Chapter 21 of 51 · Uma Samhita · Overall chapter 335 of 464
Fruits of Battle
Sanatkumara explains how a person can move between varnas through conduct and karma across lifetimes, then pivots to an extended and surprisingly specific battle-ethics: dying honourably in combat outranks even major sacrifices in merit, provided the fighting follows the strict rules of who may and may not be struck.
Vyasa said
The state of a brahmana is hard to gain. In creation, the shruti says, brahmanas came from Ishvara's mouth, kshatriyas from his arms, vaishyas from his thighs and shudras from his feet. What state can those lower down attain? Please tell me.
Sanatkumara answered
Kaleya, men fall from their positions because of wicked deeds, so having gained a higher position a learned person should protect it. If a person gives up the state of a brahmana he is born a kshatriya. Dislodged from brahmanahood, he takes a kshatriya's status. By following adharma a fool circles so through thousands of births, submerged in darkness. So, having gained a higher position, one must not destroy it through carelessness. Even in adversity a man should always protect his position. The brahmana state is auspicious; having gained it, a man who shows it disrespect and does not know the difference between what may and may not be eaten becomes a kshatriya. By his karma an intelligent shudra can become a vaishya. I will tell how one can reach a higher varna. Having become a shudra, one should practise the karma laid down for a shudra and constantly serve the three varnas properly, and by this a shudra can aspire to be a vaishya. A vaishya who spends his wealth on sacrifices, makes oblations properly, keeps the agnihotra and eats what is left over is, without doubt, born into a kshatriya family. Born a kshatriya he must perform pure sacrifices and give fees; if he wants heaven he must study and always keep the three fires. With gentle hands and feet he must protect the earth in accordance with dharma. At the time of his wife's season he must always keep the dharma of union with her. Pursuing the three aims, he must give to guests and living beings. To protect cows, brahmanas and himself he must fight in battles even if he dies. Thus, purified by fire and mantras, a kshatriya becomes a brahmana. If he becomes a brahmana through destiny he becomes a priest for sacrifices, always engaged in his own karma, truthful and self-controlled. So he gains extensive heaven and is loved even by the gods. The state of a brahmana is extremely hard to gain; men gain it after going through hardships. Lord among sages, brahmanas can gain everything, even liberation, so a brahmana must make every effort to hold to dharma. As a means for all the categories the state of a brahmana is supreme and must be protected.
Vyasa said
Supreme sage, you spoke of the greatness of battles. I wish to hear of this; best of the eloquent, please tell me.
Sanatkumara said
Those who know the truth and know the karma of sacrifices say that by performing agnishtoma and other sacrifices with copious fees one does not gain the fruits that battles give. So I will tell you the fruits gained by those who live by weapons. A brave person who wants the gain of dharma, artha and fame must fight and beat the enemy army. He gains dharma and artha and the fruits of a sacrifice with fees. One who advances on the enemy and climbs on his chariot goes to Vishnu's world. One who is undefeated in battle, or dies while engaged in it, gains the fruits of four ashvamedhas. A valiant man who does not throw down his weapons and dies in the front of the battlefield goes to heaven and does not return. A king, prince, general or brave kshatriya who is killed gains worlds without decay, as many worlds as the number of his body hairs split by weapons in the great battle, undecaying and satisfying all desires. Vyasa, in this world and the next he always has a hero's seat, hero's couch, hero's position and hero's status. A person who dies for the sake of cows, brahmanas, position or himself, in happiness, goes to the place for those who do good. Even one who has killed a brahmana but then fights for his master and gives up his life in battle goes to heaven and does not return. Being killed by predators and tusked beasts leads to an excellent end, and so does dying for cows, brahmanas and one's masters. The worlds gained are extensive and without decay. A man may be able to perform hundreds of sacrifices, but giving up his own body in battle is extremely hard. Battle is the most sacred of all and leads to heaven, where one becomes handsome in every way. Among all varnas kshatriyas are special. I will now tell the eternal, strict dharma of fighting, who may be struck and who may not. If a brahmana who knows Vedanta behaves as an assassin and attacks, wanting to kill, one may kill him, and no sin of killing a brahmana results. Even one who deserves killing must not be killed when he asks for a drink of water. Vyasa, one who kills an afflicted person in battle commits the sin of killing a brahmana. Killing a sick or weak person, a child, a woman, one without a protector, a wretched one or one whose bow is broken leads to the sin of killing a brahmana. Having thought on this, a virtuous, intelligent person must be cheerful and love fighting, and as fruit he makes his birth successful in this world and gains delight in the next.
Retold in our own words from Bibek Debroy's English translation of the Shiva Purana (Penguin Classics). Names, numbers and the order of events follow the source.