Mahābhārata · Adhyāya 12.199

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12.199.1

किं फलं ज्ञानयोगस्य वेदानां नियमस्य च ।
भूतात्मा च कथं ज्ञेयस्तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥ १२.१९९.१ ॥

What is the fruit of the discipline of knowledge, of the Vedas and of observance? And how is the soul of beings to be known? Tell me that, O grandfather.

12.199.2

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् ।
मनोः प्रजापतेर्वादं महर्षेश्च बृहस्पतेः ॥ १२.१९९.२ ॥

Here too they recite this ancient account: the dialogue of Manu, Prajāpati and the great sage Bṛhaspati.

12.199.3

प्रजापतिं श्रेष्ठतमं प्रजानां ।
देवर्षिसङप्रवरो महर्षिः।
बृहस्पतिः प्रश्नमिमं पुराणं ।
प्रपच्छ शिष्योऽथ गुरुं प्रणम्य ॥ १२.१९९.३ ॥

Bṛhaspati, foremost of the assembly of gods and seers, the great sage, bowed to his teacher Prajāpati, the most excellent of creatures, and as a disciple asked this ancient question.

12.199.4

यत्कारणं मन्त्रविधिः प्रवृत्तो ।
ज्ञाने फलं यत्प्रवदन्ति विप्राः।
यन्मन्त्रशब्दैरकृतप्रकाशं ।
तदुच्यतां मे भगवन्यथावत् ॥ १२.१९९.४ ॥

What is the cause from which the rule of mantras arose, what fruit of knowledge the brahmins declare, and what is not made manifest by the words of the mantras—tell me that as it truly is, O revered one.

12.199.5

यत्स्तोत्रशास्त्रागममन्त्रिविद्भि ।
र्यज्ञैरनेकैरथ गोप्रदानैः।
फलं महद्भिर्यदुपास्यते च ।
किं तत्कथं वा भविता क्व वा तत् ॥ १२.१९९.५ ॥

What is that great fruit which those learned in hymns, scriptures, traditions and mantras seek through many sacrifices and the gift of cows? What is it, how will it come to be, or where will it be?

12.199.6

मही महीजाः पवनोऽन्तरिक्षं ।
जलौकसश्चैव जलं तथा द्यौः।
दिवौकसश्चापि यतः प्रसूता ।
स्तदुच्यतां मे भगवन्पुराणम् ॥ १२.१९९.६ ॥

Earth, the earth-born, wind, the sky, the water-dwellers and water, and likewise heaven and the heaven-dwellers, from which all have arisen — let that ancient lore be told to me, O venerable one.

12.199.7

ज्ञानं यतः प्रार्थयते नरो वै ।
ततस्तदर्था भवति प्रवृत्तिः।
न चाप्यहं वेद परं पुराणं ।
मिथ्याप्रवृत्तिं च कथं नु कुर्याम् ॥ १२.१९९.७ ॥

Whatever knowledge a man desires, to that end his effort is directed. But I do not know that supreme ancient lore — how then should I undertake a futile effort?

12.199.8

ऋक्सामसङ्घांश्च यजूंषि चाहं ।
छन्दांसि नक्षत्रगतिं निरुक्तम्।
अधीत्य च व्याकरणं सकल्पं ।
शिक्षां च भूतप्रकृतिं न वेद्मि ॥ १२.१९९.८ ॥

Having studied the collections of Ṛg and Sāma and Yajur verses, the metres, the course of the constellations, the Nirukta, grammar with its ritual manuals, and phonetics, yet I do not know the nature of beings.

12.199.9

स मे भवाञ्शंसतु सर्वमेत ।
त्सामान्यशब्दैश्च विशेषणैश्च।
स मे भवाञ्शंसतु तावदेत ।
ज्ज्ञाने फलं कर्मणि वा यदस्ति ॥ १२.१९९.९ ॥

Let you declare all this to me, in general words and in particular words. And let you declare to me what fruit there is in knowledge or in action.

12.199.10

यथा च देहाच्च्यवते शरीरी ।
पुनः शरीरं च यथाऽभ्युपैति।
यद्यत्प्रियं यस्य सुखं तदाहु ।
स्तदेव दुःखं प्रवदन्त्यनिष्टम् ॥ १२.१९९.१० ॥

As the embodied being departs from the body and again obtains a body, so that which is dear and pleasant to anyone is called happiness, and that same thing, when unwelcome, is called suffering.

12.199.11

इष्टं च मे स्यादितरच्च न स्या ।
देतत्कृते कर्मविधिः प्रवृत्तः।
इष्टं त्वनिष्टं च न मां भजेते ।
त्येतत्कृते ज्ञानविधिः प्रवृत्तः ॥ १२.१९९.११ ॥

Let what is desired be mine, and let the other not be. For this sake the method of action has been set in motion. Let the desired and the undesired not cling to me. For this sake the method of knowledge has been set in motion.

12.199.12

कामात्मकाश्छन्दसि कर्मयोगा ।
एभिर्विमुक्तः परमश्नुवीत्।
नानाविधे कर्मपथे सुखार्थी ।
नरः प्रवृत्तो निरयं प्रयाति।
इष्टं त्वनिष्टं च सुखासुखे च ।
साशीस्तपश्छन्दति कर्मभिश्च ॥ १२.१९९.१२ ॥

The paths of action in the Vedic injunctions have desire as their nature; freed from these, one should attain the highest. A man seeking happiness, engaged in many kinds of ritual paths, goes to hell. The Vedic injunctions also prescribe austerity and actions with expectation of reward, together with the desired and undesired, pleasure and pain.

12.199.13

एभिर्विमुक्तः परमाविवेश ।
एतत्कृते कर्मविधिः प्रवृत्तः।
कामात्मकांश्छन्दति कर्मयोग ।
एभिर्विमुक्तः परमाददीत ॥ १२.१९९.१३ ॥

Freed from these, one should enter the highest. For this sake the method of action has been set in motion. The Vedic injunction prescribes the paths of action whose nature is desire. Freed from these, one should take hold of the highest.

12.199.14

आत्मादिभिः कर्मभिरिध्यमानो ।
धर्मे प्रवृत्तो द्युतिमान्सुखार्थी।
परं हि तत्कर्मफलादपेतं ।
निराशिषो यत्पदमाप्नुवन्ति ॥ १२.१९९.१४ ॥

Kindled by actions beginning with the self, the radiant man who is engaged in dharma and seeks happiness attains the highest. That highest is free from the fruit of action; it is the state that those without expectation attain.

12.199.15

प्रजाः सृष्टा मनसा कर्मणा च ।
द्वावेवैतौ सत्पथौ लोकजुष्टौ।
दृष्टं कर्माशाश्वतं चान्तवच्च ।
मनस्त्यागे कारणं नान्यदस्ति ॥ १२.१९९.१५ ॥

Creatures were made by mind and by action. These two alone are the good paths followed by the world. Visible action is impermanent and has an end. There is no other cause for the renunciation of the mind.

12.199.16

निराशिषो ब्रह्म परं ह्युपेतम् ॥ १२.१९९.१६ ॥

The desireless attain the supreme Brahman.

12.199.17

स्वेनात्मना चक्षुरिव प्रणेता ।
निशात्यये तमसा संवृतात्मा।
ज्ञानं तु विज्ञानगुणेन युक्तं ।
कर्माशुभं पश्यति वर्जनीयम् ॥ १२.१९९.१७ ॥

By his own self, as a guide like an eye, one whose self is covered by darkness at the end of night; but knowledge endowed with the quality of discernment sees the inauspicious action that is to be avoided.

12.199.18

सर्पान्कृशाग्राणि तथोदपानं ।
त्वा मनुष्याः परिवर्जयन्ति।
अज्ञामतस्तत्र पतन्ति मूढा ।
ज्ञाने फलं पश्य यथा विशिष्टम् ॥ १२.१९९.१८ ॥

As men avoid snakes, sharp grass-tips and a well, so the deluded, through ignorance and lack of judgment, fall right there. See the fruit of knowledge, how excellent it is.

12.199.19

कृत्स्नस्तु मन्त्रो विधिवत्प्रयुक्तो ।
यज्ञा यथोक्तास्त्विह दक्षिणाश्च।
अन्नप्रदानं मनसः समाधिः ।
पञ्चात्मकं कर्मफलं वदन्ति ॥ १२.१९९.१९ ॥

When the complete mantra is employed according to rule, the sacrifices as prescribed, here the sacrificial fees, the gift of food, and concentration of the mind — they declare the fruit of action to be fivefold in nature.

12.199.20

गुणात्मकं कर्म वदन्ति वेदा ।
स्तस्मान्मन्त्रो मन्नपूर्वं हि कर्म।
विधिर्विधेयं मनसोपपत्तिः ।
फलस्य भोक्ता तु तथा शरीरी ॥ १२.१९९.२० ॥

The Vedas declare action to be of the nature of the guṇas. Therefore the mantra and the action are preceded by the mind. There is injunction, what is to be enjoined, and accomplishment through the mind; and the enjoyer of the fruit is the embodied one.