05.042
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana spoke:
tato rājā dhṛtarāṣṭro manīṣī; sampūjya vākyaṃ vidureritaṃ tat। sanatsu-jātaṃ rahite mahātmā; papraccha buddhiṃ paramāṃ bubhūṣan ॥5-42-1॥
Then the wise King Dhritarashtra, after honoring Vidura's words, privately asked the great Sanatsujata for supreme wisdom, as he was eager to learn.
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
Dhritarashtra spoke:
sanatsu-jāta yadīdaṃ śṛṇomi; mṛtyurhi nāstīti tavopadeśam। devāsurā hyācaranbrahmacarya; mamṛtyave tatkatarannu satyam ॥5-42-2॥
Sanatsujata, I hear your teaching that 'Death does not exist.' The gods and demons practiced celibacy for immortality; which of these is truly the case?
sanatsujāta uvāca॥
Sanatsujata spoke:
amṛtyuḥ karmaṇā kecinmṛtyurnāstīti cāpare। śṛṇu me bruvato rājanyathaitan mā viśaṅkithāḥ ॥5-42-3॥
Some believe that immortality is achieved through actions, while others claim that death does not exist. Listen to my words, O king, and do not doubt what I say.
ubhe satye kṣatriyādyapravṛtte; moho mṛtyuḥ saṃmato yaḥ kavīnām। pramādaṃ vai mṛtyumahaṃ bravīmi; sadāpramādamamṛtatvaṃ bravīmi ॥5-42-4॥
Both truths are acknowledged when a warrior first engages; poets consider delusion as death. I assert that negligence is indeed death, while constant vigilance is immortality.
pramādād vai asurāḥ parābhavan; napramādād brahmabhūtā bhavanti। na vai mṛtyurvyāghra ivātti jantūn; na hy asya rūpam upalabhyate ha ॥5-42-5॥
Due to negligence, demons were defeated, while through vigilance, one attains the state of Brahman. Death does not consume beings like a tiger, as its form is not visible.
yamaṁ tveke mṛtyumato'nyamāhu; rātmāvasannamamṛtaṁ brahmacaryam। pitṛloke rājyamanuśāsti devaḥ; śivaḥ śivānāmaśivo'śivānām ॥5-42-6॥
Some say that Yama is another form of death, while others describe the soul as depressed and immortal through celibacy. In the realm of ancestors, the god governs the kingdom, being auspicious to the auspicious and inauspicious to the inauspicious.
āsyādeṣa niḥsarate narāṇāṃ; krodhaḥ pramādo moharūpaśca mṛtyuḥ। te mohitāstadvaśe vartamānā; itaḥ pretāstatra punaḥ patanti ॥5-42-7॥
From the mouths of men, anger, negligence, and delusion manifest as death. Those who are deluded and under its influence continue to exist, and from here, they fall again into the cycle of death.
tatastaṃ devā anu viplavante; ato mṛtyur maraṇākhyām upaiti। karmodaye karmaphalānurāgā; tatrānu yānti na taranti mṛtyum ॥5-42-8॥
Then the gods follow him, and thus death, known as 'maraṇa', approaches. When actions arise, those who are attached to the fruits of actions follow there but do not transcend death.
yo'bhidhyāyannutpatiṣṇūnnihanyā; danādareṇāpratibudhyamānaḥ। sa vai mṛtyurmṛtyurivātti bhūtvā; evaṃ vidvānyo vinihanti kāmān ॥5-42-9॥
He who meditates and destroys the rising desires without respect, being unaware, indeed becomes like death and consumes; thus, the wise one destroys desires.
kāmānusārī puruṣaḥ kāmānanu vinaśyati। kāmānvyudasya dhunute yatkiñcitpuruṣo rajaḥ ॥5-42-10॥
A man who follows his desires perishes because of them. However, a man who abandons desires shakes off all passions.
tamo'prakāśo bhūtānāṃ narako'yaṃ pradṛśyate। gṛhyanta iva dhāvanti gacchantaḥ śvabhramunmukhāḥ ॥5-42-11॥
This darkness and non-illumination is perceived as hell for beings. They appear to be seized and run towards the abyss, facing upwards.
abhidhyā vai prathamaṃ hanti cainaṃ; kāmakrodhau gṛhya cainaṃ tu paścāt। ete bālānmṛtyave prāpayanti; dhīrāstu dhairyeṇa taranti mṛtyum ॥5-42-12॥
Desire is the first to destroy a person; desire and anger seize him later. These lead fools to their demise, but the wise overcome death with courage.
amanyamānaḥ kṣatriya kiñcidanya; nnādhīyate tārṇa ivāsya vyāghraḥ। krodhāllobhānmohamayāntarātmā; sa vai mṛtyustvaccharīre ya eṣaḥ ॥5-42-13॥
The one who does not consider himself a warrior and learns nothing else is like a tiger on grass. His inner self, filled with anger and greed, is indeed the death that resides in your body.
evaṁ mṛtyuṁ jāyamānaṁ viditvā; jñāne tiṣṭhanna bibhetīha mṛtyoḥ। vinaśyate viṣaye tasya mṛtyu; rmṛtyoryathā viṣayaṁ prāpya martyaḥ ॥5-42-14॥
Thus, understanding the nature of death and standing firm in knowledge, one does not fear death here. His death is nullified in the pursuit of the object, just as a mortal attains the object of death.
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
Dhritarashtra spoke:
ye'smindharmānnācarantīha ke ci; ttathā dharmānkecidihācaranti। dharmaḥ pāpena pratihanyate sma; utāho dharmaḥ pratihanti pāpam ॥5-42-15॥
In this world, there are those who do not follow their duties and some who do. Righteousness is indeed obstructed by sin, or perhaps, righteousness itself destroys sin.
sanatsujāta uvāca॥
Sanatsujata spoke:
ubhayameva tatropabhujyate phalaṁ; dharmasyaivetarasya ca। dharmeṇādharmaṁ praṇudatīha vidvā; ndharmo balīyāniti tasya viddhi ॥5-42-16॥
Both the fruits of righteousness and unrighteousness are indeed enjoyed there. Here, the wise dispels unrighteousness through righteousness; know that righteousness is stronger.
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
Dhritarashtra spoke:
yānīmānāhuḥ svasya dharmasya lokā; ndvijātīnāṃ puṇyakṛtāṃ sanātanān। teṣāṃ parikramānkathayantastato'nyā; nnaitadvidvannaiva kṛtaṃ ca karma ॥5-42-17॥
The worlds that are said to be the rewards of one's own duty, the eternal worlds of the twice-born and the virtuous, are described by their movements. From there, O learned one, others are not indeed done and action.
sanatsujāta uvāca॥
Sanatsujata spoke:
yeṣāṃ bale na vispardhā bale balavatāmiva। te brāhmaṇā itaḥ pretya svargaloke prakāśate ॥5-42-18॥
The brāhmaṇas, whose strength is unparalleled even among the strong, shine in the heavenly realm after leaving this world.
yatra manyeta bhūyiṣṭhaṃ prāvṛṣīva tṛṇolapam। annaṃ pānaṃ ca brāhmaṇastajjīvannānusañvaret ॥5-42-19॥
In a place where it seems there is plenty of food and drink, like grass flourishing in the rainy season, a Brahmin residing there should remain unworried.
yatrākathayamānasya prayacchatyaśivaṃ bhayam। atiriktaṃivākuruvaṃsa śreyānnetaro janaḥ ॥5-42-20॥
In a situation where silence brings about fear and inauspiciousness, acting excessively is considered better than remaining silent, as it is not the other person who is better.
yo vākathayamānasya ātmānaṃ nānusañjvaret। brahmasvaṃ nopabhuñjedvā tadannaṃ saṃmataṃ satām ॥5-42-21॥
One who speaks should remain undisturbed and should neither enjoy the wealth of Brahman nor the food approved by the virtuous.
yathā svaṃ vāntamaśnāti śvā vai nityamabhūtaye। evaṃ te vāntamaśnanti svavīryasyopajīvanāt ॥5-42-22॥
Just as a dog always eats its own vomit, leading to its destruction, in the same way, they consume what they have discarded by relying on their own strength.
nityam ajñātacaryā me iti manyeta brāhmaṇaḥ। jñātīnāṃ tu vasanmadhye naiva vidyeta kiñcana ॥5-42-23॥
A Brahmin should always consider his practices to be unknown. However, while living among relatives, nothing should be revealed.
ko hyevamantarátmānaṃ brāhmaṇo hantumarhati। tasmāddhi kiñcitkṣatriya brahmāvasati paśyati ॥5-42-24॥
Who indeed deserves to harm the inner self in such a way, especially a Brahmin? Therefore, a Kshatriya perceives something where Brahma resides.
aśrāntaḥ syādanādānātsaṃmato nirupadravaḥ। śiṣṭo na śiṣṭavatsa syādbrāhmaṇo brahmavitkaviḥ ॥5-42-25॥
A Brahmin should be untiring, not accepting gifts, approved by others, and free from disturbances. He should be learned, not just appearing to be learned, and should be a sage who knows Brahman.
anāḍhyā mānuṣe vitte āḍhyā vedeṣu ye dvijāḥ। te durdharṣā duṣprakampyā vidyāttān brahmaṇas tanum ॥5-42-26॥
Those who are not wealthy in terms of human possessions but are rich in the knowledge of the Vedas, those twice-born are invincible and unshakeable; they should be known as the embodiment of Brahman.
sarvānsviṣṭakṛto devānvidyādya iha kaścana। na samāno brāhmaṇasya yasminprayatate svayam ॥5-42-27॥
One should recognize that all the gods are satisfied by the one who performs the sacrifice here; there is no one comparable to a Brahmin who makes efforts on his own.
yamaprayatamānaṃ tu mānayanti sa mānitaḥ। na mānyamāno manyeta nāmānādabhisañjvaret ॥5-42-28॥
A person who is making an effort is honored by others, but if he is not honored, he should not feel slighted or become agitated by the lack of respect.
vidvāṃso mānayantīha iti manyeta mānitaḥ। adharmaviduṣo mūḍhā lokaśāstraviśāradāḥ ॥ na mānyaṃ mānayiṣyanti iti manyedamānitaḥ ॥5-42-29॥
The learned ones here should think themselves respected, as the ignorant of righteousness, fools, and experts in worldly knowledge do not respect the respectable, thus they should consider themselves disrespected.
na vai mānaṃ ca maunaṃ ca sahitau carataḥ sadā। ayaṃ hi loko mānasya asau mānasya tadviduḥ ॥5-42-30॥
Pride and silence do not always coexist. This world indeed knows the nature of pride.
śrīḥ sukhasyeha saṁvāsaḥ sā cāpi paripanthinī। brāhmī sudurlabhā śrīrhi prajñāhīnena kṣatriya ॥5-42-31॥
Prosperity, which is the abode of happiness here, can also be an obstacle. Divine prosperity is indeed very rare for a warrior lacking wisdom.
dvārāṇi tasyā hi vadanti santo; bahuprakārāṇi durāvarāṇi। satyārjave hrīrdamaśaucavidyāḥ; ṣaṇmānamohapratibādhanāni ॥5-42-32॥
The wise say that the paths to her are manifold and challenging to traverse, consisting of truth, straightforwardness, modesty, self-control, purity, and knowledge, which obstruct pride and delusion.
