Mahābhārata · Adhyāya 12.296
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12.296.1
अतः परं महाबाहो यच्छ्रेयस्तद्ब्रवीहि मे ।
न तृप्याम्यमृतस्येव वचसस्ते पितामह ॥ १२.२९६.१ ॥
Mighty-armed one, now tell me what is the highest good. Grandsire, I am not satisfied even though it is as if I have drunk your words as nectar.
12.296.2
किं कर्म पुरुषः कृत्वा शुभं पुरुषसत्तम ।
श्रेयः परमवाप्नोति प्रेत्य चेह च तद्वद ॥ १२.२९६.२ ॥
Best of men, what good action should a man perform to attain the supreme good here and hereafter? Tell me that.
12.296.3
अत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि यथा पूर्वं महायशाः ।
पराशरं महात्मानं पप्रच्छ जनको नृपः ॥ १२.२९६.३ ॥
Here I will relate to you what the king Janaka, of great renown, once asked the great-souled Parāśara.
12.296.4
किं श्रेयः सर्वभूतानामस्मिँल्लोके परत्र च ।
यद्भवेत्प्रतिपत्त्व्यं तद्भवान्प्रब्रवीतु मे ॥ १२.२९६.४ ॥
What is the highest good for all beings, in this world and in the next, that ought to be attained? Let your honour tell me that.
12.296.5
ततः स तपसा युक्तः सर्वधर्मविधानवित् ।
नृपायानुग्रहमना मुनिर्वाक्यमथाब्रवीत् ॥ १२.२९६.५ ॥
Then that sage, endowed with austerity and knowing the rules of all duties, with a mind favouring the king, spoke these words.
12.296.6
धर्म एव कृतः श्रेयानिह लोके परत्र च ।
तस्माद्धि परमं नास्ति यथा प्राहुर्मनीषिणः ॥ १२.२९६.६ ॥
Dharma, when practised, is the highest good here and hereafter; therefore there is nothing higher than it, as the wise declare.
12.296.7
प्रतिपद्य नरो धर्मं स्वर्गलोके महीयते ।
धर्मात्मकः कर्मविधिर्देहिनां नृपसत्तम ॥ १२.२९६.७ ॥
A man who takes up dharma is honored in the heavenly world. O best of kings, the ordinance of action for embodied beings is itself made of dharma.
12.296.8
तस्मिन्त्राश्रमिणः सन्तः स्वकर्माणीह कुर्वते ॥ १२.२९६.८ ॥
Within that (order), the virtuous who dwell in the stages of life perform their own duties here.
12.296.9
चतुर्विधा हि लोकेऽस्मिन्यात्रा तात विधीयते ।
मर्त्या यत्रावतिष्ठन्ते सा च कामात्प्रवर्तते ॥ १२.२९६.९ ॥
Dear son, in this world a fourfold course of life is ordained, and that course in which mortals dwell proceeds from desire.
12.296.10
सुकृतासुकृतं कर्म निषेव्य विविधैः क्रमैः ।
दशार्धप्रविभक्तानां भूतानां विविधा गतिः ॥ १२.२९६.१० ॥
Having pursued good and evil deeds through various courses, the destiny of beings divided into ten and a half parts is manifold.
12.296.11
सौवर्णं राजतं चापि यथा भाण्डं निषिच्यते ।
तथा निपिच्यते जन्तुः पूर्वकर्मवशानुगः ॥ १२.२९६.११ ॥
Just as a vessel of gold or silver is cast in a mould, so is a living being, following the power of past deeds, moulded.
12.296.12
नाबीजाज्जायते किंचिन्नाकृत्वा सुखमेधते ।
सुकृतैर्विन्दते सौख्यं प्राप्य देहक्षयं नरः ॥ १२.२९६.१२ ॥
Nothing arises without a seed, and happiness does not grow without action. By good deeds a man obtains happiness, even after reaching the wasting of the body.
12.296.13
दैवं तात न पश्यामि नास्ति दैवस्य साधनम् ।
स्वभावतो हि संसिद्धा देवगन्धर्वदानवाः ॥ १२.२९६.१३ ॥
Dear child, I do not see fate, and fate has no means. Gods, gandharvas and demons are perfected by their own nature.
12.296.14
प्रेत्य यान्त्यकृतं कर्म न स्मरन्ति सदा जनाः ।
ते वै तस्य फलप्राप्तौ कर्म चापि चतुर्विधम् ॥ १२.२९६.१४ ॥
After death people do not carry away an action not done, and people do not always remember. In obtaining its fruit there is also fourfold action.
12.296.15
लोकयात्राश्रयश्चैव शब्दो वेदाश्रयः कृतः ।
शान्त्यर्थं मनसस्तात नैतद्वृद्धानुशासनम् ॥ १२.२९६.१५ ॥
The word (dharma) founded on worldly conduct and resting on the Vedas has been established. Dear child, this is not an instruction of the elders for the calm of the mind.
12.296.16
चक्षुषा मनसा वाचा कर्मणा च चतुर्विधम् ।
कुरुते यादृशं कर्म तादृशं प्रतिपद्यते ॥ १२.२९६.१६ ॥
By eye, mind, speech and deed a person performs action in fourfold ways. Whatever kind of action one performs, that kind one obtains.
12.296.17
निरन्तरं च मिश्रं च लभते कर्म पार्थिव ।
कल्याणं यदि वा पापं न तु नाशोऽस्य विद्यते ॥ १२.२९६.१७ ॥
O king, a person obtains action continuously and mixed, whether good or evil. But its destruction is not to be found.
12.296.18
कदाचित्सुकृतं तात कूटस्थमिव तिष्ठति ।
मज्जमानस्य संसारे यावद्दुःखाद्विमुच्यते ॥ १२.२९६.१८ ॥
Dear child, sometimes a good deed remains firm like the immovable, for one sinking in saṃsāra, until he is freed from suffering.
12.296.19
ततो दुःखक्षयं कृत्वा सुकृतं कर्म सेवते ।
सुकृतक्षयाच्च दुष्कृतं तद्विद्धि मनुजाधिप ॥ १२.२९६.१९ ॥
Then, having brought suffering to an end, a man follows good action; and when good action is exhausted, know that it becomes evil action, O lord of men.
12.296.20
दमः क्षमा धृतिस्तेजः संतोषः सत्यवादिता ।
ह्रीरहिंसाऽव्यसनिता दाक्ष्यं चेति सुखावहाः ॥ १२.२९६.२० ॥
Self-restraint, forbearance, steadfastness, vigour, contentment, truthfulness, modesty, non-violence, freedom from vice, and skill — these bring happiness.
12.296.21
दुष्कृते सुकृते चापि न जन्तुर्नियतो भवेत् ।
नित्यं मनः समाधाने प्रयतेत विचक्षणः ॥ १२.२९६.२१ ॥
A living being should not be bound to evil deed or to good deed; the wise man should always strive to fix his mind in concentration.
12.296.22
नायं परस्य सुकृतं दुष्कृतं चापि सेवते ।
करोति यादृशं कर्म तादृशं प्रतिपद्यते ॥ १२.२९६.२२ ॥
This being does not partake of another's good or evil deed; as the action he does, so he obtains that kind of result.
12.296.23
सुखदुःखे समाधाय पुमानन्येन गच्छति ।
अन्येनैव जनः सर्वः संगतो यश्च पार्थिवः ॥ १२.२९६.२३ ॥
Setting aside pleasure and pain, a man goes away with another; every person is joined only with another, and so is the king.
12.296.24
परेषां यदसूयेत न तत्कुर्यात्स्वयं नरः ।
यो ह्यसूयुस्तथा युक्तः सोऽवहासं नियच्छति ॥ १२.२९६.२४ ॥
A man should not himself do what he envies in others; he who, envious and so disposed, does it incurs ridicule.
12.296.25
भीरू राजन्यो ब्राह्मणः सर्वभक्ष्यो ।
वैश्योऽनीहावान्हीनवर्णोऽलसश्च।
विद्वांश्राशीलो वृत्तहीनः कुलीनः ।
सत्याद्विभ्रष्टो ब्राह्मणस्त्री च तुष्टा ॥ १२.२९६.२५ ॥
A timid king, a brahmin who eats everything, a vaiśya without effort, one of low varṇa and lazy; learned yet of bad conduct, a man of noble birth lacking good conduct, a brahmin fallen from truth, and a contented woman.
12.296.26
रागी युक्तः पचमानोऽऽत्महेतो ।
र्मूर्खो वक्ता नृपहीनं च राष्ट्रम्।
एते सर्वे शोच्यतां यान्ति राज ।
न्यश्रायुक्तः स्नेहहीनः प्रजासु ॥ १२.२९६.२६ ॥
The passionate one, the one who cooks only for himself, the foolish speaker, and a kingdom without a king—all these come to be lamented. Likewise a king who depends on others and lacks affection toward his subjects.