Book 5: Hymn 19: The wickedness of robbing or insulting Brāhmans

1The sons of Vitahavya, the Srinjayas, waxed exceeding strong. They well-nigh touched the heavens, but they wronged Bhrigu and were overthrown. 2When men pierced Brihatsāman through, the Brāhman, son of Angiras, The ram with teeth in both his jaws, the sheep, devoured their progeny. 3If men have spat upon, or shot their rheum upon a Brāhman, they. Sit in the middle of a stream running with blood, devouring hair. 4While yet the Brāhman's cow which men are dressing quivers in her throe: She mars the kingdom's splendour: there no vigorous hero springs to life. 5Terrible is her cutting-up: her bitter flesh is cast away, And it is counted sin among the Fathers if her milk is drunk. 6If any King who deems himself mighty would eat a Brāhman up, Rent and disrupted is that realm wherein a Brāhman is oppres- sed. 7She grows eight-footed, and four-eyed, four-eared, four-jawed, two-faced, two-tongued, And shatters down the kingdom of the man who doth the Brāhman wrong. 8As water swamps a leaky ship so ruin overflows that realm. Misfortune smites the realm wherein a Brāhman suffers scath and harm. 9The very trees repel the man, and drive him from their sheltering shade, Whoever claims, O Nārada, the treasure that a Brāhman owns. p. a179

10That wealth, King Varuna hath said, is poison by the Gods prepared. None hath kept watch to guard his realm who hath devoured a Brāhman's cow. 11Those nine-and-ninety people whom Earth shook and cast away from her, When they had wronged the Brāhman race were ruined incon- ceivably. 12Oppressor of the Brāhmans! thus the Gods have spoken and declared, The step-effacing wisp they bind upon the dead shall be thy couch. 13Oppressor of the Brāhmans! tears wept by the man who suffers wrong, These are the share of water which the Gods have destined to be thine. 14The share of water which the Gods have destined to be thine, is that, Oppressor of the priest! wherewith men lave the corpse and wet the beard. 15The rain of Mitra-Varuna falls not on him who wrongs the priest. To him no counsel brings success: he wins, no friend to do his will.