Mahabharata, Book 14, Section XXVIIIआश्वमेधिकपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 14.28.

28Sanskrit adhyāya 14.28 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

ब्राह्मण उवाच।
संकल्पदंशमशकं शोकहर्षहिमातपम्।
मोहान्धकारतिमिरं लोभव्याधिसरीसृपम्।।
विषयैकात्ययाध्वानं कामक्रोधकिरातकम्।
तदतीत्य महादुर्गं प्रविष्टोस्मि महद्वनम्।।
ब्राह्मण्युवाच।
क्व तद्वनं महाप्राज्ञ के वृक्षाः सरितश्च काः।
कियन्तः पर्वताश्चैव कियत्यध्यनि तद्वनम्।।
ब्राह्मण उवाच।
नैतदस्ति पृथग्भावः किञ्चिनद्यत्ततः सुखम्।
नैतदस्त्यपृथग्भावः किञ्चिद्दुःखतरं ततः।।
तस्माद्ध्रस्वतरं नास्ति न ततोस्ति महत्तरम्।
नास्ति तस्माद्दुःखतरं नास्त्यन्यत्तत्समं सुखम्।।
न तत्राविश्यि शोचन्ति न प्रहृष्यन्ति च द्विजाः।
न च बिभ्यति केभ्यश्चिन्नैभ्यो बिभ्यति केचन।।
तस्मिन्वने सप्त महाद्रुमाश्च
फलानि सप्तातिथयश्च सप्त।
सप्ताश्रमाः सप्त समाधयश्च
दीक्षाश्च सप्तैतदरण्यरूपम्।।
पञ्चवर्णानि दिव्यानि पुष्पाणि च फलानि च।
सृजन्तः पादपास्तत्र व्याप्य तिष्ठन्ति तद्वन्म्।।
सुवर्णानि द्विवर्णानि पुष्पाणि च फलानि च।
सृजन्तः पादपास्तत्र व्याप्य तिष्ठन्ति तद्वनम्।।
`शङ्कराणि त्रिवर्णानि पुष्पाणि च फलानि च।
सृजन्तः पादपास्तत्र व्याप्य तिष्ठन्ति तद्वनम्'
सुरभीणि द्विवर्णानि पुष्पाणि च फलानि च।
सृजन्तः पादपास्तत्र व्याप्य तिष्ठन्ति तद्वनम्।।
सुरभीण्येकवर्णानि पुष्पाणि च फलानि च।
सृजन्तः पादपास्तत्र व्याप्य तिष्ठन्ति तद्वनम्।।
बहून्यव्यक्तवर्णानि पुष्पाणि च फलानि च।
विसृजन्तौ महावृक्षौ तद्वनं व्याप्य तिष्ठतः।।
एको वह्निः सुमना ब्राह्मणोत्र
पञ्चेन्द्रियाणि समिधश्चात्र सन्ति।
तेभ्यो वृक्षाःक सप्त फलन्ति दीक्षा
गुणाः फलान्यतिथयः फलाशाः।।
आतिथ्यं प्रतिगृह्णन्ति तत्र सप्त महर्षयः।
अर्चितेषु प्रलीनेषु तेष्वन्यद्रोचते वनम्।।
प्रज्ञावृक्षं मोक्षफलं शान्तिच्छायासमन्वितम्।
ज्ञानाश्रयं तृप्तितोयमन्तःक्षेत्रज्ञभास्करम्।।
येऽधिगच्छन्ति तत्सन्तस्तेषां नास्ति पुनर्भवः।
ऊर्ध्वं चाधश्च तिर्यक्च तस्य नान्तोऽधिगम्यते।।
सप्त स्त्रियस्तत्र चरन्ति सत्या-
स्त्ववाङ्मुखा भानुमत्यो जनित्र्यः।
ऊर्ध्वं रसानाददते प्रजाभ्यः
सर्वान्यथा नित्यमनित्यता च।।
तत्रैव प्रतितिष्ठन्ति पुनस्तत्रोदयन्ति च।
सप्त सप्तर्षयः सिद्धा वसिष्ठप्रमुखैः सह।।
यशो वर्चो भगश्चैव विजयः सिद्धतेजसः।
एतमेवानुवर्तन्ते सप्त ज्योतींषि भास्करम्।।
ऋषयः पर्वताश्चैव सन्ति तत्र समासतः।
नद्यश्च परितो वारि वहन्त्यो ब्रह्मिसम्भवम्।।
नदीनां सङ्गमश्चैव वैताने समुपहरे।
स्वात्मतृप्ता यतो यान्ति साक्षादेव पितामहम्।।
कृशाशाः सुव्रताः शान्तास्तपसा दग्धकिल्बिषाः।
आत्मन्यात्मानमावेश्य ब्राह्मणास्तमुपासते।।
शमिमप्यत्र शंसन्ति विद्यारण्यविदो जनाः।
तदरण्यमभिप्रेत्य यथातत्वमजायत।।
एतदेवेदृशं पुण्यमरण्यं ब्राह्मणा विदुः।
विदित्वा चानुतिष्ठन्ति क्षेत्रज्ञेनानुदर्शिना।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते आश्वमेधिकपर्वणि
अनुगीतापर्वणि अष्टाविंशोऽध्यायः।। 28 ।।

English Ganguli

"'"The Brahmana said, 'I do not smell scents. I do not perceive tastes. I do not see colours. I do not touch. I do not likewise hear the diverse sounds (that arise). Nor do I entertain purposes of any kind. It is Nature that desires such objects as are liked; it is Nature that hates such objects as are disliked. Desire and aversion spring from Nature, after the manner of the upward and the downward life-winds when souls have entered animate bodies. Separated from them are others; in them are eternal dispositions; (these as also) the soul of all creatures. Yogins would behold in the body. Dwelling in that, I am never attached to anything through desire and wrath, and decrepitude and death. Not having any desire for any object of desire, and not having any aversion for any evil, there is no taint on my natures, as there is no taint of a drop of water on (the leaves of) the lotus. Of this constant (principle) which looks upon diverse natures, they are inconstant possessions.[77] Though actions are performed, yet the assemblage of enjoyments does not attach itself to them, even as the assemblage of rays of the sun does not attach to the sky. In this connection is recited an ancient story of a discourse between an Adhwaryu and a Yati. Do thou hear it, O glorious lady. Beholding an animal sprinkled with water at a sacrificial ceremony, a Yati said unto the Adhwaryu seated there these words in censure,—"This is destruction of life!" unto him the Adhwaryu said in reply,—"This goat will not be destroyed. The animal (sacrificed) meets with great good, if the Vedic declaration on this subject be true. That part of this animal which is of earth will go to earth. That part of this one which is born of water, will enter into water. His eye will enter the sun; his ear will enter the different points of the horizon; his life-winds will enter the sky. I who adhere to the scriptures incur no fault (by assisting at the killing of this animal)."

"'"'The Yati said, "If thou beholdest such good to the goat in this dissociation with (his) life-winds, then this sacrifice is for the goat. What need hast thou for it? Let the brother, father, mother, and friend (of this goat) give thee their approval in this. Taking him (to them) do thou consult them. This goat is especially dependent. It behoveth thee to see them who can give their consent in this. After hearing their consent, the matter will become fit for consideration. The life-winds of this goat have been made to return to their respective sources. Only the inanimate body remains behind. This is what I think. Of those who wish to enjoy felicity by means of the inanimate body (of an animal) which is comparable with fuel, the fuel (of sacrifice) is after all the animal himself. Abstention from cruelty is the foremost of all duties. Even this is the teaching of the elders. We know this is the proposition, viz.,—No slaughter (of living creatures).—If I say anything further, (it will then appear that) diverse kinds of faulty actions are capable of being done by thee. Always abstaining from cruelty to all creatures is what meets with our approbation. We establish this from what is directly perceptible. We do not rely on what is beyond direct perception."

"'"'The Adhwaryu said, "Thou enjoyest the properties of smell which belong to the earth. Thou drinkest the tastes which appertain to water. Thou seest colours which belong to lighted bodies. Thou touchest the properties which have their origin in wind. Thou hearest the sounds which have their origin in space (or ether). Thou thinkest thoughts with the mind. All these entities, thou art of opinion, have life. Thou dost not then abstain from taking life. Really, thou art engaged in slaughter. There can be no movement without slaughter. Or, what dost thou think, O regenerate one."

"'"'The Yati said, "The Indestructible and the Destructible constitute the double manifestation of the soul. Of these the Indestructible is existent. The Destructible is said to be exceedingly non-existent.[78] The life-wind, the tongue, the mind, the quality of goodness, along with the quality of passion, are all existent. The Atman is above these forms and hence is without duality and hope. As regards one that is freed from these existent objects, that transcends all pairs of opposites, that does not cherish any expectation, that is alike to all creatures, that is liberated from the idea of meum, that has subjugated his self, and that is released from all his surroundings,—for him no fear exists from any source!"[79]

"'"'The Adhwaryu said, "O foremost of intelligent men, one should reside with those that are good. Hearing thy opinion my understanding shines with light. O illustrious one, I come to thee, believing thee to be a god; and I say I have no fault, O regenerate one, by performing these rites with the aid of Mantras!"'[80]

"'"The Brahmana continued, 'With this conclusion, the Yati remained silent after this. The Adhwaryu also proceeded with the great sacrifice, freed from delusion. The Brahmanas understand Emancipation, which is exceedingly subtle, to be of this kind and having understood it, they live accordingly directed by the Kshetrajna, that beholder of all topics.'"'"