ined a
kingdom. Do thou protect thy subjects righteously. Gratify Indra with
offerings of Soma and the friends and well-wishers with the objects of
their wishes."'"

SECTION LXXII

"'Bhishma said, "That person, O king, who would protect the good and
punish the wicked, should be appointed as his priest by the king. In this
connection is cited the old story about the discourse between Pururavas,
the son of Aila and Matariswan.

"'"Pururavas said, 'Whence has the Brahmana sprung and whence the three
other orders? For what reason also has the Brahmana become the foremost?
It behoveth thee to tell me all this.'

"'"Matariswan answered, 'The Brahmana, O best of kings, has sprung from the
mouth of Brahman. The Kshatriya has sprung from his two arms, and the
Vaisya from his two thighs. For waiting upon these three orders, O ruler
of men, a fourth order, viz., the Sudra, sprung into life, being created
from the feet (of Brahman). Originally created thus, the Brahmana takes
birth on earth as the lord of all creatures, his duty being the keep of
the Vedas and the other scriptures.[230] Then, for ruling the earth and
wielding the rod of chastisement and protecting all creatures, the second
order, viz., the Kshatriya was created. The Vaisya was created for
supporting the two other orders and himself by cultivation and trade, and
finally, it was ordained by Brahman that the Sudra should serve the three
orders as a menial.'

"'"Pururavas said, 'Tell me truly, O god of Winds, to whom, this earth
righteously belong. Does it belong to the Brahmana or to the Kshatriya?'

"'"The god of Winds said, 'Everything that exists in the universe belongs
to the Brahmana in consequence of his birth and precedence. Persons
conversant with morality say this. What the Brahmana eats is his own. The
place he inhabits is his own. What he gives away is his own. He deserves
the veneration of all the (other) orders. He is the first-born and the
foremost. As a woman, in the absence of her husband, accepts his younger
brother for him, even so the earth, in consequence of the refusal of the
Brahmana, has accepted his next-born, viz., the Kshatriya, for her lord.
This is the first rule. In times, however, of distress, there is an
exception of this. If thou seekest to discharge the duties of the order
and wishest to obtain the highest place in heaven, then give unto the
Brahmana all the land thou mayst succeed in conquering, unto him that is
possessed o