ost austere, or by religious acts, or by knowledge of the
scriptures, that a person belonging to any of the three inferior orders
succeeds in acquiring the status of a Brahmana? Do tell me this, O
grandsire!"

"'Bhishma said, "The status of a Brahmana, O Yudhishthira, is incapable of
acquisition by a person belonging to any of the three other orders. That
status is the highest with respect to all creatures. Travelling through
innumerable orders of existence, by undergoing repeated births, one at
last, in some birth, becomes born as a Brahmana. In this connection is
cited an old history, O Yudhishthira, of a conversation between Matanga
and a she-ass. Once on a time a Brahmana obtained a son who, though
procreated by a person belonging to a different order, had, however, the
rites of infancy and youth performed in pursuance of the ordinances laid
down for Brahmanas. The child was called by the name of Matanga and was
possessed of every accomplishment. His father, desiring to perform a
sacrifice, ordered him, O scorcher of foes, to collect the articles
required for the act. Having received the command of his father, he set
out for the purpose, riding on a car of great speed, drawn by an ass. It
so happened that the ass yoked unto that car was of tender years. Instead
therefore, of obeying the reins, the animal bore away the car to the
vicinity of its dam, viz., the she-ass that had brought it forth.
Matanga, dissatisfied with this, began to strike repeatedly the animal
with his goad on its nose. Beholding those marks of violence on her
child's nose, the she-ass, full of affection for him, said--'Do not
grieve, O child, for his treatment. A Chandala it is that is driving
thee. There is no severity in a Brahmana. The Brahmana is said to be the
friend of all creatures. He is the teacher also of all creatures and
their ruler. Can he chastise any creature so cruelly? This fellow,
however, is of sinful deeds. He hath no compassion to show unto even a
creature of such tender years as thou. He is simply proving the order of
his birth by conducting himself in this way. The nature which he hath
derived from his sire forbids the rise of those sentiments of pity and
kindness that are natural to the Brahmana.' Hearing these harsh words of
the she-ass, Matanga quickly came down from the car and addressing the
she-ass, said,--'Tell me, O blessed dame, by what fault is my mother
stained? How dost thou know that I am a Chandala? Do thou an