Then those beings approached the being among them who was most attractive, good-looking, lovely, and illustrious, and said, ‘Come, good being, rightly accuse those who deserve it, blame those who deserve it, and banish those who deserve it. We shall pay you with a share of rice.’ ‘Yes, worthy sirs,’ replied that being. They acted accordingly, and were paid with a share of rice.

‘Elected by the populace’, Vāseṭṭha, is the meaning of ‘popularly elected’, the first term applied to them. ‘Lord of the fields’ is the meaning of ‘aristocrat’, the second term applied to them. ‘They please others with principle’ is the meaning of ‘king’, the third term applied to them. And that, Vāseṭṭha, is how the ancient primordial terms for the circle of aristocrats were created; for those very beings, not others; for those like them, not unlike; by virtue of principle, not against principle. For principle, Vāseṭṭha, is the best thing for people in both this life and the next.

11. The Circle of Brahmins