Brahmanas have no certain means of
support (from lands or other kinds of property assigned to them) become
very miserable. There the oxen do not carry the people or draw the
plough, nor do vehicles of any kind bear them. There milk kept in jars is
never churned for yielding butter. On the other hand, the residents
become divested of prosperity of every kind, and betake themselves to the
ways of robbers (instead of being able to enjoy the blessings of
peace).[1857] In the Vedas, the Puranas, the histories, and other
authoritative writings, it is said that Brahmanas, who are the souls of
all creatures, who are the creators of all things, and who are
identifiable with all existent objects, sprang from the mouth of
Narayana. Indeed, it is said that the Brahmanas first came at the time
when the great boon-giving god had restrained his speech as a penance and
the other orders have originated from the Brahmanas. The Brahmanas are
distinguished above the deities and Asuras, since they were created by
myself in my indescribable form as Brahma. As I have created the deities
and the Asuras and the great Rishis so I have placed the Brahmanas in
their respective situations and have to punish them occasionally. In
consequence of his licentious assault on Ahalya, Indra was cursed by
Gautama, her husband, through which Indra got a green beard on his face.
Through that curse of Kausika Indra lost, also, his own testicles, which
loss was afterwards (through the kindness of the other deities) made up
by the substitution of the testicles of a ram. When in the sacrifice of
king Sarjiati, the great Rishi Chyavana became desirous of making the
twin Aswins sharers of the sacrificial offerings, Indra objected. Upon
Chyavana insisting, Indra sought to hurl his thunderbolt at him. The
Rishi paralysed Indra's arms. Incensed at the destruction of his
sacrifice by Rudra, Daksha once more set himself to the practice of
severe austerities and attaining to high puissance caused something like
a third eye to appear on the forehead of Rudra for the destruction of
Tripurasura.[1858] When Rudra addressed himself for the destruction of
the triple city belonging to the Asuras, the preceptor of the Asuras,
viz., Usanas, provoked beyond endurance, tore a matted lock from his own
head and hurled it at Rudra. From that matted lock of Usanas sprang many
serpents. Those serpents began to bite Rudra, at which his throat became
blue. During a bygone period, viz., that