Mahābhārata · Adhyāya 12.8
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12.8.1
अथार्जुन उवाचेदमधिक्षिप्त इवाक्षमी ।
अभिनीततरं वाक्यं दृढवादपराक्रमः ॥ १२.८.१ ॥
Then Arjuna, as if impatient, spoke these words, sharper in tone, he whose valour lay in firm speech.
12.8.2
दर्शयन्नैन्द्रिरात्मानमुग्रमुग्रपराक्रमः ।
स्मयमानो महातेजाः सृक्किणी परिसंलिहन् ॥ १२.८.२ ॥
Showing his Indra-like form, fierce in valour, smiling, of great radiance, licking the corners of his mouth.
12.8.3
अहो दुःखमहो कृच्छ्रमहो वैक्लव्यमुत्तमम् ।
यत्कृत्वाऽमानुषं कर्म त्यजेथाः श्रियमुत्तमाम् ॥ १२.८.३ ॥
Alas, what sorrow! Alas, what distress! Alas, what supreme weakness! Having done a superhuman deed, you would abandon supreme prosperity.
12.8.4
शत्रून्हत्वा महीं लब्ध्वा स्वधर्मेणोपपादिताम् ।
हतामित्रः कथं स त्वं त्यजेथा बुद्धिलाघवात् ॥ १२.८.४ ॥
Having slain your enemies and gained the earth, secured by your own duty, you who have destroyed your foes, how could you abandon it through lightness of mind?
12.8.5
क्लीबस्य हि कुतो राज्यं दीर्घसूत्रस्य वा पुनः ।
किमर्थं च महीपालानवधीः क्रोधमूर्च्छितः ॥ १२.८.५ ॥
How could a kingdom come to the impotent, or to the procrastinator? Again, for what purpose, stunned with anger, did you slay the kings?
12.8.6
यो ह्याजिजीविषेद्भैक्षं कर्मणा नैव कस्य चित् ।
समारम्भान्बुभूषेत हतस्वस्तिरकिञ्चनः।
सर्वलोकेषु विख्यातो न पुत्रपशुसंहितः ॥ १२.८.६ ॥
He who wishes to live by begging, not by anyone's action, and wishes to prosper by undertakings, deprived of welfare and penniless, may be renowned in all worlds, yet is not endowed with sons and cattle.
12.8.7
कापालीं नृप पापिष्ठां वृत्तिमासाद्य जीवतः ।
संत्यज्य राज्यमृद्धं ते लोकोऽयं किं वदिष्यति ॥ १२.८.७ ॥
O king, having taken up the most sinful livelihood of the skull-bearer and abandoned your prosperous kingdom to live, what will this world say of you?
12.8.8
सर्वारम्भान्समुत्सृज्य हतस्वस्तिरकिञ्चनः ।
कस्मादाशंससे भैक्षं चर्तुं प्राकृतवत्प्रभो ॥ १२.८.८ ॥
O lord, having given up all undertakings, deprived of blessing and having nothing, why do you desire to go about begging alms like an ordinary man?
12.8.9
कस्माद्राजकुले जातो जित्वा कृत्स्नां वसुंधराम् ।
धर्मार्थावखिलौ हित्वा वनं मौढ्यात्प्रतिष्ठसे ॥ १२.८.९ ॥
Born in a royal family, having conquered the entire earth, why do you, out of folly, betake yourself to the forest, abandoning both dharma and wealth?
12.8.10
यदीमानि हवींषीह विमथिष्यन्त्यसाधवः ।
भवता विप्रहीणत्वात्प्राप्तं त्वामेव किल्विषम् ॥ १२.८.१० ॥
If here these oblations are desecrated by the wicked, because of the absence of Brahmins, the sin will fall upon you alone.
12.8.11
आकिञ्चन्यं मुनीनां च इति वै नहुषोऽब्रवीत् ।
कृत्वा नृशंसं ह्यधने धिगस्त्वधनतामिह ॥ १२.८.११ ॥
Nahuṣa indeed spoke thus about the state of having nothing among the sages. Having committed cruelty in poverty, shame upon your poverty here!
12.8.12
आश्वस्तन्यमृषीणां हि विद्यते वेद तद्भवान् ।
यं त्विमं धर्ममित्याहुर्धनादेष प्रवर्तते ॥ १२.८.१२ ॥
You know well that among the sages there is a state of trust; but people say this dharma arises from wealth, it proceeds through wealth.
12.8.13
धर्मं स हरते तस्य धनं हरति यस्य यः ।
ह्रियमाणे धने राजन्वयं कस्य क्षमेमहि ॥ १२.८.१३ ॥
He takes away the righteousness of him whose wealth he takes. O king, when wealth is being taken away, for whose sake should we endure?
12.8.14
अभिशस्तं प्रपश्यन्ति दरिद्रं पार्श्वतः स्थितम् ।
दारिद्र्यं पातकं लोके कस्तच्छंसितुमर्हति ॥ १२.८.१४ ॥
People look upon the poor man standing at their side as one accused. In the world poverty is a sin; who is able to say so?
12.8.15
पतितः शोच्यते राजन्निर्धनश्चापि शोच्यते ।
विशेषं नाधिगच्छामि पतितस्याधनस्य च ॥ १२.८.१५ ॥
O king, the fallen man is mourned, and the poor man too is mourned. I do not perceive any distinction between the fallen man and the man without wealth.
12.8.16
अर्थेभ्यो हि विवृद्धेभ्यः संभृतेभ्यस्ततस्ततः ।
क्रियाः सर्वाः प्रवर्तन्ते पर्वतेभ्य इवापगाः ॥ १२.८.१६ ॥
From wealth grown great and gathered from here and there, all actions arise, as rivers flow from mountains.
12.8.17
अर्थाद्धर्मश्च कामश्च स्वर्गश्चैव नराधिप ।
प्राणयात्राऽपि लोकस्य विना ह्यर्थं न सिध्द्यति ॥ १२.८.१७ ॥
O lord of men, from wealth come righteousness, desire and heaven as well. Even the journey of life of the world is not accomplished without wealth.
12.8.18
अर्थेन हि विहीनस्य पुरुषस्याल्पमेधसः ।
विच्छिद्यन्ते क्रियाः सर्वा ग्रीष्मे कुसरितो यथा ॥ १२.८.१८ ॥
For a man of little intellect who is deprived of wealth, all his actions are cut off, as small rivers dry up in summer.
12.8.19
यस्यार्थास्तस्य मित्राणि यस्यार्थास्तस्य बान्धवाः ।
यस्यार्थाः स पुमाँल्लोके यस्यार्थाः स च पण्डितः ॥ १२.८.१९ ॥
He who has wealth has friends; he who has wealth has kinsmen. He who has wealth is the man in the world, and he who has wealth is the wise one.
12.8.20
अधनेनार्थकामेन नार्थः शक्यो विधित्सितुम् ।
अर्थैरर्था निबध्यन्ते गजैरिव महागजाः ॥ १२.८.२० ॥
One without wealth, though desiring wealth, cannot accomplish any aim. As great elephants are bound by elephants, so aims are bound by wealth.
12.8.21
धर्मः कामश्च स्वर्गश्च हर्षः क्रोधः श्रुतं दमः ।
अर्थादेतानि सर्वाणि प्रवर्तन्ते नराधिप ॥ १२.८.२१ ॥
O lord of men, dharma, desire, heaven, joy, anger, learning, and self-restraint — all these arise from wealth.
12.8.22
धनात्कुलं प्रभवति धनाद्धर्मः प्रवर्धते ।
नाधनस्यास्त्ययं लोको न परः पुरुषोत्तम ॥ १२.८.२२ ॥
From wealth a family arises and prospers; from wealth dharma grows. O best of men, for one without wealth there is neither this world nor the next.
12.8.23
नाधनो धर्मकृत्यानि यथावदनुतिष्ठति ।
धनाद्धि धर्मः स्रवति शैलादभिनदी यथा ॥ १२.८.२३ ॥
One without wealth cannot properly perform the duties of dharma. Dharma flows from wealth, as a river flows from a mountain.
12.8.24
यः कृशार्थः कृशगवः कृशभृत्यः कृशांतिथिः ।
स वै राजन्कृशो नाम न शरीरकृशः कृशः ॥ १२.८.२४ ॥
O king, he who is lean in wealth, lean in cattle, lean in servants, and lean in guests — he indeed is called lean, not one who is lean in body.
12.8.25
अवेक्षस्व यथान्यायं पश्य देवासुरं यथा ।
राजन्किमन्यज्ज्ञातीनां वधाद्गृध्यन्ति देवताः ॥ १२.८.२५ ॥
Look into it rightly, see the war of gods and demons. O king, for what else do the gods covet, except the killing of their kinsmen?
12.8.26
न चेद्धर्तव्यमन्यस्य कथं तद्धर्ममारभेत् ।
एतावानेव वेदेषु निश्चयः कविभिः कृतः ॥ १२.८.२६ ॥
If seizing what belongs to another were not duty, how would that duty begin? In the Vedas the wise have reached just this conclusion.
12.8.27
अध्येतव्या त्रयी नित्यं भवितव्यं विपश्चिता ।
सर्वथा धनमाहार्यं यष्टव्यं चापि यत्नतः ॥ १२.८.२७ ॥
The Trayī must be studied constantly, and the learned man must be so. Wealth must be gathered by every means, and sacrifice must be performed with diligence.
12.8.28
द्रोहाद्देवैरवाप्तानि दिवि स्थानानि सर्वशः ।
द्रोहात्किमन्यज्ज्ञातीनां गृध्यन्ते येन देवताः ॥ १२.८.२८ ॥
By treachery the gods obtained all the abodes in heaven. By what other means than treachery do the gods covet their kinsmen?
12.8.29
इति देवा व्यवसिता वेदवादाश्च शाश्वताः ।
अधीयन्तेऽध्यापयन्ते यजन्ते याजयन्ति च ॥ १२.८.२९ ॥
Thus the gods resolved, and such are the eternal doctrines of the Vedas: men study, teach, sacrifice, and cause others to sacrifice.
12.8.30
कृत्स्नं तदेव तच्छ्रेयो यदप्याददतेऽन्यतः ।
न पश्यामोऽनपकृतं धनं किंचित्क्वचिद्वयम् ॥ १२.८.३० ॥
Whatever is taken from another is entirely the better course. We see no wealth anywhere that is gained without harming someone.
12.8.31
एवमेव हि राजानो यजन्ति पृथिवीमिमाम् ।
जित्वा ममेयं ब्रुवते पुत्रा इव पितृर्धनम् ॥ १२.८.३१ ॥
In just this way kings, having conquered this earth, perform sacrifices and say, "This is mine," as sons say of their father's wealth.
12.8.32
राजर्षयोऽपि ते स्वर्ग्या धर्मो ह्येषां निरुच्यते ॥ १२.८.३२ ॥
Those royal sages too are fit for heaven, for their dharma is declared to be so.
12.8.33
यथैव पूर्णादुदधेः स्यन्दन्त्यापो दिशो दश ।
एवं राजकुलाद्वित्तं पृथिवीं प्रतितिष्ठति ॥ १२.८.३३ ॥
As waters flow from the full ocean into the ten directions, so wealth from the royal house flows out and settles upon the earth.
12.8.34
आसीदियं दिलीपस्य नृगस्य नहुषस्य च ।
अंबरीपस्य मान्धातुः पृथिवी सा त्वयि स्थिता ॥ १२.८.३४ ॥
This earth once belonged to Dilīpa, Nṛga, Nahuṣa, Ambarīṣa and Māndhātṛ; that same earth now abides in you.
12.8.35
स त्वां द्रव्यमयो यज्ञः संप्राप्तः सर्वदक्षिणः ।
तं चेन्न यजसे राजन्प्राप्तस्त्वं राज्यकिल्बिषम् ॥ १२.८.३५ ॥
That sacrifice made of wealth, with all its fees, has come to you; O king, if you do not perform it, you will incur the sin of kingship.
12.8.36
येषां राजाऽश्वमेधेन यजते दक्षिणावता ।
उपेत्य तस्यावभृथे पूताः सर्वे भवन्ति ते ॥ १२.८.३६ ॥
For those for whom a king performs the horse sacrifice with its fees, all of them, approaching his final bath of the rite, become purified.
12.8.37
विश्वरूपो महादेवः सर्वमेधे महामखे ।
जुहाव सर्वभूतानि तथैवात्मानमात्मना ॥ १२.८.३७ ॥
Viśvarūpa the great god, at the great all-sacrifice called Sarvamedha, offered all beings as oblations; and in the same way he offered himself by himself.
12.8.38
शाश्वतोऽयं भूतिपथो नास्त्यन्तमनुशुश्रुम ।
महाजनपथं गन्ता मा राजन्कुपथं गमः ॥ १२.८.३८ ॥
This path of prosperity is eternal; we have heard that it has no end. O king, go by the path of the great people; do not go by a wrong path.