Hunter Advises Brahmana to Serve His Parents
A brahmana who abandoned his blind, aged parents to study the Vedas is sent by his devoted wife to a hunter in Mithila. The hunter reveals that the wife foresaw everything — and then tells the brahmana that leaving his parents was a grave sin. There is no higher dharma, the hunter says, than serving one's mother and father.
The hunter, having introduced his parents to the brahmana as his greatest gurus, spoke again.
"Behold," he said. "I have obtained insight through the power of my austerities. It is for this reason that your devoted, self-controlled, and truthful wife told you to go to Mithila — where a hunter who lives there would tell you about dharma."
The brahmana remembered. "O one who is learned about dharma! I recall the words of that devoted, truthful, and virtuous wife. I know that you have good qualities."
The hunter continued. "There is no doubt that what you have said about me was completely foreseen by that faithful wife. It is to show favour towards you that I have revealed these things. Now listen to the words I am going to speak.
"You have slighted your mother and father. You left the house without their permission, for the sake of studying the meaning and the chanting of the Vedas. Your deeds caused great grief to your aged, ascetic, and blind parents. Go and seek their favour, else great dharma will forsake you.
"You are an ascetic. You are great-souled. You are always devoted to dharma. But all of this has been futile. Therefore, listen to my words and do not act contrary to them. Return swiftly and show them your devotion. I am telling you this for your own welfare."
The brahmana answered: "O fortunate one! There is no doubt that everything you have said is true. I am pleased with you."
The hunter pressed further. "You are the equal of the gods and always devoted to dharma that is ancient, eternal, and divine — difficult of access to those who have not perfected their souls. Go swiftly to your mother and your father and worship them unceasingly. Beyond that, there is no other supreme dharma that I can see for you."
The brahmana's voice was full of gratitude. "It is through good fortune that I came here. It is through good fortune that I met you. Men like you, exponents of dharma, are difficult to find in this world. Among one thousand men, one may find someone who is learned in dharma — or one may not. I was descending into hell, and you have saved me. King Yayati fell and was rescued by his daughter's virtuous sons. Like that, I have now been saved by you.
"As you have said, I will serve my mother and my father."
But then the brahmana paused. A question had been forming in his mind since the hunter first spoke. "One who has not perfected his soul does not know how to differentiate between dharma and adharma. The eternal dharma is incomprehensible to one who has been born in the womb of a shudra. Yet you speak of dharma with the clarity of a rishi. I do not regard you as a shudra. There must be some reason. Perhaps you obtained the status of a shudra because of your specific deeds. O immensely intelligent one! I wish to know the details about this. If you so desire, please tell me everything accurately." Aranyaka Parva, Chapter 502