art the protector and king of that people, and, therefore, the
partaker of sixth part of their merits and demerits. Or perhaps, thou art
the partaker of a sixth part of their demerits only, for thou never
protectest them. A king that protects is a sharer in the merits of his
subjects. Thou art not a sharer in their merits. In days of yore, when
the eternal religion was reverenced in all countries, the Grandsire,
observing the practices of the country of the five rivers, cried fie on
them. When even in the Krita age, Brahman had censured the practices of
those fallen people of evil deeds who were begotten by Shudras on others'
wives, what would you now say to men in the world? Even thus did the
Grandsire condemn the practices of the country of the five waters. When
all people were observant of the duties of their respective orders, the
Grandsire had to find fault with these men. Thou shouldst know all this,
O Shalya. I shall, however, again speak to thee. A Rakshasa of the name
of Kalmashapada, while plunging in a tank, said, 'Eleemosynation is a
Kshatriya's dirt, while the non-observance of vows is a Brahmana's dirt.
The Vahikas are the dirt of the Earth, and the Madra women are the dirt
of the whole female sex.' While sinking in the stream, a king rescued the
Rakshasa. Asked by the former, the latter gave this answer. I will recite
it to you. Listen to me. 'The Mlecchas are the dirt of mankind: the
oilmen are the dirt of the Mlecchas; eunuchs are the dirt of oilmen; they
who avail of the priestly ministrations of Kshatriyas, in their
sacrifices, are the dirt of eunuchs. The sin of those again that have the
last-named persons for their priests, of also of the Madrakas, shall be
thine if thou do not abandon me.' Even this was declared by the Rakshasa
to be the formula that should be used for curing a person possessed by a
Rakshasa or one killed by the energy of a poison. The words that follow
are all very true. The Pancalas observe the duties enjoined in the Vedas;
the Kauravas observe truth; the Matsyas and the Surasenas perform
sacrifices, the Easterners follow the practices of the Shudras; the
Southerners are fallen; the Vahikas are thieves; the Saurashtras are
bastards. They that are defiled by ingratitude, theft, drunkenness,
adultery with the wives of their preceptors, harshness of speech,
slaughter of kine, lustful wanderings during the night out of home, and
the wearing of other people's ornaments,--what sin is the