11.004
Pancharatra and Core: Vidura advises: In this impermanent world, whoever practices righteousness from birth and lives accordingly may attain the highest state.
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच॥
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
[धृतराष्ट्र (dhṛtarāṣṭra) - Dhritarashtra; उवाच (uvāca) - said;]
(Dhritarashtra said:)
Dhritarashtra said:
कथं संसारगहनं विज्ञेयं वदतां वर। एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं तत्त्वमाख्याहि पृच्छतः ॥११-४-१॥
kathaṁ saṁsāragahanaṁ vijñeyaṁ vadatāṁ vara। etadicchāmyahaṁ śrotuṁ tattvamākhyāhi pṛcchataḥ ॥11-4-1॥
[कथं (kathaṁ) - how; संसारगहनं (saṁsāragahanaṁ) - the depth of worldly existence; विज्ञेयं (vijñeyaṁ) - should be understood; वदतां (vadatāṁ) - of those who speak; वर (vara) - O best; एतत् (etat) - this; इच्छामि (icchāmi) - I wish; अहम् (aham) - I; श्रोतुम् (śrotum) - to hear; तत्त्वम् (tattvam) - the truth; आख्याहि (ākhyāhi) - please tell; पृच्छतः (pṛcchataḥ) - of the one who is asking;]
(How should the depth of worldly existence be understood, O best of those who speak? I wish to hear this truth; please tell it to the one who is asking.)
O best of speakers, how can one understand the depth of worldly existence? I wish to hear this truth; please explain it to me who is asking.
विदुर उवाच॥
vidura uvāca॥
[विदुर (vidura) - Vidura; उवाच (uvāca) - said;]
(Vidura said:)
Vidura said:
जन्मप्रभृति भूतानां क्रियाः सर्वाः शृणु प्रभो। पूर्वमेवेह कलले वसते किञ्चिदन्तरम् ॥११-४-२॥
janmaprabhṛti bhūtānāṃ kriyāḥ sarvāḥ śṛṇu prabho। pūrvameveha kalale vasate kiñcidantaram ॥11-4-2॥
[जन्मप्रभृति (janma-prabhṛti) - from birth onwards; भूतानां (bhūtānām) - of beings; क्रियाः (kriyāḥ) - activities; सर्वाः (sarvāḥ) - all; शृणु (śṛṇu) - hear; प्रभो (prabho) - O lord; पूर्वम् (pūrvam) - before; एव (eva) - indeed; इह (iha) - here; कलले (kalale) - in the embryo; वसते (vasate) - dwells; किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - for a little while; अन्तरम् (antaram) - interval;]
(From birth onwards, hear all the activities of beings, O lord. Before this, here in the embryo, it dwells for a little while in an interval.)
O lord, listen: from birth onwards, all beings perform actions. But before that, here in the womb, the soul dwells in the embryo for a short interval.
ततः स पञ्चमेऽतीते मासे मांसं प्रकल्पयेत्। ततः सर्वाङ्गसम्पूर्णो गर्भो मासे प्रजायते ॥११-४-३॥
tataḥ sa pañcame'tīte māse māṁsaṁ prakalpayet। tataḥ sarvāṅgasampūrṇo garbho māse prajāyate ॥11-4-3॥
[ततः (tataḥ) - then; स (sa) - he; पञ्चमे (pañcame) - in the fifth; अतीते (atīte) - having passed; मासे (māse) - month; मांसं (māṁsaṁ) - flesh; प्रकल्पयेत् (prakalpayet) - should be formed; ततः (tataḥ) - then; सर्वाङ्गसम्पूर्णः (sarvāṅgasampūrṇaḥ) - with all limbs complete; गर्भः (garbhaḥ) - the embryo; मासे (māse) - in the month; प्रजायते (prajāyate) - is born (developed);]
(Then, after the fifth month has passed, flesh should be formed. Then, the embryo with all limbs complete is developed in the month.)
Then, after the fifth month has passed, flesh is formed. Thereafter, in that month, the embryo becomes complete with all its limbs.
अमेध्यमध्ये वसति मांसशोणितलेपने। ततस्तु वायुवेगेन ऊर्ध्वपादो ह्यधःशिराः ॥११-४-४॥
amedhyamadhye vasati māṃsaśoṇitalepane. tatastu vāyuvegena ūrdhvapādo hyadhaḥśirāḥ ॥11-4-4॥
[अमेध्य (amedhya) - in impurity; मध्ये (madhye) - in the midst; वसति (vasati) - dwells; मांस (māṃsa) - flesh; शोणित (śoṇita) - blood; लेपने (lepane) - smeared; ततः (tataḥ) - then; तु (tu) - but; वायु (vāyu) - wind; वेगेन (vegena) - by the force; ऊर्ध्व (ūrdhva) - upward; पादः (pādaḥ) - feet; हि (hi) - indeed; अधः (adhaḥ) - downward; शिराः (śirāḥ) - head;]
(Dwells in the midst of impurity, smeared with flesh and blood. Then, by the force of wind, with feet upward and head downward, indeed.)
He dwells in the midst of impurity, smeared with flesh and blood. Then, by the force of the wind, he is turned upside down, with his feet upward and his head downward.
योनिद्वारमुपागम्य बहून्क्लेशान्समृच्छति। योनिसम्पीडनाच्चैव पूर्वकर्मभिरन्वितः ॥११-४-५॥
yonidvāram upāgamya bahūn kleśān samṛcchati। yonisampīḍanāc caiva pūrvakarmabhir anvitaḥ ॥11-4-5॥
[योनिद्वारम् (yonidvāram) - the birth passage; उपागम्य (upāgamya) - having approached; बहून् (bahūn) - many; क्लेशान् (kleśān) - afflictions; समृच्छति (samṛcchati) - attains; योनिसम्पीडनात् (yonisampīḍanāt) - from the compression of the birth passage; च (ca) - and; एव (eva) - indeed; पूर्वकर्मभिः (pūrvakarmabhiḥ) - by previous actions; अन्वितः (anvitaḥ) - endowed;]
(Having approached the birth passage, he attains many afflictions. And indeed, from the compression of the birth passage, he is endowed with previous actions.)
Upon entering the birth passage, one experiences many sufferings. Due to the compression of the birth passage and as a result of previous actions, one is thus endowed.
तस्मान्मुक्तः स संसारादन्यान्पश्यत्युपद्रवान्। ग्रहास्तमुपसर्पन्ति सारमेया इवामिषम् ॥११-४-६॥
tasmān muktaḥ saṃ saṃsārād anyān paśyati upadravān। grahāḥ tam upasarpanti sārameyāḥ iva āmiṣam ॥11-4-6॥
[तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore; मुक्तः (muktaḥ) - liberated; सः (saḥ) - he; संसारात् (saṃsārāt) - from the world; अन्यान् (anyān) - other; पश्यति (paśyati) - sees; उपद्रवान् (upadravān) - troubles; ग्रहाः (grahāḥ) - planets (or afflictions); तम् (tam) - him; उपसर्पन्ति (upasarpanti) - approach; सारमेयाः (sārameyāḥ) - dogs; इव (iva) - like; आमिषम् (āmiṣam) - meat;]
(Therefore, liberated from the world, he sees other troubles. The planets (or afflictions) approach him like dogs (approach) meat.)
Therefore, being liberated from worldly existence, he perceives other troubles. The planets (or afflictions) approach him just as dogs are drawn to meat.
ततः प्राप्तोत्तरे काले व्याधयश्चापि तं तथा। उपसर्पन्ति जीवन्तं बध्यमानं स्वकर्मभिः ॥११-४-७॥
tataḥ prāptottare kāle vyādhayaś cāpi taṃ tathā। upasarpanti jīvantaṃ badhyamānaṃ svakarmabhiḥ ॥11-4-7॥
[ततः (tataḥ) - then; प्राप्त-उत्तरे (prāpta-uttare) - having arrived at the later; काले (kāle) - time; व्याधयः (vyādhayaḥ) - diseases; च (ca) - and; अपि (api) - also; तं (taṃ) - him; तथा (tathā) - in that way; उपसर्पन्ति (upasarpanti) - approach; जीवन्तं (jīvantaṃ) - living; बध्यमानं (badhyamānaṃ) - being afflicted; स्वकर्मभिः (svakarmabhiḥ) - by his own actions;]
(Then, when the later time arrives, diseases also approach him in that way, the living one being afflicted by his own actions.)
Then, as time passes, various diseases also come upon him, and while still alive, he is afflicted as a result of his own actions.
बद्धमिन्द्रियपाशैस्तं सङ्गस्वादुभिरातुरम्। व्यसनान्युपवर्तन्ते विविधानि नराधिप ॥ बध्यमानश्च तैर्भूयो नैव तृप्तिमुपैति सः ॥११-४-८॥
baddham-indriya-pāśais-taṃ saṅga-svādu-bhir-āturam। vyasanāny-upavartante vividhāni narādhipa ॥ badhyamānaś-ca tair-bhūyo naiva tṛptim-upaiti saḥ ॥11-4-8॥
[बद्धम् (baddham) - bound; इन्द्रिय (indriya) - senses; पाशैः (pāśaiḥ) - by the bonds; तं (tam) - him; सङ्ग (saṅga) - association; स्वादुभिः (svādu-bhiḥ) - by the pleasures; आतुरम् (āturam) - afflicted; व्यसनानि (vyasanāni) - calamities; उपवर्तन्ते (upavartante) - befall; विविधानि (vividhāni) - various; नराधिप (narādhipa) - O king; बध्यमानः (badhyamānaḥ) - being bound; च (ca) - and; तैः (taiḥ) - by them; भूयः (bhūyaḥ) - again; नैव (naiva) - not at all; तृप्तिम् (tṛptim) - satisfaction; उपैति (upaiti) - attains; सः (saḥ) - he;]
(O king, him who is bound by the bonds of the senses, afflicted by the pleasures of association, various calamities befall. And being bound by them again, he does not at all attain satisfaction.)
O king, a person bound by the cords of the senses and afflicted by the pleasures of attachment is beset by various calamities. Even as he is repeatedly bound by them, he never attains satisfaction.
अयं न बुध्यते तावद्यमलोकमथागतम्। यमदूतैर्विकृष्यंश्च मृत्युं कालेन गच्छति ॥११-४-९॥
ayaṃ na budhyate tāvadyamalokamathāgatam। yamadūtairvikṛṣyaṃśca mṛtyuṃ kālena gacchati ॥11-4-9॥
[अयम् (ayam) - this person; न (na) - not; बुध्यते (budhyate) - realizes; तावत् (tāvat) - so long; यमलोकम् (yamalokam) - the world of Yama; अथ (atha) - then; आगतम् (āgatam) - having arrived; यमदूतैः (yamadūtaiḥ) - by the messengers of Yama; विकृष्यन् (vikṛṣyan) - being dragged; च (ca) - and; मृत्युम् (mṛtyum) - death; कालेन (kālena) - by time; गच्छति (gacchati) - goes;]
(This person does not realize so long as he has not arrived at the world of Yama; then, being dragged by the messengers of Yama, he goes to death by time.)
A person does not realize the truth until he reaches the world of Yama; then, dragged by Yama's messengers, he is taken to his death in due time.
वाग्घीनस्य च यन्मात्रमिष्टानिष्टं कृतं मुखे। भूय एवात्मनात्मानं बध्यमानमुपेक्षते ॥११-४-१०॥
vāg-ghīnasya ca yan-mātram iṣṭāniṣṭaṃ kṛtaṃ mukhe। bhūya evātmanātmānaṃ badhyamānam upekṣate॥11-4-10॥
[वाक्-हीनस्य (vāk-hīnasya) - of one who is deprived of speech; च (ca) - and; यत्-मात्रम् (yat-mātram) - whatever little; इष्ट-अनिष्टम् (iṣṭāniṣṭam) - good or bad; कृतम् (kṛtam) - done; मुखे (mukhe) - in the mouth; भूयः (bhūyaḥ) - again; एव (eva) - indeed; आत्मना (ātmanā) - by oneself; आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - oneself; बध्यमानम् (badhyamānam) - being bound; उपेक्षते (upekṣate) - overlooks;]
(And of one who is deprived of speech, whatever little good or bad is done in the mouth, again indeed, by oneself, oneself being bound, overlooks.)
A person who cannot speak, whatever little good or bad is done by the mouth, repeatedly ignores himself being bound by his own actions.
अहो विनिकृतो लोको लोभेन च वशीकृतः। लोभक्रोधमदोन्मत्तो नात्मानमवबुध्यते ॥११-४-११॥
aho vinikṛto loko lobhena ca vaśīkṛtaḥ। lobhakrodhamadonmatto nātmānam avabudhyate ॥11-4-11॥
[अहो (aho) - alas; विनिकृतः (vinikṛtaḥ) - deceived; लोकः (lokaḥ) - the world; लोभेन (lobhena) - by greed; च (ca) - and; वशीकृतः (vaśīkṛtaḥ) - subjugated; लोभ (lobha) - greed; क्रोध (krodha) - anger; मद (mada) - pride; उन्मत्तः (unmattaḥ) - intoxicated; न (na) - not; आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - himself; अवबुध्यते (avabudhyate) - realizes;]
(Alas, the world is deceived and subjugated by greed and, intoxicated by greed, anger, and pride, does not realize himself.)
Alas! The world is deceived and controlled by greed. Intoxicated by greed, anger, and pride, people do not recognize their true selves.
कुलीनत्वेन रमते दुष्कुलीनान्विकुत्सयन्। धनदर्पेण दृप्तश्च दरिद्रान्परिकुत्सयन् ॥११-४-१२॥
kulīnatvena ramate duṣkulīnānvikutsayan। dhanadarpeṇa dṛptaśca daridrānparikutsayan ॥11-4-12॥
[कुलीनत्वेन (kulīnatvena) - by nobility; रमते (ramate) - rejoices; दुष्कुलीनान् (duṣkulīnān) - those of low birth; विकुत्सयन् (vikutsayan) - despising; धनदर्पेण (dhanadarpeṇa) - with the pride of wealth; दृप्तः (dṛptaḥ) - arrogant; च (ca) - and; दरिद्रान् (daridrān) - the poor; परिकुत्सयन् (parikutsayan) - insulting;]
(He rejoices in his nobility, despising those of low birth; and, arrogant with the pride of wealth, he insults the poor.)
He delights in his noble status, looking down on those of low birth; and, filled with the arrogance of wealth, he scorns the poor.
मूर्खानिति परानाह नात्मानं समवेक्षते। शिक्षां क्षिपति चान्येषां नात्मानं शास्तुमिच्छति ॥११-४-१३॥
mūrkhān iti parān āha na ātmānam samavekṣate। śikṣām kṣipati ca anyeṣām na ātmānam śāstum icchati॥11-4-13॥
[मूर्खान् (mūrkhān) - fools; इति (iti) - thus; परान् (parān) - others; आह (āha) - says; न (na) - not; आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - himself; समवेक्षते (samavekṣate) - examines; शिक्षाम् (śikṣām) - instruction; क्षिपति (kṣipati) - casts; च (ca) - and; अन्येषाम् (anyeṣām) - of others; न (na) - not; आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - himself; शास्तुम् (śāstum) - to instruct; इच्छति (icchati) - desires;]
(He calls others fools thus, does not examine himself. He casts instruction upon others and does not desire to instruct himself.)
He calls others fools, but does not examine himself. He gives advice to others, but does not wish to correct himself.
अध्रुवे जीवलोकेऽस्मिन्यो धर्ममनुपालयन्। जन्मप्रभृति वर्तेत प्राप्नुयात्परमां गतिम् ॥११-४-१४॥
adhruve jīvaloke'smin yo dharmam anupālayan | janmaprabhṛti varteta prāpnuyāt paramāṃ gatim ॥11-4-14॥
[अध्रुवे (adhruve) - in the impermanent; जीवलोके (jīvaloke) - world of living beings; अस्मिन् (asmin) - in this; यः (yaḥ) - who; धर्मम् (dharmam) - righteousness; अनुपालयन् (anupālayan) - practicing; जन्मप्रभृति (janmaprabhṛti) - from birth; वर्तेत (varteta) - conducts oneself; प्राप्नुयात् (prāpnuyāt) - may attain; परमाम् (paramām) - supreme; गतिम् (gatim) - state;]
(In this impermanent world of living beings, whoever practices righteousness from birth and conducts oneself accordingly may attain the supreme state.)
In this impermanent world, whoever practices righteousness from birth and lives accordingly may attain the highest state.
एवं सर्वं विदित्वा वै यस्तत्त्वमनुवर्तते। स प्रमोक्षाय लभते पन्थानं मनुजाधिप ॥११-४-१५॥
evaṃ sarvaṃ viditvā vai yas tattvam anuvartate। sa pramokṣāya labhate panthānaṃ manujādhipa ॥11-4-15॥
[एवं (evaṃ) - thus; सर्वं (sarvaṃ) - all; विदित्वा (viditvā) - having known; वै (vai) - indeed; यः (yaḥ) - who; तत्त्वम् (tattvam) - the truth; अनुवर्तते (anuvartate) - follows; सः (saḥ) - he; प्रमोक्षाय (pramokṣāya) - for liberation; लभते (labhate) - obtains; पन्थानम् (panthānam) - the path; मनुजाधिप (manujādhipa) - O king of men;]
(Thus, having known all, indeed, who follows the truth, he obtains the path for liberation, O king of men.)
O king of men, one who truly knows everything and follows the truth attains the path to liberation.
