Mahabharata, Book 14, Section XXIIIआश्वमेधिकपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 14.23.

23Sanskrit adhyāya 14.23 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

ब्राह्मण उवाच।
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्।
सुभगे सप्तहोतॄणां विधानमिह यादृशम्।।
घ्राणश्चक्षुश्च जिह्वा च त्वक् श्रोत्रं चैव पञ्चमम्।
मनो बुद्धिश्च सप्तैते होतारः पृथगाश्रिताः।।
सूक्ष्माकाशे समं प्राप्ते न पश्यन्तीतरेतरम्।
एतद्वै सप्तहोतृत्वं स्वभावाद्विद्धि शोभने।।
ब्राह्मण्युवाच।
सूक्ष्मे तु काशे सम्प्राप्ते कथं नान्योन्यदर्शिनः।
कथं स्वभावाद्भगवन्नेतदाचक्ष्व मे प्रभो।।
ब्राह्मण उवाच।
गुणज्ञानेषु विज्ञानं गुणज्ञानामभिज्ञता।
परस्परं गुणानेते नाभिजानन्ति कर्हिचित्।।
जिह्वा चक्षुस्तथा श्रोत्रं त्वङ्मनो बुद्धिरेव च।
न गन्धानधिगच्छन्ति घ्राणस्तानधिगच्छति।।
घ्राणं चक्षुस्तथा क्षोत्रं त्वङ्मनो बुद्धिरेव च।
न रसानधिगच्छन्ति जिह्वा तानधिगच्छति।।
घ्राणं जिह्वा तथा श्रोत्रं त्वङ्मनो बुद्धिरेव च।
न रूपाण्यधिगच्छन्ति चक्षुस्तान्यधिगच्छति।।
घ्राणं जिह्वा ततश्चक्षुः श्रोत्रं बुद्धिर्मनस्तथा।
न स्पर्शानधिगच्छन्ति त्वक्च तानधिगच्छति।।
घ्राणं जिह्वा च चक्षुश्च त्वङ्मनो बुद्धिरेव च।
न शब्दानधिगच्छन्ति श्रोत्रं तानधिगच्छति।।
घ्राणं जिह्वा च चक्षुश्च त्वक् श्रोत्रं बुद्धिरेव च।
सङ्कल्पान्नाधिगच्छन्ति मनस्तानधिगच्छति।।
घ्राणं जिह्वा च चक्षुश्च त्वक् श्रोत्रं मन एव च।
न निष्ठामधिगच्छन्ति बुद्धिस्तामधिगच्छति।।
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्।
इन्द्रियाणां च संवादं मनसश्चैव भामिनि।।
मन उवाच।
नाघ्राति मामृते घ्राणं रसं जिह्वा न वेत्ति च।
रूपं चक्षुर्न गृह्णाति त्वक् स्पर्सं नावबुध्यते।।
न श्रोत्रं बुध्यते शब्दं मया हीनं कथञ्चन।
प्रवरं सर्वबूतानामहमस्मि सनातनम्।।
अगाराणीव शून्यानि शान्तार्चिष इवाग्नयः।
इन्द्रियाणि न भासन्ते मया हीनानि नित्यशः।।
काष्ठानीवार्द्रशुष्काणि यतमानैरपीन्द्रियैः।
गुणार्थान्नाधिगच्छन्ति मामृते सर्वजन्तवः।।
इन्द्रियाण्यूचुः।
एवमेतद्भवेत्सत्यं यथैतन्मन्यते भवान्।
ऋतेऽस्मानस्मदर्थांस्त्वं भोगान्भुङ्क्ते भवान्यदि।।
यद्यस्मासु प्रलीनेषु तप्रणं प्राणधारणम्।
भोगान्भुङ्क्ते भवान्सत्यं यथैतन्मन्यते तथा।।
अथवाऽस्मासु लीनेषु तिष्ठत्सु विषयेषु च।
यदि सङ्कल्पमात्रेण भुङ्क्ते भोगान्यथार्थवत्।।
अथ चेन्मन्यसे सिद्धिमस्मदर्थेषु नित्यदा।
घ्राणेन रूपमादत्स्व रसमादत्स्व चक्षुषा।।
श्रोत्रेण गन्धानादत्स्व स्पर्शानादत्स्व जिह्वया।
त्वचा च शब्दमादत्स्व बुद्ध्या स्पर्शमथापि च।।
बलवन्तो ह्यनियमा नियमा दुर्बलीयसाम्।
भोगानपूर्वानादत्स्व नोच्छिष्टं भोक्तुमर्हति।।
यथा हि शिष्यः शास्तारं श्रुत्यर्थमभिधावति।
ततः श्रुतमुपादाय श्रुतार्थमुपतिष्ठति।।
विषयानेवमस्माभिर्दर्शितानभिमन्यसे।
अनुभूतानतीतांश्च स्वप्ने जागरणे तथा।।
वैमनस्यं गतानां च जन्तूनामल्पचेतसाम्।
अस्मदर्थे कृते दृश्यते प्राणधारणम्।।
बहूनपि हि सङ्कल्पान्मत्वा स्वप्नानुपास्य च।
बुभुक्षया पीड्यमानो विषयानेन धावति।।
अगारमद्वारमिव प्रविश्य
सङ्कल्पभोगान्विषयानविन्दन्।
प्राणक्षये शान्तिमुपैति नित्यं
दारुक्षयेऽग्निर्ज्वलितो यथैव।।
कामं तु नष्टेषु गुणेषु सङ्गः
कामं च नान्योन्यगुणोपलब्धिः।
अस्मान्विना नास्ति तपोपलब्धि-
स्तामप्यृते त्वां न भजेत्प्रहर्षः।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते आश्वमेधिकपर्वणि
अनुगीतापर्वणि त्रयोविंशोऽध्यायः।। 23 ।।

English Ganguli

"'"The Brahmana said, 'In this connection, O blessed lady, is cited the ancient story of what kind the institution is of the five sacrificing priests. The learned know this to be a great principle that Prana and Apana and Udana and Samana and Vyana are the five sacrificing priests.'

"'"The Brahmana's wife said, 'That naturally there are seven sacrificing priests is what was my former conviction. Let the great principle be declared to me as to how, verily, the number is five of the sacrificing priests.'

"'"The Brahmana said, 'The wind nursed by Prana afterwards takes birth in Apana. The wind nursed in Apana then becomes developed into Vyana. Nursed by Vyana, the wind is then developed into Udana. Nursed in Udana, the wind is then generated as Samana. Those good beings in days of yore asked the first-born Grandsire, saying—"Do thou say who amongst us is the foremost. He (whom thou wilt indicate) will be our chief."

"'"Brahmana said, '"He upon whose extinction all the life-breaths become extinct in the bodies of living creatures, he upon whose moving they move, is verily the foremost (among you). Do ye go where ye like."

"'"'Prana said, "Upon my extinction all the life-breaths become extinct in the bodies of living creatures. Upon my moving they once more move. I am (therefore) the foremost. Behold, I go into extinction!"'

"'"The Brahmana continued, 'Prana then became extinct and once more moved about. Then Samana and Udana also, O blessed one, said these words—"Thou dost not dwell here, pervading all this, as we do. Thou art not the foremost amongst us, O Prana. (Only) Apana is under thy dominion." Prana then moved about, and unto him Apana spoke.

"'"'Apana said, "When I become extinct, all the life-winds become extinct in the bodies of living creatures. When I move about, they again move about. I am, therefore, the foremost. Behold, I go into extinction!"

"'"The Brahmana continued, 'Unto Apana who said so, both Vyana and Udana said—"O Apana, thou art not the foremost. (Only) Prana is under thy dominion." Then Apana began to move about. Vyana once more addressed him saying, "I am the foremost of all (the life-winds). Listen, for what reason. When I become extinct, all the life-winds become extinct in the bodies of living creatures. When I move about, they once more move about. I am (therefore) the foremost. Behold, I go into extinction!"

"'"The Brahmana continued, 'Then Vyana went into extinction and once more began to move about. At this, Prana and Apana and Udana and Samana addressed him, saying, "Thou art not the foremost among us, O Vyana! (Only) Samana is under thy dominion."—Vyana then began to move about and Samana said unto him,—"I am the foremost of you all. Listen, for what reason. When I become extinct, all the life-winds become extinct in the bodies of living creatures. When I begin to move about, they once more move about. Hence, I am the foremost. Behold, I go into extinction!" Then Samana began to move about. Unto him Udana said, "I am the foremost of all the life-winds. Listen, for what reason. When I become extinct, all the life-winds become extinct in the bodies of living creatures. When I move about they once more move about. Hence, I am the foremost. Behold, I go into extinction!"—Then Udana, after having gone into extinction, began once more to move about, Prana and Apana and Samana and Vyana said, unto him, O Udana, "thou art not the foremost one among us, only Vyana is under thy dominion."

"'"The Brahmana continued, 'Unto them assembled together, the Lord of creatures, Brahma, said, "No one of you is superior to others. Ye are all endued with particular attributes. All are foremost in their own spheres, and all possess special attributes." Thus said unto them, that were assembled together, the Lord of all creatures. There is one that is unmoving, and one that is moving. In consequence of special attributes, there are five life-winds. My own self is one. That one accumulates into many forms. Becoming friendly unto one another, and gratifying one another, depart in peace. Blessings to ye, do ye uphold one another!'"'"