Mahabharata · Chapter 13.69

brāhmaṇāneva satataṃ bhṛśaṃ samparipūjayet /
ete hi somarājāna īśvaraḥ sukhaduḥkhayoḥ //

ete bhogairalaṅkārairanyaiścaiva kimicchakaiḥ / sadā pūjyā namaskārai rakṣyāśca pitṛvannṛpaiḥ /
tato rāṣṭrāya śāntirhi bhūtānāmiva vāsavāt //

jñānavānbrahmavarcasvī rāṣṭre vai brāhmaṇaḥ śuciḥ /
mahārathaśca rājanya eṣṭavyaḥ śatrutāpanaḥ //

brāhmaṇaṃ jātisampannaṃ dharmajñaṃ saṃśitavratam /
bojayīta gṛhe rājanna tasmātparamasti vai //

brāhmaṇebhyo havirdattaṃ pratigṛhṇanti devatāḥ /
pitaraḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ naitebhyo vidyate param //

ādityaścandramā viṣṇuḥ saṅkaro'gniḥ prajāpatiḥ /
sarve brāhmaṇamāviśya sadā'nnamupabhuñjate //

na tasyāśnanti pitaro yasya viprā na bhuñjate /
devāścāpyasya nāśnanti pāpasya brāhmaṇadviṣaḥ //

brāhmaṇeṣu tu tuṣṭeṣu prīyante pitaraḥ sadā /
tathaiva devatā rājannātra kāryā vicāraṇā //

tathaiva te'pi prīyante yeṣāṃ bhavati taddhaviḥ /
na ca pretya vinaśyanti gacchanti ca parāṃ gatim //

yenayenaiva prīyante pitaro devatāstathā //
tenatenaiva prīyante pitaro devatāstathā //

brāhmaṇādeva tadbhūtaṃ prabhavanti yataḥ prajāḥ /
yataścāyaṃ prabhavati pretya yatra ca gacchati //

vedaiṣa mārgaṃ svargasya tathaiva narakasya ca /
āgatānāgate come brāhmaṇo dvipadāṃvaraḥ //

brāhmaṇo dvipadāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ svadharmaṃ caiva veda yaḥ / ye cainamanuvartante te na yānti parābhavam /
na te pretya vinaśyanti gacchanti na parābhavam //

yadbrāhmaṇamukhātprāptaṃ pratigṛhṇanti vai vacaḥ /
kṛtātmāno mahātmānaste na yānti parābhavam //

kṣatriyāṇāṃ pratapatāṃ tejasā ca balena ca /
brāhmaṇeṣveva śāmyanti tejāṃsi ca balāni ca //

bhṛgavastālajaṅghāṃśca nīpānāṅgiraso'jayan /
bharadvājo vaitahavyānailāṃśca bharatarṣabha //

citrāyudhāṃścāpyajayannete kṛṣṇājinadhvajāḥ /
prakṣipyātha ca kumbhānvai pāragāminamārabhet //

yatkiñcitkathyate loke śrūyate paṭhyate'pi vā /
sarvaṃ tadbrāhmaṇeṣveva gūḍho'gniriva dāruṣu //

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam /
saṃvādaṃ vāsudevasya pṛthvyāśca bharatarṣabha //
vāsudeva uvāca /

mātaraṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ pṛcche tvāṃ saṃśayaṃ śubhe /
kenasvitkarmaṇā pāpaṃ vyapohati naro gṛhī //
pṛthivyuvāca /

brāhmaṇāneva seveta pavitraṃ hyetaduttamam / brāhmaṇānsevamānasya rajaḥ sarvaṃ praṇaśyati /
bhūto bhūtirataḥ kīrtirato buddhiḥ prajāyate //

mahārathaśca rājanya eṣṭavyaḥ śatrutāpanaḥ /
iti māṃ nāradaḥ prāha satataṃ sarvabhūtaye //

brāhmaṇaṃ jātisampannaṃ dharmajñaṃ saṃśitaṃ śucim /
apareṣāṃ pareṣāṃ ca parebhyaścaiva ye pare //

brāhmaṇā yaṃ praśaṃsanti sa manuṣyaḥ pravardhate /
atha yo brāhmaṇānkruṣṭaḥ parābhavati socirāt //

yathā mahārṇave kṣipta āmaloṣṭo vinaśyati /
tathā duścaritaṃ vipre parābhāvāya kalpate //

paśya candre kṛtaṃ lakṣma samudre lavaṇodakam /
tathā bhagasahasreṇa mahendraḥ paricihnitaḥ //

teṣāmeva prabhāvena sahasranayano hyasau /
śatakratuḥ samabhavatpaśya mādhava yādṛśam //

icchankīrtiṃ ca bhūtiṃ ca lokāṃśca madhusūdana /
brāhmaṇānumate tiṣṭhetpuruṣaḥ śucirātmavān //
bhīṣma uvāca /

ityetadvacanaṃ śrutvā medinyā madhūsūdanaḥ /
sādhusādhviti kauravya medinīṃ pratyapūjayat //

etāṃ śrutvopamāṃ pārtha prayato brāhmaṇarṣabhān /
satataṃ pūjayethāstvaṃ tataḥ śreyo'bhipatsyase //