11.002
Pancharatra and Core: Vidura's advice to Dhritarashtra on life, karma, and the need for valour.
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
ततोऽमृतसमैर्वाक्यैर्ह्लादयन्पुरुषर्षभम्। वैचित्रवीर्यं विदुरो यदुवाच निबोध तत् ॥११-२-१॥
Then Vidura, delighting the best of men, Vaichitravirya, with words sweet as nectar, spoke as follows. Listen carefully.
विदुर उवाच॥
Vidura said:
उत्तिष्ठ राजन्किं शेषे धारयात्मानमात्मना। स्थिरजङ्गममर्त्यानां सर्वेषामेष निर्णयः ॥११-२-२॥
Rise, O king! Why do you still lie down? Support yourself by your own strength. This is the fate for all beings, whether stationary, moving, or immortal.
सर्वे क्षयान्ता निचयाः पतनान्ताः समुच्छ्रयाः। संयोगा विप्रयोगान्ता मरणान्तं हि जीवितम् ॥११-२-३॥
All gatherings eventually decay; all ascents ultimately fall. Every union ends in separation, and life itself inevitably ends in death.
यदा शूरं च भीरुं च यमः कर्षति भारत। तत्किं न योत्स्यन्ति हि ते क्षत्रियाः क्षत्रियर्षभ ॥११-२-४॥
O Bhārata, when Yama, the god of death, takes away both the brave and the coward alike, what reason is there for those warriors not to fight, O bull among warriors?
अयुध्यमानो म्रियते युध्यमानश्च जीवति। कालं प्राप्य महाराज न कश्चिदतिवर्तते ॥११-२-५॥
O great king, whether one fights or not, death comes at the destined time; no one can surpass fate.
न चाप्येतान्हतान्युद्धे राजञ्शोचितुमर्हसि। प्रमाणं यदि शास्त्राणि गतास्ते परमां गतिम् ॥११-२-६॥
O king, you should not grieve for these who have been slain in battle. If the scriptures are to be taken as authority, they have attained the highest state.
सर्वे स्वाध्यायवन्तो हि सर्वे च चरितव्रताः। सर्वे चाभिमुखाः क्षीणास्तत्र का परिदेवना ॥११-२-७॥
All of them were devoted to self-study, all had practiced vows, and all faced death; so what is the use of lamentation there?
अदर्शनादापतिताः पुनश्चादर्शनं गताः। न ते तव न तेषां त्वं तत्र का परिदेवना ॥११-२-८॥
They came from the unknown and have again gone to the unknown; they are not yours, nor are you theirs—so what is the use of lamenting there?
हतोऽपि लभते स्वर्गं हत्वा च लभते यशः। उभयं नो बहुगुणं नास्ति निष्फलता रणे ॥११-२-९॥
If killed, one attains heaven; if victorious, one gains fame. In either case, both outcomes are highly beneficial for us—there is no futility in battle.
तेषां कामदुघाँल्लोकानिन्द्रः सङ्कल्पयिष्यति। इन्द्रस्यातिथयो ह्येते भवन्ति पुरुषर्षभ ॥११-२-१०॥
Indra will create wish-fulfilling worlds for them. O best of men, these are indeed the guests of Indra.
न यज्ञैर्दक्षिणावद्भिर्न तपोभिर्न विद्यया। स्वर्गं यान्ति तथा मर्त्या यथा शूरा रणे हताः ॥११-२-११॥
Mortals do not reach heaven by sacrifices with gifts, by austerities, or by knowledge, as surely as heroes slain in battle do.
मातापितृसहस्राणि पुत्रदारशतानि च। संसारेष्वनुभूतानि कस्य ते कस्य वा वयम् ॥११-२-१२॥
In countless lifetimes, we have had thousands of mothers and fathers, and hundreds of sons and wives; to whom do they belong to you, or to whom do we belong?
शोकस्थानसहस्राणि भयस्थानशतानि च। दिवसे दिवसे मूढमाविशन्ति न पण्डितम् ॥११-२-१३॥
Every day, thousands of causes for sorrow and hundreds of causes for fear affect the foolish, but not the wise.
न कालस्य प्रियः कश्चिन्न द्वेष्यः कुरुसत्तम। न मध्यस्थः क्वचित्कालः सर्वं कालः प्रकर्षति ॥११-२-१४॥
O best of the Kurus, time has no one who is dear to it, nor anyone it hates. Time is never neutral; it drives all things forward.
अनित्यं जीवितं रूपं यौवनं द्रव्यसञ्चयः। आरोग्यं प्रियसंवासो गृध्येदेषु न पण्डितः ॥११-२-१५॥
Life, beauty, youth, wealth, health, and pleasant company are all impermanent; a wise person does not become attached to these.
न जानपदिकं दुःखमेकः शोचितुमर्हसि। अप्यभावेन युज्येत तच्चास्य न निवर्तते ॥११-२-१६॥
You should not grieve alone for the suffering of the people. Even if it is due to loss, that suffering does not return to him.
अशोचन्प्रतिकुर्वीत यदि पश्येत्पराक्रमम्। भैषज्यमेतद्दुःखस्य यदेतन्नानुचिन्तयेत् ॥ चिन्त्यमानं हि न व्येति भूयश्चापि विवर्धते ॥११-२-१७॥
If one sees the opportunity for valor, he should act without grieving. This is the remedy for sorrow: not to brood over it. For sorrow, when brooded upon, does not go away; instead, it only grows.
अनिष्टसम्प्रयोगाच्च विप्रयोगात्प्रियस्य च। मनुष्या मानसैर्दुःखैर्युज्यन्ते येऽल्पबुद्धयः ॥११-२-१८॥
Humans of little understanding are afflicted with mental sufferings due to association with the undesirable and separation from the beloved.
नार्थो न धर्मो न सुखं यदेतदनुशोचसि। न च नापैति कार्यार्थात्त्रिवर्गाच्चैव भ्रश्यते ॥११-२-१९॥
What you are grieving for is neither purpose, nor righteousness, nor happiness. It does not depart from the purpose, nor is it lost from the three aims of life.
अन्यामन्यां धनावस्थां प्राप्य वैशेषिकीं नराः। असन्तुष्टाः प्रमुह्यन्ति सन्तोषं यान्ति पण्डिताः ॥११-२-२०॥
Men, when they reach different states of wealth, become confused if they are not content; but the wise attain contentment.
प्रज्ञया मानसं दुःखं हन्याच्छारीरमौषधैः। एतज्ज्ञानस्य सामर्थ्यं न बालैः समतामियात् ॥११-२-२१॥
Mental suffering should be destroyed by wisdom, and bodily suffering by medicines. This is the power of knowledge; equality cannot be attained by the ignorant.
शयानं चानुशयति तिष्ठन्तं चानुतिष्ठति। अनुधावति धावन्तं कर्म पूर्वकृतं नरम् ॥११-२-२२॥
The actions performed in the past follow a man whether he is sleeping, standing, or running; they never leave him.
यस्यां यस्यामवस्थायां यत्करोति शुभाशुभम्। तस्यां तस्यामवस्थायां तत्तत्फलमुपाश्नुते ॥११-२-२३॥
Whatever actions, good or bad, a person performs in any given state, he experiences the corresponding results in that very state.
