i Dattatreya. Indeed, the son of
Kritavirya thus adored the great ascetic who, becoming pleased with him,
asked him to solicit three boons. Thus requested by the Rishi in respect
of boons, the king addressed him, saying, 'Let me become endued with a
thousand arms when I am in the midst of my troops. While, however, I
remain at home let me have, as usual only two arms! Indeed, let
combatants, when engaged in battle, behold me possessed of a thousand
arms, observant also of high vows, let me succeed in subjugating the
whole earth by dint of my prowess. Having acquired the earth righteously,
let me sway her with vigilance. There is a fourth boon which, O foremost
of regenerate persons, I solicit thee to grant. O faultless one, in
consequence of the disposition to favour me, it behoveth thee to grant it
to me. Dependent that I am on thee, whenever I may happen to go wrong,
let the righteous come forth to instruct and set me right!' Thus
addressed, the Brahmana replied unto the king, saying, 'So let it be!'
Even thus were those boons acquired by that king of blazing effulgence.
Riding then on his car whose splendour resembled that of fire or the Sun,
the monarch, blinded by his great prowess, said, 'Who, indeed, is there
that can be regarded as my equal in patience and energy, in fame and
heroism, in prowess and strength?' After he had uttered these words, an
invisible voice in the welkin said, 'O ignorant wretch, dost thou not
know that the Brahmana is superior to the Kshatriya? The Kshatriya,
assisted by the Brahmana rules all creatures!'

"'"Arjuna said, 'When gratified, I am able to create many creatures. When
angry, I am able to destroy all. In thought, word, and deed, I am the
foremost. The Brahmana is certainly not above me! The first proposition
here is that the Brahmana is superior to the Kshatriya. The
counter-proposition is that the Kshatriya is superior. Thou hast said, O
invisible being that the two are united together (in the act upon which
the Kshatriya's superiority is sought to be based). A distinction,
however, is observable in this. It is seen that Brahmanas take refuge
with Kshatriyas. The Kshatriyas never seek the refuge of Brahmanas.
Indeed, throughout the earth, the Brahmanas, accepting such refuge under
the pretence of teaching the Vedas, draw their sustenance from the
Kshatriyas. The duty of protecting all creatures is vested in Kshatriyas.
It is from the Kshatriyas that the Brahmanas derive their sus