Mbh 13.22.21

Mahabharata · translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli

"'Bhishma said,--"One should earn wealth in the first part of one's life. Then should one earn Righteousness, and then enjoy pleasure. One should not, however, attach oneself to any of these. One should regard the Brahmanas, worship one's preceptor and seniors, show compassion for all creatures, be of mild disposition and agreeable speech. To utter falsehood in a court of justice, to behave deceitfully towards the king, to act falsely towards preceptors and seniors, are regarded as equivalent (in heinousness) to Brahmanicide. One should never do an act of violence to the king's person. Nor should one ever strike a cow. Both these offences are equivalent to the sin of foeticide. One should never abandon one's (homa) fire. One should also never cast off one's study of the Vedas. One should never assail a Brahmana by words or acts. All these offences are equivalent to Brahmanicide."

Mbh 13.22.21 · Mahabharata · ANUSASANA PARVA

Themes in this passage

Justice Leadership Speech Compassion Dharma Nature Sin Truth

Justice in other traditions

The same theme, as Christianity, Islam, Taoism and Hellenism address it.

Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

John 7:24 · Bible · John

Therefor judge Thou between us, a (conclusive) judgment, and save me and those believers who are with me.

Quran 26:118 · Quran

Thus it was that when the Tao was lost, its attributes appeared; when its attributes were lost, benevolence appeared; when benevolence was lost, righteousness appeared; and when righteousness was lost, the proprieties appeared.

Tao Te Ching 38.5 · Tao Te Ching

“My dear wife,” replied Menelaus, “I see the likeness just as you do. His hands and feet are just like Ulysses; so is his hair, with the shape of his head and the expression of his eyes. Moreover, when I was talking about Ulysses, and saying how much he had suffered on my account, tears fell from his eyes, and he hid his face in his mantle.”

Odyssey 4.14 · Odyssey · 4

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