03.034
Core: Bhima condemns Yudhisthira’s gentleness and gives his distorted view of Dharma, artha and Kama.
Vaiśampāyana said.
When Bhīmasena heard the words of Yājñasenī, he, overcome with impatience, sighed, approached the king in anger, and spoke. (3-34-1)
Go to the righteous position of the kingdom, which is befitting for noble persons; for those deprived of dharma, desire, and wealth, what is the point for us to dwell in the forest of austerities? (3-34-2)
That kingdom of ours was not taken away by Duryodhana through righteousness, nor by honesty, nor by strength; it was taken away by him by resorting to the dice-board. (3-34-3)
Just as the jackal, though weak, took the meat from the strong lions, in the same way, our kingdom has indeed been taken away by the eater of remnants. (3-34-4)
O king, with only a trace of virtue covering you, and being the source of virtue and desire, why do you abandon wealth and grieve in the fortresses? (3-34-5)
Because of your compliance, our kingdom was taken away before our very eyes; even that which could not be taken, protected by Indra and by the wielder of the Gāṇḍīva bow (Arjuna), was lost. (3-34-6)
Just as bilva fruits are for the crippled and cows for the lame, our prosperity has been taken away for your sake, you who are alive. (3-34-7)
O Bhārata, believing that it was dear to you in this way, we have indeed undertaken such a great calamity, trusting in one who desires dharma. (3-34-8)
We torment our own friends and gladden our enemies; restrain yourself in your śāstra, O best of the Bharatas. (3-34-9)
Because we did not slay these sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra at that time, having followed your injunction, that evil deed now afflicts us. (3-34-10)
Now, O king, examine this matter yourself, as you would the wandering of deer; it has not been practiced by heroes, but only by those stationed in the army. (3-34-11)
The one whom neither Kṛṣṇa, nor Arjuna, nor Abhimanyu, nor Yudhiṣṭhira, nor I approve, nor do both the sons of Mādrī (Nakula and Sahadeva) (3-34-12).
You, who are always devoted to righteousness and worn out by vows, O king, have not, I hope, fallen into an unmanly way of life out of despair. (3-34-13)
Wicked people indeed consider despondency, which is fruitless and destroys everything, as dear; those incapable of obtaining prosperity for themselves do what pleases them. (3-34-14)
O king, you, endowed with vision and capability, seeing manliness in yourself and devoted to compassion, do not perceive evil. (3-34-15)
These sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra think us, who are enduring and worthy, to be as if incapable; that is a pain, not the slaughter in battle. (3-34-16)
There, if among those fighting, who are straightforward and do not turn back, it is indeed better to be slain entirely, for having died, we may obtain the worlds. (3-34-17)
Yet, even if we, O bull among the Bharatas, were to slay these men and take possession of the entire earth, still, only what is better is for us. (3-34-18)
This action, our own duty, must always be performed; it is for those who desire great fame and wish to retaliate against enmity. (3-34-19)
When warriors fight for their own purpose, and the nature of duty is understood, if the kingdom is taken away by others, there is only praise, not blame. (3-34-20)
O king, any dharma which is intended to harm friends or oneself is called misfortune; that is not dharma, but bad dharma. (3-34-21)
O dear one, a man who is always devoted to dharma in every way, but is weak in dharma, having abandoned dharma and artha, is like a dead person with regard to pain and pleasure. (3-34-22)
He whose righteousness is not for the sake of righteousness but is accompanied by suffering is not wise. He does not understand the meaning of righteousness in the Veda, just as a blind man does not perceive the light of the sun. (3-34-23)
He whose wealth is only for the sake of wealth, and who is not wise regarding wealth, protects the forest like a hired servant would; such is he. (3-34-24)
He who, being a seeker of wealth, does not wait for others and acts at an improper time is considered deserving of death by all beings and is despised even by Brahman. (3-34-25)
He who always seeks pleasure and does not follow the ways of others, his friends perish and he is deprived of both righteousness and wealth. (3-34-26)
For one who is devoid of dharma and artha, destruction at the end of desire is certain, just as for a fish delighting in desire, destruction is certain when the water is gone. (3-34-27)
Therefore, the wise are never negligent regarding dharma and artha. For nature is indeed to desire what the fire-stick is to fire, just as (the fire-stick produces fire). (3-34-28)
In every way, artha is rooted in dharma, and dharma is supported by the acceptance of artha. Know that these two are mutually the source of each other, just like the cloud and the ocean. (3-34-29)
The pleasure that arises from the union of contact with substance and object is called desire and is a resolve of the mind; it has no physical body. (3-34-30)
O king, a man who seeks wealth attains great dharma; one who seeks pleasure attains wealth, but from pleasure, one attains nothing else. (3-34-31)
Indeed, one desire is not fulfilled by another desire; only the fruit is attained. From the use of the fruit, just as from wood, ashes result—so does the wise one. (3-34-32)
O king, just as a bird-catcher kills these birds, so this is the nature of unrighteousness among beings and those who commit violence. (3-34-33)
He who, due to desire and greed, does not see the activity of dharma is deserving to be killed by all beings, both after death and here, as he is evil-minded. (3-34-34)
O king, the meaning and acquisition of substance are manifest and known to you; you also know the nature of this and its greater modification. (3-34-35)
They consider his destruction, whether by complete ruin, old age, or death, as misfortune; this is present among us. (3-34-36)
My understanding is that the pleasure which arises in the senses, the five, the mind, and the heart, when they abide in the object, that is called desire; this is the supreme fruit of actions. (3-34-37)
Thus, having considered dharma, artha, and kāma separately, a man should not be devoted solely to dharma, nor solely to artha, nor solely to kāma; he should always pursue all of them. (3-34-38)
One should pursue righteousness first, wealth next, and desire in the lowest place; during the day, one should act accordingly—this is the rule established by the śāstra. (3-34-39)
One should pursue desire first, wealth in the middle, and in the last stage practice duty; in old age, one should act accordingly. This is the rule prescribed by the scriptures. (3-34-40)
O best of speakers, the wise person who knows the proper time should pursue righteousness, wealth, and desire, properly dividing them according to time. (3-34-41)
O king, for those who desire happiness, this is the supreme good—either liberation or attainment, achieved by resorting to intellect and proper means, O joy of the Kurus. (3-34-42)
O king, let that be done quickly, or let the objective be attained; for the life of one who is afflicted is like suffering for one who is inwardly troubled. (3-34-43)
Your duty, which is well known and always practiced by you, is recognized; your friends praise in you the incitement to action. (3-34-44)
Gift, sacrifice, worship of the virtuous, maintenance of the Veda, and straightforwardness—this is the supreme duty, O king, which yields results both in this world and after death. (3-34-45)
O king, this cannot be practiced by one who is without wealth. All virtues, O tiger among men, may be found even in others. (3-34-46)
O king, the world is founded upon dharma; nothing surpasses dharma. And, O king, dharma can be practiced with great wealth. (3-34-47)
O king, the purpose can never be known either by mendicancy or by unmanliness, but only by the intellect of dharma. (3-34-48)
Begging, by which accomplishment is achieved, is indeed forbidden for you, O twice-born; strive only by your own energy for the desire for wealth, O best of men. (3-34-49)
The practice of begging and the livelihood of actors or servants are not prescribed for a kṣatriya; especially, the duty of a kṣatriya is strength by birth. (3-34-50)
The learned and wise have indeed declared noble conduct as duty; you should adopt nobility and ought not to remain in what is inferior. (3-34-51)
O king, understand and know the eternal dharmas; since you are born of cruel deeds, people are afraid of you. (3-34-52)
The result that comes from protecting your subjects is not blameworthy for you. This is your eternal duty, O king, ordained by the Creator. (3-34-53)
Therefore, O Pārtha, if you deviate, you will become an object of ridicule in the world. For human beings, deviation from their own duty is never approved. (3-34-54)
O son of Kunti, make your heart that of a warrior, abandon this weakness of mind, assume strength, and bear your burden like a true bearer. (3-34-55)
O king, no king who is solely righteous has ever conquered the earth, nor has he attained prosperity or wealth again. (3-34-56)
By deceiving and using the words of many petty, greedy-minded people, one obtains a kingdom, just as a heron obtains its food. (3-34-57)
O bull among the Pāṇḍavas, the asuras, who were brothers born before and very prosperous in every way, were defeated by the gods through deceit. (3-34-58)
O king, having thus understood everything about the powerful, destroy the enemies, O mighty-armed one, who have resorted to supreme deceit. (3-34-59)
There is truly no one in battle, a warrior and bearer of the bow, equal to Arjuna; nor will there be any man equal to me, the bearer of the mace, or anyone else. (3-34-60)
O Pāṇḍava, even the strong wage battle by strength of character, O king; not by mere measure or enthusiasm. Therefore, be established in strength of character. (3-34-61)
Essence is truly the foundation of purpose; whatever is otherwise is false. But it does not endure, like the shade of a tree in winter. (3-34-62)
Indeed, one who desires the greater good should abandon wealth; by the analogy of the seed, O son of Kunti, let there be no doubt about this for you. (3-34-63)
But where misfortune equal to wealth is obtained and not gain, trade should not be conducted there; for that is truly like scratching a donkey. (3-34-64)
In this way, O best of men, when a man abandons a lesser duty, he attains a greater one; such a person is certainly wise. (3-34-65)
Wise men separate an enemy who is supported by friends through his own friends; one who is abandoned by divided friends becomes weak and is brought under control. (3-34-66)
O king, even a very strong person engages in battle through strength of character; not by mere effort or sacrifices does one gain all subjects. (3-34-67)
In every way, even a strong enemy can be killed by the weak when they are united, just as bees can kill the honey-taker. (3-34-68)
O king, just as the Sun protects all beings with his rays and also consumes them, in the same way, you should be like Savitṛ. (3-34-69)
O king, we have indeed heard that this too is an ancient austerity: the protection of the earth as performed by our forefathers according to ordinance. (3-34-70)
Indeed, seeing your distress, the world has concluded that the light has departed from the sun and splendour from the moon. (3-34-71)
O king, assemblies gathered separately, some engaged in conversation with praises of you and censures of the other. (3-34-72)
O king, the brāhmaṇas and your elders, having assembled here, are joyfully speaking of your truthfulness. (3-34-73)
Whatever falsehood you may have spoken, it was not due to delusion, misery, greed, or even fear, nor was it from desire or for the sake of gain. (3-34-74)
Whatever sin a king commits in acquiring the earth, he removes all of it afterwards by performing sacrifices with abundant gifts. (3-34-75)
O king, by giving villages and cows by the thousands to Brāhmaṇas, one is freed from all sins, just as the moon is freed from darkness. (3-34-76)
O Yudhiṣṭhira, delight of the Kurus, all the citizens and country people, along with elders and children, generally praise you together. (3-34-77)
Just as milk in a dog's trough or the Veda in the hands of a śūdra, so too is truth with a thief, strength with a woman, and a kingdom with Duryodhana. (3-34-78)
Thus, O Bhārata, this explanation has long circulated in the world. Moreover, these women and girls practice it as if it were self-study. (3-34-79)
Your honour should quickly mount the chariot equipped with all accessories and depart at once, for it will accomplish the purpose for a long time. (3-34-80)
Having the best of the twice-born recite, he went today itself to Gajasahvaya, surrounded by weapon-experts, his brothers with strong bows, and heroes as fierce as venomous serpents, just as Vṛtrahā (Indra) is surrounded by the Maruts. (3-34-81)
O son of Kunti, crushing your enemies by your brilliance like the destroyer of enemies among the asuras, seize prosperity from the mighty sons of Dhritarashtra. (3-34-82)
Indeed, no mortal could endure the touch of the vulture-feathered arrows released from Gāṇḍīva, which are like poisonous serpents. (3-34-83)
O Bhārata, neither a hero, nor an elephant, nor a fine horse is he who can withstand the force of my mace when I am enraged in battle. (3-34-84)
With the Sṛñjayas, the Kaikeyas, and the chief of the Vṛṣṇis on our side, O son of Kunti, how could we possibly not win the kingdom in battle? (3-34-85)
