Mahābhārata · Adhyāya 14.18
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14.18.1
ततस्तस्योपसङ्गृह्य पादौ प्रश्नान्सुदुर्वचान् ।
पप्रच्छ तांश्च धर्मान्स प्राह धर्मभृतांवरः ॥ १४.१८.१ ॥
Then, grasping his feet, he asked very difficult questions, and the best of those who uphold dharma spoke of those duties.
14.18.2
कथं शरीराच्च्यवते कथं चैवोपपद्यते ।
कथं कष्टाच्च संसारात्संसरन्परिमुच्यते ॥ १४.१८.२ ॥
How does one depart from the body, and how is one reborn? How, wandering in the painful saṃsāra, is one liberated?
14.18.3
आत्मानं वा कथं युक्त्वा तच्छरीरं विमुञ्चति ।
शरीरे च विनिर्मुक्तो कथमन्यत्प्रपद्यते ॥ १४.१८.३ ॥
How, joined with the self, does he abandon that body? And, fully freed from the body, how does he attain another?
14.18.4
कथं शुभाशुभे चायं कर्मणी स्वकृते नरः ।
उपभुङ्क्ते क्व वा कर्म विदेहस्योपतिष्ठते ॥ १४.१८.४ ॥
How does a man enjoy the fruits of his own good and bad actions? Or where does the action come near the disembodied one?
14.18.5
एवं सञ्चोदितः सिद्धः प्रश्नांस्तान्प्रत्यभाषत ।
आनुपूर्व्येण वार्ष्णेय तन्मे निगदतः शृणुः ॥ १४.१८.५ ॥
Thus urged, the perfected one answered those questions. O descendant of Vṛṣṇi, listen to what I say in due order.
14.18.6
अस्मिन्नेवाशु फलदा आयुष्यास्तु क्रियाःस्मृताः ।
आयुःकीर्तिकराणीह यानि कृत्यानि सेवते।
शरीरग्रहणेऽन्यस्मिंस्तेषु क्षीणेषु सर्वशः ॥ १४.१८.६ ॥
In this very life, quick-fruiting and life-prolonging rites are remembered; those duties that bring long life and fame, when one performs them here, are wholly exhausted when another body is taken...
14.18.7
आयुःक्षयपरीतात्मा विपरीतानि सेवते ।
बुद्धिर्व्यावर्तते चास्य विनाशे प्रत्युपस्थिते ॥ १४.१८.७ ॥
A man whose self is beset by the wasting of his life pursues contrary things; and when destruction draws near, his intellect too is turned around.
14.18.8
सत्त्वं बलं च कालं चाविदित्वा चात्मनस्तथा ।
अतिवेलमुपाश्नाति स्वविरुद्धान्यनात्मवान् ॥ १४.१८.८ ॥
Not knowing his own inner strength, his power, and the right time, the man without self-control eats beyond measure and eats what is contrary to his own nature.
14.18.9
यदाऽयमतिकष्टानि सर्वाण्युपनिषेवते ।
अत्यर्थमपि वा भुङ्क्ते न वा भुङ्क्ते कदाचन ॥ १४.१८.९ ॥
When this man indulges in all the very harmful things, sometimes he eats to excess, and sometimes he does not eat at all.
14.18.10
दुष्टान्नामिषपानं च यदन्योन्यविरोधि च ।
गुरु चाप्यमितं भुङ्क्ते नातिजीर्णे दिवा पुनः ॥ १४.१८.१० ॥
He eats in excess even spoiled food, meat and drink, things that contradict one another, and heavy food; and one should not eat again by day before the previous meal has been well digested.
14.18.11
व्यायाममतिमात्रं च व्यावाय चोपसेवते ।
सततं कर्मलोभाद्वा प्राप्तं वेगं विधारयेत् ॥ १४.१८.११ ॥
He indulges excessively in exertion and in sexual intercourse, or constantly keeps at work out of greed for it; the urge that has arisen one should restrain.
14.18.12
रसाभियुक्तमन्नं वा दिवास्वप्नं च सेवते ।
अपक्वानागते काले स्वयं दोषान्प्रकोपयेत् ॥ १४.१८.१२ ॥
He eats food seasoned with flavours, or sleeps by day; in an undigested state, at the wrong time, he himself inflames the humours.
14.18.13
स्वदोषकोपनाद्रोगं लभते मरणान्तिकम् ।
अपि वोद्बन्धनादीनि परीतानि व्यवस्यति ॥ १४.१८.१३ ॥
Through the aggravation of his own faults a man incurs a disease that ends in death; or, surrounded by suffering, he resolves upon hanging and such means.
14.18.14
तस्य तैः कारणैर्जन्तोः शरीरं च्यवते तदा ।
जीवितं प्रोच्यमानं तद्यथावदुपधारय ॥ १४.१८.१४ ॥
By those causes the body of that living being then falls away. Now understand exactly the life that is being explained.
14.18.15
ऊष्मा प्रकुपितः काये तीव्रवायुसमीरितः ।
शरीरमनुपर्येत्य सर्वान्प्राणान्रुणद्धि वै ॥ १४.१८.१५ ॥
Heat, aggravated within the body and stirred by a strong wind, encircles the body and blocks all the vital breaths.
14.18.16
अत्यर्थं बलवानूष्मा शरीरे परिकोपितः ।
भिनत्ति जीवस्थानानि तानि कर्मणि विद्धि च ॥ १४.१८.१६ ॥
The heat, exceedingly powerful and thoroughly aggravated in the body, breaks the seats of life; know also their functions.
14.18.17
ततः सवेदनः सद्यो जीवः प्रच्यवते क्षरन् ।
शरीरं त्यजते जन्तुश्छिद्यमानेषु मर्मसु।
वेदनाभिः परीतात्मा तद्विद्धि द्विजसत्तम ॥ १४.१८.१७ ॥
Then the living being, feeling pain, immediately slips away and flows out; when the vital spots are cut, the creature abandons the body. Know it thus for one whose self is surrounded by pains, best of the twice-born.
14.18.18
जनीमरणसंविग्राः सततं सर्वजन्तवः ।
दृश्यन्ते संत्यजन्तश्च शरीराणि द्विजर्षभ ॥ १४.१८.१८ ॥
All living beings are seen constantly terrified by birth and death, and seen abandoning their bodies, bull among the twice-born.
14.18.19
गर्भसंक्रमणे चापि गर्भाणापुपसर्पणे ।
तादृशीमेव लभते वेदनां मानवः पुनः ॥ १४.१८.१९ ॥
At the entry into the womb, and at the creeping forward of the embryo, a man again undergoes just such pain.
14.18.20
भिन्नसंधिरथ क्लेदमद्भिः स लभते नरः ॥ १४.१८.२० ॥
With its joints broken, a man then undergoes decay and dissolution through the waters.
14.18.21
यथा पञ्चसु भूतेषु सम्भूतत्वं नियच्छति ।
शैत्यात्प्रकुपितः काये तीव्रवायुसमीरितः ॥ १४.१८.२१ ॥
As, among the five elements, the state of arising is restrained; when the wind, aggravated in the body by cold and stirred by a violent gust,
14.18.22
यः स पञ्चसु भूतेषु प्राणापाने व्यवस्थितः ।
स गच्छत्यूर्ध्वगो वायुः कृच्छ्रान्मुक्त्वा शरीरिणः।
शरीरं च जहात्येवं निरुच्छ्वासश्च दृश्यते ॥ १४.१८.२२ ॥
That wind which is established among the five elements as the upward and downward breaths goes upward; having with difficulty released the embodied being, it thus abandons the body, and he is seen without breath.
14.18.23
स निरूष्मा निरुच्छ्वासो निःश्रीको गतचेतनः ।
कर्मणा सम्परित्यक्तो मृत इत्युच्यते नरः ॥ १४.१८.२३ ॥
That man who is without heat, without breath, without lustre, without consciousness, fully abandoned by his karma, is called dead.
14.18.24
स्रोतोभिर्यैर्विजानाति इन्द्रियार्थाञ्शरीरभृत् ।
तैरेव न विजानाति प्राणानाहारसम्भवान् ॥ १४.१८.२४ ॥
By the very channels through which the embodied being perceives the objects of the senses, by those same channels he does not perceive the vital breaths that arise from food.
14.18.25
तत्रैव कुरुते काये यः स जीवः सनातनः ॥ १४.१८.२५ ॥
The one who dwells right there in the body is the eternal living self.
14.18.26
तथा यद्यद्भवेन्मुक्तं सन्निपाते क्वचित्क्वचित् ।
तत्तन्मर्म विजानीहि शास्त्रदृष्टं हि तत्तथा ॥ १४.१८.२६ ॥
Likewise, whatever is struck at any point in a collision, know that to be a vital spot; so it is seen in the treatises.
14.18.27
तेषु मर्मसु भिन्नेषु ततः स समुदीरयन् ।
आविश्य हृदयं जन्तोः सत्त्वं चाशु रुणद्धि वै ॥ १४.१८.२७ ॥
When those vital spots are pierced, that (wind), moving violently, enters the creature's heart and quickly obstructs its vital essence.
14.18.28
ततः सचेतनो जन्तुर्नाभिजानाति किञ्चन ।
तमसा संवृतज्ञानः संवृतेष्वेव मर्मसु।
स जीवो निरदिष्ठानश्चाल्यते मातरिश्वना ॥ १४.१८.२८ ॥
Then the conscious creature knows nothing at all; with knowledge covered by darkness, and the vital spots covered, that living self, displaced from its place, is moved by the wind.
14.18.29
ततः स तं महोच्छ्वासं भृशमुच्छ्वस्य दारुणम् ।
निष्क्रमन्कम्पयत्याशु तच्छरीरमचेतनम् ॥ १४.१८.२९ ॥
Then it, exhaling that great and dreadful breath violently as it departs, swiftly sets that insentient body shaking.
14.18.30
स जीवः प्रच्युतः कायात्कर्मभिः स्वैः समावृतः ।
अङ्कितः स्वैः शुभैः पुण्यैः पापैर्वाऽप्युपपद्यते ॥ १४.१८.३० ॥
That living self, fallen away from the body, enveloped by its own deeds and marked by its own good merits or sins, is reborn.
14.18.31
ब्राह्मणा ज्ञानसम्पन्ना यथावच्छ्रुतनिश्चयाः ।
इतरं कृतपुण्यं वा तं विजानन्ति लक्षणैः ॥ १४.१८.३१ ॥
Brahmins endowed with knowledge, certain of what they have rightly heard, recognize by the signs whether he has done merit or is otherwise.
14.18.32
यथान्धकारे खद्येतं दीप्यमानं ततस्ततः ।
चक्षुष्मन्तः प्रपश्यन्ति तथा च ज्ञानचक्षुषः ॥ १४.१८.३२ ॥
As in darkness a shining firefly is seen here and there by those who have eyes, so do those with the eye of knowledge see.
14.18.33
पश्यन्त्येवंविधं सिद्धा जीवं दिव्येन चक्षुषा ।
च्यवन्तं जायमानं च योनिं चानुप्रवेशितम् ॥ १४.१८.३३ ॥
The siddhas see such a soul with the divine eye, departing, being born, and entering a womb.
14.18.34
तस्य स्थानानि दृष्टानि विविधानीह शास्त्रतः ।
कर्मभूमिरियं भूमिर्यत्र तिष्ठन्ति जन्तवः ॥ १४.१८.३४ ॥
Its various places have been seen here according to the scriptures. This earth is the land of action, where living beings abide.
14.18.35
ततः शुभाशुभं कृत्वा लभन्ते सर्वदेहिनः ।
इहैवोच्चावचान्भोगान्प्राप्नुवन्ति स्वकर्मभिः ॥ १४.१८.३५ ॥
Then, having done good and evil, all embodied beings here obtain high and low enjoyments through their own deeds.
14.18.36
इहैवाशुभकर्माणः कर्मभिर्निरयं गताः ।
अवाग्गतिरियं कष्टा यत्र पच्यन्ति मानवाः।
तस्मात्सुदुर्लभो मोक्षो रक्ष्यश्चात्मा ततो भृशम् ॥ १४.१८.३६ ॥
Here, those of evil deeds go to hell by their own deeds. This downward course, where men are cooked, is painful. Therefore liberation is very hard to obtain, and the self must be guarded greatly.
14.18.37
ऊर्ध्वं तु जन्तवो गत्वा येषु स्थानेष्ववस्थिताः ।
कीर्त्यमानानि तानीह तत्त्वतः संनिबोध मे ॥ १४.१८.३७ ॥
Having gone upward, the creatures dwell in certain places; these I will now describe to you truly. Listen to me attentively.
14.18.38
तच्छ्रुत्वा नैष्ठिकीं बुद्धिं बुद्ध्येथाः कर्मनिश्चयम् ।
तारारूपाणि सर्वाणि यत्रैतच्चन्द्रमण्डलम् ॥ १४.१८.३८ ॥
Having heard this, understand with a steadfast mind the certainty of karma: all these are star-forms, where this lunar orb is.
14.18.39
यत्र विभ्राजते लोके स्वभासा सूर्यमण्डलम् ।
स्थानान्येतानि जानीहि जनानां पुण्यकर्मणाम् ॥ १४.१८.३९ ॥
Where in the world the solar orb shines forth with its own light — know these places to belong to people who do meritorious deeds.
14.18.40
कर्मक्षयाच्च ते सर्वे च्यवन्ते वै पुनः पुनः ।
तत्रापि च विशेषोस्ति दिवि नीचोच्चमध्यमः ॥ १४.१८.४० ॥
When their karma is exhausted, all of them fall again and again; and even there in heaven there are distinctions of low, high, and middling.
14.18.41
न च तत्रापि संतोषो दृष्ट्वा दीप्ततरां श्रियम् ।
इत्येता गतयः सर्वाः पृथक्ते समुदीरिताः ॥ १४.१८.४१ ॥
Even there there is no contentment, on seeing a more radiant splendor. Thus all these destinations have been described to you separately.
14.18.42
उपपत्तिं तु वक्ष्यामि गर्भस्याहमतः परम् ।
तथावत्तां निगदतः शृणुष्वावहितो द्विज ॥ १४.१८.४२ ॥
Next I will tell you of the coming-into-being of the embryo; listen to me attentively, O twice-born.