Mahabharata, Book 12, Section CCXLIशान्तिपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 12.241.

241Sanskrit adhyāya 12.241 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

व्यास उवाच।
त्रयीं विद्यामवेक्षेत वेदेपूत्तमतां गतः।
ऋक्सामवर्णाक्षरतो यजुषोऽथर्वणस्तथा।।
[तिष्ठत्येतेषु भगवान्षट्‌सु कर्मसु संस्थितः।]
वेदवादेषु कुशला ह्यध्यात्मकुशलाश्च ये।।
सत्ववन्तो महाभागाः पश्यन्ति प्रभवाप्ययौ।
एवं धर्मेण वर्तेत क्रियाः शिष्टवदाचरेत्।।
असंरोधेन भूतानां वृत्तिं लिप्सेत वै द्विजः।
सद्भ्य आगतविज्ञानः शिष्टः शास्त्रविचक्षणः।।
स्वधर्मेण क्रिया लोके कुर्वाणः सोऽप्यसङ्करः।
तिष्ठते तेषु गृहवान्षट्‌सु कर्मसु स द्विजः।।
पञ्चभिः सततं यज्ञैः श्रद्दधानो यजेत च।
धृतिमानप्रमत्तश्च दान्तो धर्मविदात्मवान्।
वीतहर्षमदक्रोधो ब्राह्मणो नावसीदति।।
दानमध्ययनं यज्ञस्तपो ह्रीरार्जवं दमः।
एतैर्विवर्धते तेजः पाप्मानं चापकर्षति।।
धूतपाप्मा च मेधावी लघ्वाहारो जितेन्द्रियः।
कामक्रोधौ वशे कृत्वा निनीषेद्ब्रह्मणः पदम्।।
अग्नींश्च ब्राह्मणांश्चार्चेद्देवताः प्रणमेत च।
वर्जयेदुशतीं वाचं हिंसां चाधर्मसंहिताम्।।
एषा पूर्वतरा वृत्तिर्ब्राह्मणस्य विधीयते।
ज्ञानागमेन कर्माणि कुर्वन्कर्मसु सिद्ध्यति।।
पञ्चेन्द्रियजलां घोरां लोभकूलां सुदुस्तराम्।
मन्युपङ्कामनाधृष्यां नदीं तरति बुद्धिमान्।।
कालमभ्युद्यतं पश्येन्नित्यमत्यन्तमोहनम्।।
महता विधिदृष्टेन बलिनाऽप्रतिघातिना।
स्वभावस्रोतसा वृत्तमुह्यते सततं जगत्।।
कालोदकेन महता वर्षावर्तेन संततम्।
मासोर्मिणर्तुवेगेन पक्षोलपतृणेन च।।
निमेषोन्मेषफेनेन अहोरात्रजवेन च।
कामग्राहेण घोरेण वेदयज्ञप्लवेन च।।
धर्मद्वीपेन भूतानां चार्थकामरवेण च।
ऋतवाङ्मोक्षतीरेण विहिंसातरुवाहिना।।
युगह्रदौघमध्येन ब्रह्मप्रायभवेन च।
धात्रा सृष्टानि भूतानि कृष्यन्ते यमसादनम्।।
एतत्प्रज्ञामयैर्धीरा निस्तरन्ति मनीषिणः।
प्लवैरप्लववन्तो हि किं करिष्यन्त्यचेतसः।।
उपपन्नं हि यत्प्राज्ञो निस्तरेन्नेतरो जनः।
दूरतो गुणदोषौ हि प्राज्ञः सर्वत्र पश्यति।।
संशयात्तु स कामात्मा चलचित्तोऽल्पचेतनः।
अप्राज्ञो न तरत्येनं यो ह्यास्ते न स गच्छति।।
अप्लवो हि महादोषं मुह्यमानो न गच्छति।
कामग्राहगृहीतस्य ज्ञानमप्यस्य न प्लवः।।
तस्मादुन्मज्जनस्यार्थे प्रयतेत विचक्षणः।
एतदुन्मज्जनं तस्य यदयं ब्राह्मणो भवेत्।।
त्र्यवदाते कुले जातस्त्रिसंदेहस्त्रिकर्मकृत्।
तस्मादुन्मज्जनं तिष्ठेत्प्रज्ञया निस्तरेद्यथा।।
संस्कृतस्य हि दान्तस्य नियतस्य यतात्मनः।
प्राज्ञस्यानन्तरा सिद्धिरिह लोके परत्र च।।
वर्तेत तेषु गृहवानक्रुध्यन्ननसूयकः।
पञ्चभिः सततं यज्ञैर्विघसाशी यजेत च।।
सतां धर्मेण वर्तेत क्रियां शिष्टवदाचरेत्।
असंरोधेन लोकस्य वृत्तिं लिप्सेदगर्हिताम्।।
श्रुतविज्ञानतत्त्वज्ञः शिष्टाचारविचक्षणः।
स्वधर्मेण क्रियावांश्च कर्मणा सोऽप्यसंकरः।।
क्रियावाञ्श्रद्दधानो कहि दान्तः प्रायोऽनसूयकः।
धमार्धर्मविशेषज्ञः सर्वं तरति दुस्तरम्।।
धृतिमानप्रमत्तश्च दान्तो धर्मविदात्मवान्।
वीतहर्षमदक्रोधो ब्राह्मणो नावसीदति।।
एषा पुरातनी वृत्तिर्ब्राह्मणस्य विधीयते।
ज्ञानवृद्ध्यैव कर्माणि कुर्वन्सर्वत्र सिध्यति।।
अधर्मं धर्मकामो हि करोति ह्यविचक्षणः।
धर्मं वा धर्मसंकाशं शोचन्निव करोति सः।।
धर्मं करोमीति करोत्यधर्म
मधर्मकामश्च करोति धर्मम्।
उभे बालः कर्मणी न प्रजानम्
संजायते म्रियते चापि देही।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते शान्तिपर्वणि
मोक्षधर्मपर्वणि एकचत्वारिंशदधिकद्विशततमोऽध्यायः।। 241।।

English Ganguli

"'"Suka said, 'The declarations of the Vedas are twofold. They once lay down the command, "Do all acts." They also indicate (the reverse, saying), "Give up acts." I ask, "Whither do persons go by the aid of Knowledge and whither by the aid of acts?"[979] I desire to hear this. Do tell me this. Indeed, these declarations about knowledge and acts are dissimilar and even contradictory.'"

"'Bhishma continued, "Thus addressed, the son of Parasara said these words unto his son, 'I shall expound to thee the two paths, viz., the destructible and the indestructible, depending respectively upon acts and knowledge. Listen with concentrated attention, O child, to me, as I tell thee the place that is reached by one with the aid of knowledge, and that other place which is reached with the aid of acts. The difference between these two places is as great as the limitless sky. The question that thou hast asked me has given me such pain as an atheistic discourse gives to a man of faith. These are the two paths upon which the Vedas are established; the duties (acts) indicated by Pravritti, and those based on Nivritti that have been treated of so excellently.[980] By acts, a living creature is destroyed. By knowledge, however, he becomes emancipated. For this reason, Yogins who behold the other side of the ocean of life never betake themselves to acts. Through acts one is forced to take rebirth, after death, with a body composed of the six and ten ingredients. Through knowledge, however, one becomes transformed into that which is Eternal, Unmanifest, and Immutable. One class of persons that are however of little intelligence, applaud acts. In consequence of this they have to assume bodies (one after another) ceaselessly. Those men whose perceptions are keen in respect of duties and who have attained to that high understanding (which leads to knowledge), never applaud acts even as persons that depend for their drinking water upon the supply of streams never applaud wells and tanks. The fruit that one obtains of acts consists of pleasure and pain, of existence and non-existence. By knowledge, one attains to that whither there is no occasion for grief; whither one becomes freed from both birth and death; whither one is not subject to decrepitude; whither one transcends the state of conscious existence,[981] whither is Brahma which is Supreme, Unmanifest, immutable, ever-existent, imperceptible, above the reach of pain, immortal, and transcending destruction; whither all become freed from the influence of all pairs of opposites (like pleasure and pain, etc.), as also of wish or purpose.[982] Reaching that stage, they cast equal eyes on everything, become universal friends and devoted to the good of all creatures. There is a wide gulf, O son, between one devoted to knowledge and one devoted to acts. Know that the man of knowledge, without undergoing destruction, remains existent for ever like the moon on the last day of the dark fortnight existing in a subtle (but undestroyed) form. The great Rishi (Yajnavalkya in Vrihadaranayaka) has said this more elaborately. As regards the man devoted to acts, his nature may be inferred from beholding the new-born moon which appears like a bent thread in the firmament.[983] Know, O son, that the person of acts takes rebirth with a body with eleven entities, for its ingredients, that are the results of modification, and with a subtile form that represents a total of six and ten.[984] The deity who takes refuge in that (material) form, like a drop of water on a lotus leaf, should be known as Kshetrajna (Soul), which is Eternal, and which succeeds by Yoga in transcending both the mind and the knowledge.[985] Tamas, Rajas, and Sattwa are the attributes of the knowledge. The knowledge is the attribute of the individual soul residing within the body. The individual soul, in its turn, comes from the Supreme Soul.[986] The body with the soul is said to be the attribute of jiva. It is jiva that acts and causes all bodies to live. He who has created the seven worlds is said by those that are acquainted with what is Kshetra (and what is Kshetrajna) to be above jiva.'"'"