Brahmana Dharma Is Different from Kshatriya Dharma

We are seeing about the history of Bhrigu Vamsha.

Shaunaka Maharshi's grandfather, Ruru, became a sworn enemy of snakes and serpents because one snake bit and killed his fiancée. Then Ruru had to give half of his own ayu to get her back to life. After that, whenever he saw a snake, he would kill it.

Ruru is a rishi, a maharshi. Even they are not completely free from emotions such as anger and vengeance. Mind control is a perpetual activity. It is not that you control your mind once and you have achieved it. You can acquire power to control your mind, but will have to keep on exercising it — unless, maybe, complete perfect dispassion develops. It depends on the intensity of the provocation also.

Once Ruru saw an old snake in the forest. It was a Dundubha snake — non-venomous, harmless. It is called boa in English — the one which looks like it has a head at both ends. This snake is smuggled these days. People think that it has got magical powers.

Ruru picked up a stick to kill it. The snake said,
'Why are you trying to kill me? I have not done any harm to yourself.'

Ruru said,
'A snake bit my wife. That time I took an oath that I will kill all snakes that I come across.'

'But we are harmless, we don’t bite anyone. We just look like snakes, that’s all. We don’t find any pleasure in biting and harming others. But some among us — they find pleasure in biting humans, because of which our entire clan is affected. Even if one person is evil in a family, he brings bad name to the entire family. You are a dharmatma — you should know all these.'

Ruru did not harm him. All this while, the snake was talking in human voice.

Ruru asked him,
'Tell me — who are yourself? How did you end up in the body of a snake? You are not an ordinary snake.'

'I was a rishi. My name was Sahasrapaat — सहस्रपात. I became a snake because of a curse. The person who cursed me was my own friend. He was a great tapaswi. His name was Khagama — खगम.

Once, when we were young, I scared him with a snake made of grass. He fainted. When he woke up, he cursed me — that I will become a snake, venomless like the snake I had made out of grass.

I fell at Khagama’s feet and asked for pardon. I was just making fun — playing with him. Khagama was still very agitated. But later, he said:

“A son will be born to Rishi Pramati. His name will be Ruru. When you come in contact with him, you will get back your original form.”'

The snake turned into human form and told Ruru:

A very, very important point —
Dharma is not universal or common for all.

Brahmana dharma is different.
Kshatriya dharma is different.
That’s why the Lord said: Swadharme nidhanam shreyaha.

Dundubha is making this point clear to Ruru.

'You are a Brahmin. Your dharma is ahimsa — non-violence. Giving punishment is not your job. Protecting people is not your job. That is the Kshatriya's job.

You, as a Brahmin, should never harm any living being. You, as a Brahmin, should always be gentle and kind. You should never cause grief, anger, or agitation in anyone.

Vedas and Vedangas reside in your body.
You should practice ahimsa.
You should observe truthfulness and tolerance.

A Kshatriya has to carry and use weapons. He has to mete out punishment. That is how he protects his people. He has every right to do it. That is how he observes his dharma. If he doesn’t do that, he falls from his dharma. But not you — because you are a Brahmin, not a Kshatriya.

Once, Janamejaya, son of Parikshit, conducted a Sarpa Yajna in which snakes were killed in thousands. It was a Brahmin — Astika, a Vedic scholar — who finally came for the protection of the snakes and ended that yajna.'

Ruru asked,
'Why did Janamejaya perform Sarpa Yajna?
Why did Astika come for the rescue of serpents?'

Dundubha, now turned into Sahasrapaat, said:
'This — you will get to hear later.'

And disappeared.

Ruru went around looking for him all around the forest. He became tired and fell off to sleep. When he woke up, he went home and told his father about what all happened.

The Pauloma Parva of Mahabharata ends here — with these questions.

We know Uttanka’s role in instigating Janamejaya to perform Sarpa Yajna for annihilation of serpents.

Ruru was reformed by Dundubha and given clarity about Brahmana dharma vis-à-vis Kshatriya dharma.

And now, we will see why the Sarpayajna was conducted — and how it ended.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi