ya energy becomes weak, when all men
misbehave themselves towards the Brahmanas, they that engage in battle
then, casting off all fear of death, for protecting the Brahmanas,
morality, and their own selves,--those persons, moved by righteous
indignation and possessed of great strength of mind, succeed in winning
high regions of bliss hereafter. All persons should take up arms for the
sake of Brahmanas. Those brave persons that fight for Brahmanas attain to
those felicitous regions in heaven that are reserved for persons that have
always studied the Vedas with attention, that have performed the
austerest of penances, and that have, after fasting, cast off their
bodies into blazing fires. The Brahmana, by taking up arms for the three
orders, does not incur sin. People say that there is no higher duty than
casting off life under such circumstances. I bow to them and blessed be
they that thus lay down their lives in seeking to chastise the enemies of
Brahmanas. Let us attain to that region which is intended for them. Manu
himself has said that those heroes repair to the region of Brahman. As
persons become cleansed of all their sins by undergoing the final bath on
a horse-sacrifice even so they that die at the edge of weapons while
fighting wicked people, become cleansed of their sins. Righteousness
becomes unrighteousness, and unrighteousness becomes righteousness,
according to place and time. Such is the power of place and time (in
determining the character of human acts). The friends of humanity, by
doing even acts of cruelty, have attained to high heaven. Righteous
Kshatriyas, by doing even sinful acts, have attained to blessed
ends.[235] The Brahmana, by taking up arms on these three occasions, does
not incur sin, viz., for protecting himself, for compelling the other
orders to betake themselves to their duties, and for chastising robbers."

"'Yudhishthira said, "If when robbers raise their heads and an
inter-mixture of the orders begins to take place in consequence of
confusion, and Kshatriyas become incompetent, some powerful person other
than a Kshatriya seeks to subdue those robbers for the sake of protecting
the people,[236] indeed, O best of kings, if that powerful person happens
to be a Brahmana or a Vaisya or a Sudra, and if he succeeds in protecting
the people by righteously wielding the rod of chastisement is he
justified in doing what he does or is he restrained by the ordinances
from accomplishing that duty?