Mahābhārata · Adhyāya 12.142
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12.142.1
यदिदं घोरमुद्दिष्टमश्रद्धेयमिवानृतम् ।
अस्तिस्विद्दस्युमर्यादा यामयं परिवर्जयेत् ॥ १२.१४२.१ ॥
Is there a code even of robbers, which this man should abandon, — this terrible, incredible-seeming, and as it were false teaching that has been declared?
12.142.2
संमुह्यामि विपीदामि धर्मो मे शिथिलीकृतः ।
उद्यमं नाधिगच्छामि कुतश्चित्परिचिन्तयन् ॥ १२.१४२.२ ॥
I am bewildered and distressed; my dharma has been loosened. Pondering from every side, I find no means of action.
12.142.3
नैतच्छ्रुत्वागमादेव तव धर्मानुशासनम् ।
प्रज्ञासमभिहारोऽयं कविभिः संभृतं मधु ॥ १२.१४२.३ ॥
This instruction of yours in dharma is not to be taken merely from having heard it through tradition. It is a gathering of wisdom, honey collected by the wise poets.
12.142.4
बाह्याः प्रतिविधातव्याः प्रज्ञा राज्ञा ततस्ततः ।
बहुशाखेन धर्मेण यत्रैषा संप्रसिध्यते ॥ १२.१४२.४ ॥
The king should counter external threats with wisdom, here and there, through that manifold-branched dharma by which this wisdom is fully accomplished.
12.142.5
बुद्धिं संजनयेद्राज्ञां धर्ममाचरतां सदा ।
जयो भवति कौरव्य सदा तद्वृद्धिरेव च ॥ १२.१४२.५ ॥
In kings who practise dharma, wisdom should always be generated. O Kaurava, victory always comes, and so does its increase.
12.142.6
बुद्धिश्रेष्ठा हि राजानो जयन्ति विजयैषिणः ।
धर्मः प्रतिविधातव्यो बुद्ध्या राज्ञा ततस्ततः ॥ १२.१४२.६ ॥
Kings who excel in wisdom, seeking victory, indeed conquer. The king should uphold dharma with wisdom, here and there.
12.142.7
नैकशाखेन धर्मेण राज्ञो धर्मो विधीयते ।
दुर्बलस्य कुतः प्रज्ञा पुरस्तादनुदाहृता ॥ १२.१४२.७ ॥
The dharma of a king is not prescribed by a single-branched dharma. Whence wisdom for the weak? This has been stated before.
12.142.8
अद्वैधज्ञः प्रतिद्वैधे संशयं प्राप्नुमर्हति ।
बुद्धिद्वैधं विधातव्यं पुरस्तादेव भारत ॥ १२.१४२.८ ॥
One who knows non-duality deserves to fall into doubt when faced with duality. O Bhārata, the duality of judgement should be resolved beforehand.
12.142.9
पार्श्वतः कारणं राज्ञो विषूच्यस्त्वापगा इव ।
जनास्तूच्चरितं धर्मं विजान्त्यन्यथाऽन्यथा ॥ १२.१४२.९ ॥
The cause of the king comes from the side, like rivers that scatter. But people understand practised dharma in different ways, each in its own manner.
12.142.10
सम्यग्विज्ञानिनः केचिन्मिथ्याविज्ञानिनः परे ।
तद्वै यथायथं बुद्ध्वा ज्ञानमाददते सताम् ॥ १२.१४२.१० ॥
Some have right knowledge, others false knowledge. Having understood that rightly, the good take up knowledge.
12.142.11
परिमुष्णन्ति शास्त्राणि धर्मस्य परिपन्थिनः ।
वैषम्यमर्थविद्यानां निरर्थाः ख्यापयन्ति ते ॥ १२.१४२.११ ॥
The obstructers of dharma steal away the scriptures; those futile men proclaim the inequality of the science of wealth.
12.142.12
आजिजीविषवो विद्यां यशः कामौ समन्तनः ।
ते सर्वे नृप पापिष्ठा धर्मस्य परिपन्थिनः ॥ १२.१४२.१२ ॥
Those desirous of livelihood seize knowledge, fame and desires from every side. O king, all of them are most sinful, obstructers of dharma.
12.142.13
अपक्वमतयो मन्दा न जानन्ति यथातथम् ।
तथा ह्यशास्त्रकुशलाः सर्वत्रायुक्तिनिष्ठिताः ॥ १२.१४२.१३ ॥
The foolish, whose understanding is immature, do not know things as they truly are; so too, those unskilled in the scriptures remain everywhere fixed in unsound reasoning.
12.142.14
परिमुष्णन्ति शास्त्राणि शास्त्रदोषानुदर्शिनः ।
विज्ञानमथ विद्यानां न सम्यगिति मे मतिः ॥ १२.१४२.१४ ॥
Those who point out the faults of the scriptures distort the scriptures; and my view is that the understanding of the branches of learning is not right either.
12.142.15
निन्दया परविद्यानां स्वविद्यां ख्यापयन्ति च ।
वागास्तिक्यानुनीताश्च दुग्धविद्याफला इव ॥ १२.१४२.१५ ॥
By censuring the learning of others, they proclaim their own learning; moved by mere verbal professions of faith, they bear the fruit of learning like spoiled milk.
12.142.16
तान्विद्यावणिजो विद्धि राक्षसानिव भारत ।
व्याजेन कृत्स्नो विहितो धर्मस्ते परिहास्यते ॥ १२.१४२.१६ ॥
Know them, O Bhārata, as traders in learning, as if they were demons; the whole of dharma, established by deceit, will be abandoned by you.
12.142.17
न धर्मवचनं वाचा नैव बुद्ध्येति नः श्रुतम् ।
इति बार्हस्पत्यविज्ञानं प्रोवाच मघवा स्वयम् ॥ १२.१४२.१७ ॥
The words of dharma are not understood by speech alone, nor, as we have heard, by mere hearing; thus Indra himself, Maghavan, declared this teaching of Bṛhaspati.
12.142.18
न त्यव वचनं किंचिदनिमित्तादिहोच्यते ।
स्वविनीतेन शास्त्रेण ह्यविद्यः स्यादथापरः ॥ १२.१४२.१८ ॥
No base word is spoken here without cause; through the scripture that one has well trained, one becomes unlearned, and another becomes learned.
12.142.19
लोकयात्रामिहैके तु धर्मं प्राहुर्मनीषिणः ।
समुद्दिष्टं सतां धर्मं स्वयमूहेत् पण्डितः ॥ १२.१४२.१९ ॥
Some here call the course of worldly life itself dharma, but the wise declare dharma to be what the good have taught; the learned man should deduce it for himself.
12.142.20
अमर्षाच्छास्त्रसंमोहादनिमित्तादिहोच्यते ।
शास्त्रं प्राज्ञस्य वदतः समूहे यात्यदर्शनम् ॥ १२.१४२.२० ॥
Here it is said, out of resentment, from confusion about the scripture, or without cause; the scripture of a wise man who speaks in an assembly vanishes from sight.
12.142.21
आगमागतया बुद्ध्या वचनेन प्रशस्यते ।
अज्ञानाज्ज्ञानहेतुत्वाद्वचनं साधु मन्यते ॥ १२.१४२.२१ ॥
Through an intellect that has come from tradition, and through speech, one is praised; from ignorance, since it is the cause of knowledge, speech is considered good.
12.142.22
अनुपागतमेवेदं शास्त्रमेवमपार्थकम् ।
दैतेयानुशना प्राह संशयच्छेदनं पुरा ॥ १२.१४२.२२ ॥
This teaching, not yet attained, is thus meaningless; formerly Uśanas, the teacher of the Daityas, spoke it to cut through doubt.
12.142.23
ज्ञानमप्यपदिश्यं हि यथा नास्ति तथैव तत् ।
तेन संच्छिन्नमूलेन कस्तोषयितुमिच्छति ॥ १२.१४२.२३ ॥
Knowledge that is merely pointed out is as good as non-existent; who would wish to satisfy one whose root has been cut through?
12.142.24
पुनर्व्यवसितं यो वा नेदं वाक्यमुपाश्नुते ।
उग्रायैव हि सृष्टोऽसि कर्मणे तत्त्वमीक्षसे ॥ १२.१४२.२४ ॥
He who, having resolved again, does not take up this saying — you were indeed created for fierce action; you look upon the truth.
12.142.25
अग्रे मामन्ववेक्षस्व राजन्योऽयं बुभूषते ।
यथा प्रमुच्यते त्वन्यो यदर्थं न प्रमोदते ॥ १२.१४२.२५ ॥
O king, look at me first: this kshatriya desires to be a king. The very purpose for which he desires it does not bring him joy, and another, freed from it, does not rejoice.
12.142.26
अजोऽश्वः क्षत्रमित्येतत्सदृशं ब्रह्मणा कृतम् ।
तस्मान्नतैक्ष्ण्याद्भूतानां यात्रा काचित्प्रसिद्ध्यति ॥ १२.१४२.२६ ॥
'Goat, horse, kṣatra' — this was rightly ordained by Brahmā. Therefore, without the fierceness of beings, no course of life is accomplished.
12.142.27
यस्त्ववध्यवधे दोषः स वध्यस्यावधे स्मृतः ।
एषा ह्येव तु मर्यादा यामयं परिवर्जयेत् ॥ १२.१४२.२७ ॥
But the fault in killing one who should not be killed is held to be the same as the fault in not killing one who should be killed. This is the boundary, which one should entirely avoid.
12.142.28
तस्मात्तीक्ष्णः प्रजा राजा स्वधर्मे स्थापयत्युत ।
अन्योन्यं भक्षयन्तो हि प्रचरेयुर्वृका इव ॥ १२.१४२.२८ ॥
Therefore a stern king establishes his subjects in their own duty; otherwise they would roam like wolves, devouring one another.
12.142.29
यस्य दस्युगणा राष्ट्रे ध्वाङ्क्षा मत्स्याञ्जलादिव ।
विहरन्ति परस्वानि स वै क्षत्रियपांसनः ॥ १२.१४२.२९ ॥
He in whose kingdom bands of robbers roam, seizing the wealth of others like crows snatching fish from the water, is indeed a disgrace to the kshatriyas.
12.142.30
कुलीनान्सचिवान्कृत्वा वेदविद्यासमन्वितान् ।
प्रशाधि पृथिवीं राजन्प्रजा धर्मेण पालयन् ॥ १२.१४२.३० ॥
O king, appointing noble ministers endowed with knowledge of the Vedas, rule the earth and protect your subjects righteously.
12.142.31
विहीनजन्मकर्माणि यः प्रगृह्णाति भूमिपः ।
उभयस्याविशेषज्ञस्तद्वै क्षत्रं नपुंसकम् ॥ १२.१४२.३१ ॥
The king who takes up those lacking birth and conduct, not knowing the difference between the two, that kṣatra is impotent.
12.142.32
नैवोग्रं नैव चानुग्रं धर्मेणेह प्रशस्यते ।
उभयं न व्यतिक्रामेदुग्रो भूत्वा मृदुर्भव ॥ १२.१४२.३२ ॥
Here, by dharma, neither severity alone nor gentleness alone is praised. Do not transgress either of the two: be severe, and then become gentle.
12.142.33
कष्टः क्षत्रियधर्मोऽयं सौहृदं त्वयि मे स्थितम् ।
उग्रकर्मणि सृष्टोऽसि तस्माद्राज्यं प्रशाधि वै ॥ १२.१४२.३३ ॥
This duty of the kṣatriya is hard. My affection for you abides. You were created for severe deeds; therefore govern the kingdom.
12.142.34
अरुष्टः कस्यचिद्राजन्नेवमेव समाचर ।
अशिष्टनिग्रहो नित्यं शिष्टस्य परिपालनम्।
एवं शुक्रोऽब्रवीद्धीमानापत्सु भरतर्षभ ॥ १२.१४२.३४ ॥
O king, act in this very way, angry at no one: always restrain the unruly and always protect the well-behaved. Thus the wise Śukra said in times of calamity, O bull of the Bharatas.
12.142.35
अस्ति चेदिह मर्यादा यामन्यो नातिलङ्घयेत् ।
पृच्छामि त्वां सतां श्रेष्ठ तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥ १२.१४२.३५ ॥
If there is here a boundary that no other should transgress, I ask you, best of the good, grandsire: tell me that.
12.142.36
ब्राह्मणानेव सेवेत विद्याबृद्धांस्तपस्विनः ।
श्रुतचारित्रवृत्ताढ्यान्पवित्रं ह्येतदुत्तमम् ॥ १२.१४२.३६ ॥
One should serve only brahmins who are elders in learning, ascetics, rich in sacred knowledge, conduct and behaviour; this is the highest purity.
12.142.37
शुश्रूषा तु महाराज सान्त्वं विप्रेषु नित्यदा ।
क्रुद्धैर्हि विप्रैः कर्माणि कृतानि बहुधा नृप ॥ १२.१४२.३७ ॥
O great king, always show service and gentleness toward brahmins, for angered brahmins have done many kinds of deeds, O king.
12.142.38
तेषां प्रीत्या यशो मुख्यमप्रीत्या परमं भयम् ।
प्रीत्या ह्यमृतवद्विप्राः क्रुद्धाश्चैव यथोरगाः ॥ १२.१४२.३८ ॥
Their favor brings the highest fame; their displeasure brings the greatest fear. Pleased brahmins are like nectar, and angered brahmins are like serpents.