vayo jyaiṣṭhyasya kāraṇam
vayo jyaiṣṭhyasya kāraṇam
O brāhmaṇa! The wise do not criticize a junior in age for fulfilling one’s purposes. The cause of seniority is age except in the case of Vedic knowledge.
“You want to make you your guru, but how will you worship me, who am younger, being a son of your brother?” The wise do not criticize worshipping the feet of a younger person. The cause of being senior and junior is greater age and younger age for activities other than Vedic knowledge. But in activities relating to the Vedas, that is not so. The cause of seniority is knowledge of the Vedas. Therefore because you have greater knowledge of the Vedas, you should be out priest, and be the guru who gives mantra to us.
|| 6.7.34 ||
śrī-ṛṣir uvāca
abhyarthitaḥ sura-gaṇaiḥ
paurahitye mahā-tapāḥ
sa viśvarūpas tān āha
prasannaḥ ślakṣṇayā girā
Śukadeva said: When all the devatās requested the great Viśvarūpa to be their priest, Viśvarūpa, who was advanced in austerities and was pleased with them, spoke to them with sweet words.
|| 6.7.35 ||
śrī-viśvarūpa uvāca
vigarhitaṁ dharma-śīlair
brahmavarca-upavyayam
kathaṁ nu mad-vidho nāthā
lokeśair abhiyācitam
pratyākhyāsyati tac-chiṣyaḥ
sa eva svārtha ucyate
Viśvarūpa said: O masters! Those cultivating dharma will say that I will lose by powers as a brāhmaṇa by being a priest, but how can a person like me, your disciple, refuse the request made by the rulers of the planets! It is in my interest as a disciple.
The sages who cultivate dharma criticize being a priest because one loses a great amount of brahma-tejas. But I must do this. O masters (nāthāḥ)! I have been requested by you the rulers of the planets. I am your disciple. A disciple cannot refuse. It is in the interest of the disciple to accept.
|| 6.7.36 ||
akiñcanānāṁ hi dhanaṁ śiloñchanaṁ
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