Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 3

Author(s): Hemchandracharya, Helen M Johnson
Publisher: Oriental Research Institute Vadodra

Page 116

VĀSUPŪJYACARITRA
87
How is there any purity 119 in the Brāhmans versed in law (smärtas), et cetera, who wish to get other people's money by false legal decisions by means of earth and water, et cetera ? 120 How is there dharma in Brähmans disregarding chastity, destroying embryos in sinning against the proper season? How is there poverty of Brāhmans wishing to take money from a person making a sacrifice, even though he is unwilling to give, and who surrender life for the sake of money? Not an atom of forbearance is seen in the worldly sages pronouncing a curse instantly for even very small offenses. How is there humility in Brāhmans in the four stages of life, their minds stirred up by the meanness of pride in family, et cetera ? How can there be a particle of sincerity in the heretic-ascetics filled with deceit and desire and outwardly hypocritical ? How can there be freedom from greed on the part of Brāhmans who always have wives, houses, sons, et cetera, bouses of the family of greed alone ?
Then the good proclamation of the dharma of the Arhats who are free from love, hate, and delusion, endowed with omniscience, is irreproachable. False speaking would arise from love and hate, and also from delusion. In the absence of these, how, pray, could there be false speech of the Arhats ? Truthful speech never emanates from persons whose minds are impure from the faults, love, et cetera. Likewise, what dharma is there of those who perform sacrificial rites of offerings and oblations of ghi, et cetera, and who build many pious works, such as tanks, wells, and pools; of those who seek a wrong path to heavenly and earthly happiness by killing animals; of those wishing to cause contentment to ancestors by gifts of food to Brāhmans; of those who perform penance by making a purification of the womb with ghi, et cetera; 121 of those
119 324. I.e., honesty. 180 324. By ordeals.
181 336. See the Devalasmrti, 47-51, in the Smộtisamuccaya, p. 87. See App. I.