Mahābhārata · Adhyāya 12.285
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12.285.1
धन्याधन्या इति जनाः सर्वेऽस्मान्प्रवदन्त्युत ।
न दुःखिततरः कश्चित्पुमानस्माभिरस्ति ह ॥ १२.२८५.१ ॥
All people call us 'fortunate, fortunate', yet no man is more sorrowful than we are.
12.285.2
लोकसंभावितैर्दुःखं यत्प्राप्तं कुरुसत्तम ।
प्राप्य जातिं मनुष्येषु देवैरपि पितामह ॥ १२.२८५.२ ॥
O best of the Kurus, the sorrow that comes even from what the world esteems, O grandfather, having obtained birth among men, comes even from the gods.
12.285.3
कदा वयं करिष्यामः संन्यासं दुःखभेषजम् ।
दुःखमेतच्छरीराणां धारणं कुरुसत्तम ॥ १२.२८५.३ ॥
When shall we take up renunciation, the remedy for sorrow? O best of the Kurus, this bearing of bodies is itself sorrow.
12.285.4
विमुक्ताः सप्तदशभिर्हेतुभूतैश्च पञ्चभिः ।
इन्द्रियार्थैर्गुणैश्चैव अष्टाभिश्च पितामह ॥ १२.२८५.४ ॥
O grandfather, those freed from the seventeen, and from the five causal elements, the sense-objects, the qualities, and the eight.
12.285.5
न गच्छन्ति पुनर्भावं मुनयः संशितव्रताः ।
कदा वयं गमिष्यामो राज्यं हित्वा परंतप ॥ १२.२८५.५ ॥
Sages firm in their vows do not go again to rebirth. O scorcher of foes, when shall we go, leaving the kingdom behind?
12.285.6
नास्त्यनन्तं महाराज सर्वं सङ्ख्यानगोचरम् ।
पुनर्भावोपि संख्यातो नास्ति किंचिदिहाचलम् ॥ १२.२८५.६ ॥
There is nothing endless, great king; all things fall within the range of enumeration. Even rebirth has been counted; nothing here is immovable.
12.285.7
न चापि गम्यते राजन्नैष दोषः प्रसङ्गतः ।
उद्योगादेव धर्मज्ञाः कालेनैव गमिष्यथ ॥ १२.२८५.७ ॥
Nor, O king, is this a fault that arises in the course of the discourse. O knowers of dharma, through effort alone, and in due time, you will reach it.
12.285.8
नेशेऽयं सततं देही नृपते पुण्यपापयोः ।
तत एव समुत्थेन तमसा रुध्यतेऽपि च ॥ १२.२८५.८ ॥
This embodied being, O king, does not always have control over merit and demerit. And from that very darkness that arises, it is also obstructed.
12.285.9
यथाञ्जनमयो वायुः पुनर्मानःशिलं रजः ।
अनुप्रविश्य तद्वर्णो दृश्यते रञ्जयन्दिशः ॥ १२.२८५.९ ॥
As the wind filled with collyrium, or the dust of red arsenic, entering in takes on its colour and is seen, colouring the directions.
12.285.10
तथा कर्मफलैर्देही रञ्जितस्तमसा वृतः ।
विवर्णो वर्णमाश्रित्य देहेषु परिवर्तते ॥ १२.२८५.१० ॥
So too the embodied being, dyed by the fruits of its deeds and enveloped in darkness, colourless though it is, takes on a colour and turns about within bodies.
12.285.11
ज्ञानेन हि यदा जन्तुरज्ञानप्रभवं तमः ।
व्यपोहति तदा ब्रह्म प्रकाशेत सनातनम् ॥ १२.२८५.११ ॥
When a living being, by knowledge, dispels the darkness born of ignorance, then the eternal Brahman shines forth.
12.285.12
अयत्नसाध्यं मुनयो वदन्ति ।
चे चापि मुक्तास्तदुपासितव्याः।
त्वया च लोकेन च सामरेण ।
तस्मान्न शाम्यन्ति महर्षिसङ्घाः ॥ १२.२८५.१२ ॥
The sages say it is attainable without effort. Even the liberated should worship it, by you and by the world, together with the immortals. Therefore the assemblies of great sages are not at peace.
12.285.13
अस्मिन्नर्थे पुरा गीतं शृणुष्वैकमना नृप ।
यथा दैत्येन वृत्रेण भ्रष्टैश्वर्येण चेष्टितम् ॥ १२.२८५.१३ ॥
O king, listen with single mind to a song sung long ago on this matter: how the Daitya Vṛtra acted when he had been stripped of his sovereignty.
12.285.14
निर्जितेनासहायेन हृतराज्येन भारत ।
अशोचता शत्रुमध्ये बुद्धिमास्थाय केवलाम् ॥ १२.२८५.१४ ॥
O descendant of Bharata, defeated, without allies, and robbed of his kingdom, he did not grieve, but in the midst of his enemies took refuge in a single intellect alone.
12.285.15
भ्रष्टैश्वर्यं पुरा वृत्रमुशना वाक्यमब्रवीत् ।
कच्चित्पराजितस्याद्य न व्यथा तेऽस्ति दानव ॥ १२.२८५.१५ ॥
Long ago Uśanas (Śukra) spoke these words to Vṛtra, who had been stripped of his sovereignty: "O Dānava, are you not now distressed, though defeated?"
12.285.16
सत्येन तपसा चैव विदित्वा संक्षयं ह्यहम् ।
न शोचामि न हृष्यामि भूतानामागतिं गतिम् ॥ १२.२८५.१६ ॥
Through truth and austerity I have come to know destruction; therefore I neither grieve nor rejoice over the coming and going of beings.
12.285.17
कालसंचोदिता जीवा मज्जन्ति नरकेऽवशाः ।
परिहृष्टानि सर्वाणि दिव्यान्याहुर्मनीषिणः ॥ १२.२८५.१७ ॥
Living beings, driven by time, sink helpless into hell; and the wise say that even all divine things are worn down.
12.285.18
क्षपयित्वा तु तं कालं गणितं कालचोदिताः ।
सावशेषेण कालेन संधावन्ति पुनःपुनः ॥ १२.२८५.१८ ॥
Having exhausted that counted span of time, driven by time, they run again and again with the remaining time.
12.285.19
तिर्यग्योनिसहस्राणि गत्वा नरकमेव च ।
निर्गच्छन्त्यवशा जीवाः कालबन्धनबन्धनाः ॥ १२.२८५.१९ ॥
Having gone through thousands of animal wombs, and even hell, helpless living beings come forth again, bound by the bonds of time's fetters.
12.285.20
एवं संसरमाणानि ह्यहं भूतानि दृष्टवान् ।
यथा कर्म तथा लाभ इति शास्त्रनिदर्शनम् ॥ १२.२८५.२० ॥
Thus I have seen beings wandering through transmigration: as is the action, so is the result — this is the instruction of the scriptures.
12.285.21
तिर्यग्गच्छन्ति नरकं मानुष्यं दैवमेव च ।
सुखदुःखे प्रिये द्वेष्ये चरित्वा पूर्वमेव च ॥ १२.२८५.२१ ॥
They go to animal births, to hell, to human birth and to divine birth; having first experienced pleasure and pain, the dear and the hateful, through former deeds, they go on so.
12.285.22
कृतान्तविधिसंयुक्तः सर्वो लोकः प्रपद्यते ।
गतं गच्छन्ति चाध्वानं सर्वभूतानि सर्वदा ॥ १२.२८५.२२ ॥
The whole world, bound to the ordinance of Death (Kṛtānta), goes forth; all beings always go along the road that the departed have gone.
12.285.23
कालसङ्ख्यानसङ्ख्येयं सृष्टिस्थितिपरायणम् ।
तं भाषमाणं भगवानुशना प्रत्यभाषत।
इमान्दुष्टप्रलापांस्त्वं तात कस्मात्प्रभाषते ॥ १२.२८५.२३ ॥
To him who was speaking of what is reckoned by the reckoning of time and devoted to creation and maintenance, the blessed Uśanas replied: "Dear child, why do you utter these wicked babblings?"
12.285.24
प्रत्यक्षमेतद्भवतस्तथाऽन्येषां मनीषिणाम् ।
मया यज्जयलुब्धेन पुरा तप्तं महत्तपः ॥ १२.२८५.२४ ॥
This is evident to you and to other wise men: I, greedy for victory, once performed a great austerity.
12.285.25
गन्धानादाय भूतानां रसांश्च विविधानपि ।
अवर्धं त्रीन्समाक्रम्य लोकान्वै स्वेन तेजसा ॥ १२.२८५.२५ ॥
Taking the scents of beings and their many flavors, and overpowering the three worlds with my own radiance, I became unrestrained.
12.285.26
ज्वालामालापरिक्षिप्तो वैहायसगतिस्तथा ।
अजेयः सर्वभूतानामासं नित्यमपेतभीः ॥ १२.२८५.२६ ॥
Surrounded by a garland of flames and moving through the sky, I was unconquerable by all beings, always free from fear.
12.285.27
ऐश्वर्यं तपसा प्राप्तं भ्रष्टं तच्च स्वकर्मभिः ।
धृतिमास्थाय भगवन्न शोचामि ततस्त्वहम् ॥ १२.२८५.२७ ॥
The sovereignty won through asceticism has been lost through my own deeds; O venerable one, having taken up steadfastness, I do not grieve.
12.285.28
युयुत्सता महेन्द्रेण पुरा सार्धं महात्मना ।
ततो मे भगवान्दृष्टो हरिर्नारायणः प्रभुः ॥ १२.२८५.२८ ॥
Formerly, when I desired to fight with the great-souled Mahendra, then the venerable Hari Nārāyaṇa, the lord, appeared to me.
12.285.29
वैकुण्ठः पुरुषोऽनन्तः शुक्लो विष्णुः सनातनः ।
मुञ्जकेशो हरिश्मश्रुः सर्वभूतपितामहः ॥ १२.२८५.२९ ॥
Vaikuṇṭha, the Person, the infinite, the bright one, Viṣṇu, the eternal, with hair like muñja grass, with tawny beard, the grandfather of all beings.
12.285.30
नूनं तु तस्य तपसः सावशेषं ममास्ति वै ।
यदहं प्रष्टुमिच्छामि भवन्तं कर्मणः फलम् ॥ १२.२८५.३० ॥
Surely some remainder of that asceticism is still mine, and so I wish to ask you about the fruit of action.
12.285.31
ऐश्वर्यं वै महद्ब्रह्मन्वर्णे कस्मिन्प्रतिष्ठितम् ।
निवर्तते चापि पुनः कथमैश्वर्यमुत्तमम् ॥ १२.२८५.३१ ॥
O Brahmin, in which social order does this great sovereignty rest? And how does that supreme sovereignty turn back again?
12.285.32
भवन्ति कस्माद्भूतानि प्रवर्तन्ते यथा पुनः ।
किं वा फलं परं प्राप्य जीवस्तिष्ठति शाश्वतः ॥ १२.२८५.३२ ॥
From what do beings come into being, and how do they then unfold again? Or, having obtained the highest fruit, how does the living self remain eternal?
12.285.33
केन वा कर्मणा शक्यमथ ज्ञानेन केन वा ।
ब्रह्मर्षे तत्फलं प्राप्तुं तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि ॥ १२.२८५.३३ ॥
By what action, or by what knowledge, is that fruit attainable? O sage among Brahmins, you should explain that to me.
12.285.34
इतीदमुक्तः स मुनिस्तदानीं ।
प्रत्याह यत्तच्छृणु राजसिंह।
मयोच्यमानं पुरुषर्षभ त्व ।
मनन्यचित्तः सह सोदरीयैः ॥ १२.२८५.३४ ॥
Thus addressed, that sage then answered. Listen to what I say, O lion among kings. O bull among men, listen with undivided mind, together with your brothers.