12.012
Vaiśampāyana said:
After hearing Arjuna's words, Nakula addressed the king, who was the foremost among all upholders of dharma.
Having followed his brother's mind, the very wise and mighty-armed subduer of enemies, broad-chested and copper-faced, who spoke little.
On the Viśākha-yūpa, the fires of all the gods have been kindled. Therefore, O great king, know that the gods are established on the path of ritual action.
O king, even those who are givers of life and ancestors among the non-āstikas, they too perform only actions according to procedure. But those who are cast away from Vedic doctrine, know them as utter non-āstikas.
O Bhārata, a brāhmaṇa who abandons what is prescribed in the Veda in all actions does not attain the highest place in heaven by the path of the gods.
O ruler of men, know those Brāhmaṇas endowed with śruti, whose conviction is based on the Veda, to be beyond all the āśramas.
O great king, the man who offers wealth obtained by righteousness in chief sacrifices among the self-controlled is indeed considered a true renouncer.
O great king, O lord, that renouncer who gives up the self without consideration, accepting happiness, and is established thus afterwards, is a renouncer of tamas.
O Pārtha, he who is homeless, wandering, dwelling at the roots of trees, a sage who does not cook, always a yogi, a renouncer, is a mendicant.
O lord of men, the brāhmaṇa who, disregarding anger, delight, and maliciousness, studies the Vedas, is a renouncer and worshipper of the teacher.
O King, the sages declare that if all the other āśramas are placed on one side of a scale, the householder āśrama alone balances them on the other.
O Bhārata, he who examines purpose, desire, and heaven—this is the path of the great sages, this is the way of those who know the world.
O best of the Bharatas, he is a true renouncer who acts with this attitude; not the one who, abandoning his home, goes to the forest like a confused person.
When a person who is crooked and separated from righteousness contemplates desires, then the lord of death binds him by the noose of death around his neck.
Action performed with pride is not considered fruitful; O great king, all actions performed with renunciation indeed yield great results.
Tranquility, self-restraint, austerity, charity, truthfulness, purity, straightforwardness, sacrifice, steadfastness, and righteousness—these are always regarded as the rules established by the sages.
An undertaking performed for the sake of father, deity, and guest is praised here. Indeed, O great king, here alone the three aims of life yield their sole fruit.
In this current practice, which is attended by Brāhmaṇas, there is never any destruction here for the generous renouncer.
O king, the sinless Prajāpati created the creatures, thinking with a peaceful mind, 'They will worship me with sacrifices and various gifts.'
Herbs, trees, medicinal plants, animals, and pure sacrificial offerings, all these are meant for sacrifice.
For householders, those sacrificial acts are opposed. Therefore, householdership here is indeed difficult and rare.
O great king, those householders who, having obtained that, are endowed with cattle and grain but do not perform sacrifice, indeed have eternal sin in them.
Some seers perform the sacrifice of study of the Veda, others the sacrifice of knowledge; likewise, others perform great sacrifices only with the mind.
Thus, O king, even the gods desire the path of giving and establishment, followed by a twice-born who has become Brahman.
He gathers various gems from here and there, and though he does not fully abandon atheism even in sacrifices, he speaks of it. O king, when one is settled in family life, I do not see renunciation.
O great king, you should perform sacrifices such as the Rājasūya, Aśvamedha, Sarvamedha, and others that have been duly honored by Brāhmaṇas, just as Indra, the lord of the gods, did.
He is called a Kali king who, due to the fault of negligence, allows his subjects to be plundered by robbers and remain without protection.
Horses, cows, maidservants, female elephants, all well-adorned, as well as villages, districts, fields, and houses.
O lord of the people, if we, your royal dependents, do not give to the twice-born due to minds filled with envy, this will be our fate.
Non-givers, those without refuge, and those who share in the king's sins experience only suffering and never any happiness at any time.
If you go forth as an ascetic without having performed great sacrifices, without having done the oblation to the ancestors, and without having completely abandoned everything in holy places, then...
You, having fallen from both worlds, are now situated in the interval, like a severed cloud driven by the wind, destined for dissolution.
One should become a true renouncer by abandoning all causes of mental attachment, both internal and external; not he who merely gives up and remains.
O great king, in this present rule attended by the Brāhmaṇas, there is no destruction of the Brāhmaṇa anywhere.
Having forcefully defeated the enemies and attained prosperity—not unlike how Indra destroyed the Daityas' powers in battle—who, O Pārtha, should grieve when engaged in one's own duty, which is remembered by former kings and approved by the virtuous?
By the way of the warrior, by righteousness and valor, having conquered the earth and given it to the wise counselors, you are about to ascend to heaven, O king; do not grieve today, O Partha.
