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 ||
迦叶波说道：“婆罗门——譬如一株圣树——若得护持，便如蜜般洒下甘甜，如金般降下富饶；若任其失护，便不断落下哀泪，滋生罪业。故护持婆罗门，乃是扶持福祉、遏止德行衰败。”
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.