone, using a vivid metaphor: a protected sacred tree gives honey and gold, but an unprotected one produces tears and sin—urging rulers and society to maintain protective care for Brāhmaṇas and dharmic institutions.