11.003
Pancharatra and Core: Vidura's advice on the temporary nature of life.
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच॥
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
[धृतराष्ट्र (dhṛtarāṣṭra) - Dhritarashtra; उवाच (uvāca) - said;]
(Dhritarashtra said:)
Dhritarashtra said:
सुभाषितैर्महाप्राज्ञ शोकोऽयं विगतो मम। भुय एव तु वाक्यानि श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः ॥११-३-१॥
subhāṣitair mahāprājña śoko'yaṃ vigato mama। bhuya eva tu vākyāni śrotum icchāmi tattvataḥ ॥11-3-1॥
[सुभाषितैः (subhāṣitaiḥ) - by wise sayings; महाप्राज्ञ (mahāprājña) - O greatly wise one; शोकः (śokaḥ) - grief; अयम् (ayam) - this; विगतः (vigataḥ) - has departed; मम (mama) - from me; भुयः (bhuyaḥ) - again; एव (eva) - indeed; तु (tu) - but; वाक्यानि (vākyāni) - words; श्रोतुम् (śrotum) - to hear; इच्छामि (icchāmi) - I wish; तत्त्वतः (tattvataḥ) - truly;]
(O greatly wise one, by wise sayings this grief has departed from me. But indeed, I wish to hear words again truly.)
O greatly wise one, your wise words have dispelled my grief. Yet, I wish to hear more words of truth from you.
अनिष्टानां च संसर्गादिष्टानां च विवर्जनात्। कथं हि मानसैर्दुःखैः प्रमुच्यन्तेऽत्र पण्डिताः ॥११-३-२॥
aniṣṭānāṃ ca saṃsargādiṣṭānāṃ ca vivarjanāt| kathaṃ hi mānasairduḥkhaiḥ pramucyante'tra paṇḍitāḥ ॥11-3-2॥
[अनिष्टानाम् (aniṣṭānām) - of undesired things; च (ca) - and; संसर्गात् (saṃsargāt) - from association; इष्टानाम् (iṣṭānām) - of desired things; च (ca) - and; विवर्जनात् (vivarjanāt) - from avoidance; कथम् (katham) - how; हि (hi) - indeed; मानसैः (mānasaiḥ) - by mental; दुःखैः (duḥkhaiḥ) - sufferings; प्रमुच्यन्ते (pramucyante) - are freed; अत्र (atra) - here; पण्डिताः (paṇḍitāḥ) - the wise;]
(By association with undesired things and by avoidance of desired things, how indeed are the wise here freed from mental sufferings?)
How are the wise freed from mental sufferings here, when they are associated with undesired things and deprived of desired things?
विदुर उवाच॥
vidura uvāca॥
[विदुर (vidura) - Vidura; उवाच (uvāca) - said;]
(Vidura said:)
Vidura said:
यतो यतो मनो दुःखात्सुखाद्वापि प्रमुच्यते। ततस्ततः शमं लब्ध्वा सुगतिं विन्दते बुधः ॥११-३-३॥
yato yato mano duḥkhātsukhādvāpi pramucyate। tatastataḥ śamaṃ labdhvā sugatiṃ vindate budhaḥ ॥11-3-3॥
[यतः (yataḥ) - from wherever; यतः (yataḥ) - from wherever; मन् (manas) - mind; दुःखात् (duḥkhāt) - from sorrow; सुखात् (sukhāt) - from happiness; वा (vā) - or; अपि (api) - even; प्रमुञ्च्यते (pramucyate) - is released; ततः (tataḥ) - then; ततः (tataḥ) - then; शमम् (śamam) - tranquility; लब्ध्वा (labdhvā) - having attained; सुगतिम् (sugatīm) - good state; विन्दते (vindate) - finds; बुधः (budhaḥ) - the wise one;]
(From wherever, from wherever the mind is released from sorrow or even from happiness, then, having attained tranquility, the wise one finds a good state.)
Wherever the mind is freed from sorrow or even happiness, the wise person, having attained tranquility, finds a good path.
अशाश्वतमिदं सर्वं चिन्त्यमानं नरर्षभ। कदलीसंनिभो लोकः सारो ह्यस्य न विद्यते ॥११-३-४॥
aśāśvatam idaṃ sarvaṃ cintyamānaṃ nararṣabha। kadalīsaṃnibho lokaḥ sāro hy asya na vidyate ॥11-3-4॥
[अशाश्वतम् (aśāśvatam) - impermanent; इदं (idaṃ) - this; सर्वम् (sarvam) - all; चिन्त्यमानम् (cintyamānam) - being considered; नरर्षभ (nararṣabha) - O best of men; कदलीसंनिभः (kadalīsaṃnibhaḥ) - like a plantain tree; लोकः (lokaḥ) - the world; सारः (sāraḥ) - essence; हि (hi) - indeed; अस्य (asya) - of this; न (na) - not; विद्यते (vidyate) - exists;]
(Impermanent is this entire (world), being considered, O best of men. Like a plantain tree is the world; indeed, the essence of this does not exist.)
O best of men, this entire world is impermanent. When considered, the world is like a plantain tree; it truly has no real essence.
गृहाण्येव हि मर्त्यानामाहुर्देहानि पण्डिताः। कालेन विनियुज्यन्ते सत्त्वमेकं तु शोभनम् ॥११-३-५॥
gṛhāṇyeva hi martyānām āhur dehāni paṇḍitāḥ। kālena viniyujyante sattvam ekaṃ tu śobhanam ॥11-3-5॥
[गृहाणि (gṛhāṇi) - bodies; एव (eva) - indeed; हि (hi) - for; मर्त्यानाम् (martyānām) - of mortals; आहुः (āhuḥ) - say; देहानि (dehāni) - bodies; पण्डिताः (paṇḍitāḥ) - the wise; कालेन (kālena) - by time; विनियुज्यन्ते (viniyujyante) - are separated; सत्त्वम् (sattvam) - the essence; एकम् (ekam) - one; तु (tu) - but; शोभनम् (śobhanam) - auspicious;]
(The wise indeed say that the bodies of mortals are like houses; by time, they are separated, but the one auspicious essence remains.)
The wise say that the bodies of mortals are like houses; over time, they perish, but the one auspicious essence remains.
यथा जीर्णमजीर्णं वा वस्त्रं त्यक्त्वा तु वै नरः। अन्यद्रोचयते वस्त्रमेवं देहाः शरीरिणाम् ॥११-३-६॥
yathā jīrṇam-ajīrṇaṃ vā vastraṃ tyaktvā tu vai naraḥ। anyad rocayate vastram evaṃ dehāḥ śarīriṇām ॥11-3-6॥
[यथा (yathā) - just as; जीर्णम् (jīrṇam) - worn out; अजीर्णम् (ajīrṇam) - not worn out; वा (vā) - or; वस्त्रम् (vastram) - garment; त्यक्त्वा (tyaktvā) - having discarded; तु (tu) - but; वै (vai) - indeed; नरः (naraḥ) - a man; अन्यत् (anyat) - another; रोचयते (rocayate) - chooses; वस्त्रम् (vastram) - garment; एवम् (evam) - so; देहाः (dehāḥ) - bodies; शरीरिणाम् (śarīriṇām) - of the embodied beings;]
(Just as, having discarded a worn out or not worn out garment, a man indeed chooses another garment, so bodies (are discarded) by the embodied beings.)
Just as a person discards worn out or even unworn clothes and puts on others, so too the embodied soul discards old bodies and takes on new ones.
वैचित्रवीर्य वासं हि दुःखं वा यदि वा सुखम्। प्राप्नुवन्तीह भूतानि स्वकृतेनैव कर्मणा ॥११-३-७॥
vaicitravīrya vāsaṃ hi duḥkhaṃ vā yadi vā sukham। prāpnuvantīha bhūtāni svakṛtenaiva karmaṇā ॥11-3-7॥
[वैचित्रवीर्य (vaicitravīrya) - of Vicitravīrya; वासं (vāsaṃ) - residence; हि (hi) - indeed; दुःखं (duḥkhaṃ) - suffering; वा (vā) - or; यदि (yadi) - if; वा (vā) - or; सुखम् (sukham) - happiness; प्राप्नुवन्ति (prāpnuvanti) - attain; इह (iha) - here; भूतानि (bhūtāni) - beings; स्वकृतेन (svakṛtena) - by one's own actions; एव (eva) - indeed; कर्मणा (karmaṇā) - by karma;]
(Indeed, the residence of Vicitravīrya, whether suffering or happiness, beings here attain only by their own actions, by karma.)
Beings here, including Vicitravīrya, experience either suffering or happiness in their lives solely as a result of their own actions, by their own karma.
कर्मणा प्राप्यते स्वर्गं सुखं दुःखं च भारत। ततो वहति तं भारमवशः स्ववशोऽपि वा ॥११-३-८॥
karmaṇā prāpyate svargaṃ sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ ca bhārata। tato vahati taṃ bhāram avaśaḥ svavaśo'pi vā ॥11-3-8॥
[कर्मणा (karmaṇā) - by action; प्राप्यते (prāpyate) - is attained; स्वर्गं (svargaṃ) - heaven; सुखं (sukhaṃ) - happiness; दुःखं (duḥkhaṃ) - sorrow; च (ca) - and; भारत (bhārata) - O Bhārata; ततः (tataḥ) - then; वहति (vahati) - bears; तं (taṃ) - that; भारम् (bhāram) - burden; अवशः (avaśaḥ) - helpless; स्ववशः (svavaśaḥ) - self-controlled; अपि (api) - even; वा (vā) - or;]
(By action is attained heaven, happiness, and sorrow, O Bhārata. Then, one bears that burden, whether helpless or even self-controlled.)
O Bhārata, it is through actions that one attains heaven, happiness, and sorrow. Thereafter, one must bear that burden, whether helplessly or even with self-control.
यथा च मृन्मयं भाण्डं चक्रारूढं विपद्यते। किञ्चित्प्रक्रियमाणं वा कृतमात्रमथापि वा ॥११-३-९॥
yathā ca mṛnmayaṃ bhāṇḍaṃ cakrārūḍhaṃ vipadyate। kiñcitprakriyamāṇaṃ vā kṛtamātramathāpi vā ॥11-3-9॥
[यथा (yathā) - just as; च (ca) - and; मृन्मयम् (mṛnmayam) - made of clay; भाण्डम् (bhāṇḍam) - pot; चक्रारूढम् (cakrārūḍham) - mounted on the wheel; विपद्यते (vipadyate) - gets destroyed; किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - somewhat; प्रक्रियमाणम् (prakriyamāṇam) - being formed; वा (vā) - or; कृतमात्रम् (kṛtamātram) - just made; अथ (atha) - or; अपि (api) - even; वा (vā) - or;]
(Just as a clay pot mounted on the wheel gets destroyed, whether it is being formed, or just made, or even otherwise.)
Just as a clay pot on the wheel may break, whether it is still being shaped, has just been made, or even otherwise.
छिन्नं वाप्यवरोप्यन्तमवतीर्णमथापि वा। आर्द्रं वाप्यथ वा शुष्कं पच्यमानमथापि वा ॥११-३-१०॥
chinnaṃ vāpyavaropyantam avatīrṇam athāpi vā। ārdraṃ vāpyatha vā śuṣkaṃ pacyamānam athāpi vā ॥11-3-10॥
[छिन्नम् (chinnam) - cut; वा (vā) - or; अपि (api) - even; अवरोप्यन्तम् (avaropyantam) - uprooted; अवतीर्णम् (avatīrṇam) - fallen; अथ (atha) - or; अपि (api) - even; वा (vā) - or; आर्द्रम् (ārdram) - wet; वा (vā) - or; अपि (api) - even; अथ (atha) - or; वा (vā) - or; शुष्कम् (śuṣkam) - dry; पच्यमानम् (pacyamānam) - being cooked; अथ (atha) - or; अपि (api) - even; वा (vā) - or;]
(Cut or even uprooted, fallen or even, or wet or even, or dry, being cooked or even, or.)
Whether it is cut, uprooted, fallen, wet, dry, or being cooked, in any of these conditions.
अवतार्यमाणमापाकादुद्धृतं वापि भारत। अथ वा परिभुज्यन्तमेवं देहाः शरीरिणाम् ॥११-३-११॥
avatāryamāṇam āpākād uddhṛtaṃ vā api bhārata। atha vā paribhujyantam evaṃ dehāḥ śarīriṇām ॥11-3-11॥
[अवतार्यमाणम् (avatāryamāṇam) - being immersed; आपाकात् (āpākāt) - from water; उद्धृतम् (uddhṛtam) - lifted out; वा (vā) - or; अपि (api) - also; भारत (bhārata) - O Bhārata; अथ (atha) - or; वा (vā) - or; परिभुज्यन्तम् (paribhujyantam) - being consumed; एवम् (evam) - thus; देहाः (dehāḥ) - bodies; शरीरिणाम् (śarīriṇām) - of embodied beings;]
(The body being immersed in water and lifted out, or also, O Bhārata, or being thus consumed, the bodies of embodied beings.)
O Bhārata, the bodies of embodied beings are either immersed in water and lifted out, or are thus consumed.
गर्भस्थो वा प्रसूतो वाप्यथ वा दिवसान्तरः। अर्धमासगतो वापि मासमात्रगतोऽपि वा ॥११-३-१२॥
garbhastho vā prasūto vāpyatha vā divasāntaraḥ। ardhamāsagato vāpi māsamātragato'pi vā ॥11-3-12॥
[गर्भस्थः (garbhasthaḥ) - in the womb; वा (vā) - or; प्रसूतः (prasūtaḥ) - born; वा (vā) - or; अपि (api) - also; अथ (atha) - or; वा (vā) - or; दिवसान्तरः (divasāntaraḥ) - of another day; अर्धमासगतः (ardhamāsagataḥ) - having reached half a month; वा (vā) - or; अपि (api) - also; मासमात्रगतः (māsamātragataḥ) - having reached only a month; अपि (api) - also; वा (vā) - or;]
(Whether in the womb or born, or also of another day, or having reached half a month, or also having reached only a month, or.)
Whether one is in the womb, just born, a few days old, half a month old, or only a month old, or any of these.
संवत्सरगतो वापि द्विसंवत्सर एव वा। यौवनस्थोऽपि मध्यस्थो वृद्धो वापि विपद्यते ॥११-३-१३॥
saṃvatsaragato vāpi dvisaṃvatsara eva vā। yauvanastho'pi madhyastho vṛddho vāpi vipadyate ॥11-3-13॥
[संवत्सरगतः (saṃvatsaragataḥ) - one who has passed a year; वा (vā) - or; अपि (api) - even; द्विसंवत्सरः (dvisaṃvatsaraḥ) - one who has passed two years; एव (eva) - indeed; वा (vā) - or; यौवनस्थः (yauvanasthaḥ) - one who is in youth; अपि (api) - even; मध्यस्थः (madhyasthaḥ) - one who is in middle age; वृद्धः (vṛddhaḥ) - an old person; वा (vā) - or; अपि (api) - even; विपद्यते (vipadyate) - dies;]
(One who has passed a year or even two years, or one who is in youth, even in middle age, or an old person, even (any of them) dies.)
Whether one has lived a year, or two years, or is in youth, middle age, or old age, anyone may die.
प्राक्कर्मभिस्तु भूतानि भवन्ति न भवन्ति च। एवं सांसिद्धिके लोके किमर्थमनुतप्यसे ॥११-३-१४॥
prākkarmabhistu bhūtāni bhavanti na bhavanti ca। evaṃ sāṃsiddhike loke kimarthamanutapyase ॥11-3-14॥
[प्राक् (prāk) - previously; कर्मभिः (karmabhiḥ) - by actions; तु (tu) - but; भूतानि (bhūtāni) - beings; भवन्ति (bhavanti) - are; न (na) - not; भवन्ति (bhavanti) - are; च (ca) - and; एवं (evaṃ) - thus; सांसिद्धिके (sāṃsiddhike) - in the world of accomplishment; लोके (loke) - in the world; किमर्थम् (kimartham) - for what reason; अनुतप्यसे (anutapyase) - do you grieve;]
(But by previous actions, beings are and are not. Thus, in the world of accomplishment, for what reason do you grieve?)
Beings come into existence or not due to their previous actions. So, in this world of accomplishment, why do you grieve?
यथा च सलिले राजन्क्रीडार्थमनुसञ्चरन्। उन्मज्जेच्च निमज्जेच्च किञ्चित्सत्त्वं नराधिप ॥११-३-१५॥
yathā ca salile rājan krīḍārtham anusañcaran। unmajjec ca nimajjec ca kiñcit sattvaṃ narādhipa ॥11-3-15॥
[यथा (yathā) - just as; च (ca) - and; सलिले (salile) - in water; राजन् (rājan) - O king; क्रीडार्थम् (krīḍārtham) - for the sake of play; अनुसञ्चरन् (anusañcaran) - moving about; उन्मज्जेत् (unmajjec) - would emerge; च (ca) - and; निमज्जेत् (nimajjec) - would submerge; च (ca) - and; किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - a little; सत्त्वम् (sattvam) - being; नराधिप (narādhipa) - O ruler of men;]
(Just as, O king, moving about in water for the sake of play, one would emerge and submerge, a little being, O ruler of men.)
O king, just as a creature playing in water sometimes rises up and sometimes sinks down, so too is the nature of beings, O ruler of men.
एवं संसारगहनादुन्मज्जननिमज्जनात्। कर्मभोगेन बध्यन्तः क्लिश्यन्ते येऽल्पबुद्धयः ॥११-३-१६॥
evaṃ saṃsāragahanād-unmajjana-nimajjanāt। karma-bhogena badhyantaḥ kliśyante ye-'lpa-buddhayaḥ ॥11-3-16॥
[एवं (evaṃ) - thus; संसारगहनात् (saṃsāragahanāt) - from the deep ocean of worldly existence; उन्मज्जन (unmajjana) - emerging; निमज्जनात् (nimajjanāt) - and submerging; कर्मभोगेन (karma-bhogena) - by the enjoyment of actions; बध्यन्तः (badhyantaḥ) - being bound; क्लिश्यन्ते (kliśyante) - are tormented; ये (ye) - those who; अल्पबुद्धयः (alpa-buddhayaḥ) - of little intelligence;]
(Thus, from the deep ocean of worldly existence, by emerging and submerging, being bound by the enjoyment of actions, those who are of little intelligence are tormented.)
Thus, those of little intelligence, bound by the enjoyment of actions, are tormented as they repeatedly emerge and submerge in the deep ocean of worldly existence.
ये तु प्राज्ञाः स्थिताः सत्ये संसारान्तगवेषिणः। समागमज्ञा भूतानां ते यान्ति परमां गतिम् ॥११-३-१७॥
ye tu prājñāḥ sthitāḥ satye saṃsārāntagaveṣiṇaḥ। samāgamajñā bhūtānāṃ te yānti paramāṃ gatim ॥11-3-17॥
[ये (ye) - those who; तु (tu) - but; प्राज्ञाः (prājñāḥ) - wise; स्थिताः (sthitāḥ) - established; सत्ये (satye) - in truth; संसार-अन्त-गवेषिणः (saṃsāra-anta-gaveṣiṇaḥ) - seekers of the end of worldly existence; समागमज्ञाः (samāgamajñāḥ) - knowers of the union; भूतानां (bhūtānāṃ) - of beings; ते (te) - they; यान्ति (yānti) - go; परमां (paramāṃ) - supreme; गतिम् (gatim) - state;]
(But those wise ones who are established in truth, seekers of the end of worldly existence, knowers of the union of beings, they go to the supreme state.)
But those who are wise, established in truth, seeking the end of worldly existence, and who understand the union of all beings, they attain the highest state.
