Shloka 14
ब्रह्मवृक्षो रक्ष्यमाणो मधु हेम च वर्षति । अरक्ष्यमाण: सततमश्रु पापं च वर्षति,ब्राह्मणरूपी वृक्षकी यदि रक्षा की जाती है तो वह मधुर सुख और सुवर्णकी वर्षा करता है और यदि उसकी रक्षा नहीं की गयी तो उससे निरन्तर दुःखके आँसुओं और पापकी वृष्टि होती है
brahmavṛkṣo rakṣyamāṇo madhu hema ca varṣati | arakṣyamāṇaḥ satatam aśru pāpaṃ ca varṣati ||
Kāśyapa said: “The Brahmin—likened to a sacred tree—when protected, showers sweetness like honey and wealth like gold. But when left unprotected, it continually rains tears of sorrow and brings forth sin. Therefore, safeguarding the Brahmin upholds welfare and restrains moral decline.”
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.