Mahabharata · Chapter 12.74

brahmakṣatrasya sāmarthyaṃ kathitaṃ te pitāmaha /
purohitaprabhāvaśca lakṣaṇaṃ ca purodhasaḥ //

idānīṃ śrotumicchāmi brahmakṣatravinirṇayam / brahmakṣatraṃ hi sarvasya kāraṇaṃ jagataḥ param /
yogakṣemo hi rāṣṭrasya tābhyāmāyatta eva ca //
bhīṣma uvāca /

yogakṣemo hi rāṣṭrasya rājanyāyatta ucyate /
yogakṣemo hi rājño hi samāyattaḥ purohite //

yatrādṛṣṭaṃ bhayaṃ brahma prajānāṃ śamayatyuta /
dṛṣṭaṃ ca rājā bāhubhyāṃ tadrājyaṃ sukhamedhate //

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam /
mucukundasya saṃvādaṃ rājño vaiśravaṇasya ca //

mucukundo vijityemāṃ pṛthivīṃ pṛthivīpatiḥ /
jijñāsamānaḥ sa balamabhyayādalakādhipam //

tato vaiśravaṇo rājā rākṣasānasṛjattadā /
te balānyavamṛdganta mucukundasya nairṛtāḥ //

sa hanyamāne sainye sve mucukundo narādhipaḥ /
garhayāmāsa vidvāṃsaṃ purohitamarindamaḥ //

tata ugraṃ tapastaptvā vasiṣṭho dharmavittamaḥ /
rakṣāṃsyupāvadhīttatra panthānaṃ cāpyavindata //

tato vaiśravaṇo rājā mucukundamagarhayat /
vadhyamāneṣu sainyeṣu vacanaṃ cedamabravīt //
dhanada uvāca /

balavantastvayā pūrve rājānaḥ sapurohitāḥ /
na caivaṃ samavartanta yathā tvamiva vartase //

te khalvapi kṛtāstrāśca balavantaśca bhūmipāḥ /
āgamya paryupāsante māmīśaṃ sukhaduḥkhayoḥ //

yadyasti bāhuvīryaṃ te taddarśayitumarhasi /
kiṃ brāhmaṇabalena tvamatimātraṃ pravartase //

mucukundastataḥ kruddhaḥ pratyuvāca dhaneśvaram /
nyāyapūrvamasaṃlabdhamasambhrāntamidaṃ vacaḥ //

brahmakṣatramidaṃ sṛṣṭamekayoni svayambhuvā /
pṛthagbalavidhānaṃ ca tallokaṃ paripālayet //

tapomantrabalaṃ nityaṃ brāhmaṇeṣu pratiṣṭhitam /
asrabāhubalaṃ nityaṃ kṣatriyeṣu pratiṣṭhitam //

tābhyāṃ sambhūya kartavyaṃ prajānāṃ paripālanam /
tathā ca māṃ pravartantaṃ kiṃ garhasyalakādhipa //

tato'bravīdvaiśravaṇo rājānaṃ sapurohitam /
nāhaṃ rājyamanirdiṣṭaṃ kasmaicidvidadhāmyuta //

nācchinde vā'pyanirdiṣṭamiti jānīhi pārthiva / praśādhi pṛthivīṃ kṛtsnāṃ maddattāmakhilāmimām /
[evamuktaḥ pratyuvāca mucukundo mahīpatiḥ // ]

nāhaṃ rājyaṃ bhavaddattaṃ bhoktumicchāmi pārthiva /
bāhuvīryārjitaṃ rājyamaśnīyāmiti kāmaye //
bhīṣma uvāca /

tato vaiśravaṇo rājā vismayaṃ paramaṃ yayau /
kṣatradharme sthitaṃ dṛṣṭvā mucukundamarindamam //

tato rājā mucukundaḥ sonvaśāsadvasundharām /
bāhuvīryārjitāṃ samyakkṣatradharmamanuvrataḥ //

evaṃ yo brahmavidrājā brahmapūrvaṃ pravartate /
sa bhuṅkte vijitāmuvīṃ yaśaśca mahadaśnute //

nityodakī brāhmaṇaḥ syānnityaśastraśca kṣatriyaḥ /
tayorhi sarvamāyattaṃ yatkiñcijjagatīgatam //

yaśaśca tejaśva mahīṃ ca kṛtsnāṃ prāpnoti rājanvipulāṃ ca kīrtim /
pradhānadharmaṃ nṛpate niyaccha tathā ca dharmasya caturthamaṃśam //