12.018
Library: Arjuna, quoting the conversation between King Janaka and his wife, says by protecting the people and practicing the highest charity, being devoted to Brahman and speaking the truth, we shall attain the desired worlds.
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
तूष्णीम्भूतं तु राजानं पुनरेवार्जुनोऽब्रवीत्। सन्तप्तः शोकदुःखाभ्यां राज्ञो वाक्षल्यपीडितः ॥१२-१८-१॥
But when the king fell silent, Arjuna, deeply afflicted by grief and sorrow and overwhelmed by affection for the king, spoke again.
कथयन्ति पुरावृत्तमितिहासमिमं जनाः। विदेहराज्ञः संवादं भार्यया सह भारत ॥१२-१८-२॥
O Bhārata, people recount this ancient history: the conversation between the king of Videha and his wife.
उत्सृज्य राज्यं भैक्षार्थं कृतबुद्धिं जनेश्वरम्। विदेहराजं महिषी दुःखिता प्रत्यभाषत ॥१२-१८-३॥
The queen, distressed, addressed the king of Videha, who had resolved to abandon his kingdom for the life of alms.
धनान्यपत्यं मित्राणि रत्नानि विविधानि च। पन्थानं पावनं हित्वा जनको मौण्ड्यमास्थितः ॥१२-१८-४॥
Janaka, having abandoned wealth, offspring, friends, and various kinds of gems, resorted to the pure path of silence.
तं ददर्श प्रिया भार्या भैक्ष्यवृत्तिमकिञ्चनम्। धानामुष्टिमुपासीनं निरीहं गतमत्सरम् ॥१२-१८-५॥
His beloved wife saw him, who lived by begging, possessed nothing, sat with a handful of grains, was without effort, and free from envy.
तमुवाच समागम्य भर्तारमकुतोभयम्। क्रुद्धा मनस्विनी भार्या विविक्ते हेतुमद्वचः ॥१२-१८-६॥
The high-minded wife, angry, approached her fearless husband in private and spoke to him words full of reason.
कथमुत्सृज्य राज्यं स्वं धनधान्यसमाचितम्। कापालीं वृत्तिमास्थाय धानामुष्टिर्वनेऽचरः ॥१२-१८-७॥
How did you, after giving up your own kingdom and all your accumulated wealth and grain, adopt the life of a skull-bearing ascetic and live in the forest on just a handful of grain?
प्रतिज्ञा तेऽन्यथा राजन्विचेष्टा चान्यथा तव। यद्राज्यं महदुत्सृज्य स्वल्पे तुष्यसि पार्थिव ॥१२-१८-८॥
O king, your vow and your actions are at odds; having given up a great kingdom, you are content with little, O ruler.
नैतेनातिथयो राजन्देवर्षिपितरस्तथा। शक्यमद्य त्वया भर्तुं मोघस्तेऽयं परिश्रमः ॥१२-१८-९॥
O king, by this, neither the guests, nor the divine sages, nor the ancestors can be satisfied by you today; your effort is in vain.
देवतातिथिभिश्चैव पितृभिश्चैव पार्थिव। सर्वैरेतैः परित्यक्तः परिव्रजसि निष्क्रियः ॥१२-१८-१०॥
O king, you have been abandoned by all—deities, guests, and ancestors—and now you wander about, inactive.
यस्त्वं त्रैविद्यवृद्धानां ब्राह्मणानां सहस्रशः। भर्ता भूत्वा च लोकस्य सोऽद्यान्यैर्भृतिमिच्छसि ॥१२-१८-११॥
You, who have been the protector of thousands of Brāhmaṇas learned in the three Vedas and of the world, now today desire sustenance from others.
श्रियं हित्वा प्रदीप्तां त्वं श्ववत्सम्प्रति वीक्ष्यसे। अपुत्रा जननी तेऽद्य कौसल्या चापतिस्त्वया ॥१२-१८-१२॥
Having given up your radiant prosperity, you are now regarded like a dog. Today, your mother Kausalya is without a son, and because of you, also without a husband.
अशीतिर्धर्मकामास्त्वां क्षत्रियाः पर्युपासते। त्वदाशामभिकाङ्क्षन्त्यः कृपणाः फलहेतुकाः ॥१२-१८-१३॥
Eighty kṣatriyas who desire dharma worship you; pitiable ones, seeking results, long for your favor.
ताश्च त्वं विफलाः कुर्वन्काँल्लोकान्नु गमिष्यसि। राजन्संशयिते मोक्षे परतन्त्रेषु देहिषु ॥१२-१८-१४॥
And you, performing those fruitless acts, to which worlds will you go? O king, when liberation is uncertain and you are dependent on others in embodied forms.
नैव तेऽस्ति परो लोको नापरः पापकर्मणः। धर्म्यान्दारान्परित्यज्य यस्त्वमिच्छसि जीवितुम् ॥१२-१८-१५॥
For you, there is neither another world nor is there for the evil-doer; having abandoned righteous wives, you desire to live.
स्रजो गन्धानलङ्कारान्वासांसि विविधानि च। किमर्थमभिसन्त्यज्य परिव्रजसि निष्क्रियः ॥१२-१८-१६॥
Having given up garlands, fragrances, ornaments, clothes, and various other things, for what reason do you wander as an inactive ascetic?
निपानं सर्वभूतानां भूत्वा त्वं पावनं महत्। आढ्यो वनस्पतिर्भूत्वा सोऽद्यान्यान्पर्युपाससे ॥१२-१८-१७॥
Having become the watering place for all beings, you are the great purifier. Today, having become the rich tree, you serve others.
खादन्ति हस्तिनं न्यासे क्रव्यादा बहवोऽप्युत। बहवः कृमयश्चैव किं पुनस्त्वामनर्थकम् ॥१२-१८-१८॥
When even the dead body of an elephant is eaten by many flesh-eaters and by many worms, what then to say of you, who are useless?
य इमां कुण्डिकां भिन्द्यात्त्रिविष्टब्धं च ते हरेत्। वासश्चापहरेत्तस्मिन्कथं ते मानसं भवेत् ॥१२-१८-१९॥
If someone were to break this water-pot, take away your firmly placed vessel, and also steal your garment there, how would your mind react to that?
यस्त्वयं सर्वमुत्सृज्य धानामुष्टिपरिग्रहः। यदानेन समं सर्वं किमिदं मम दीयते ॥ धानामुष्टिरिहार्थश्चेत्प्रतिज्ञा ते विनश्यति ॥१२-१८-२०॥
Whoever, having abandoned everything, accepts only a fistful of grain—whatever is given to me by this equally as all, what is this? If the fistful of grain here is the purpose, your vow is destroyed.
का वाहं तव को मे त्वं कोऽद्य ते मय्यनुग्रहः। प्रशाधि पृथिवीं राजन्यत्र तेऽनुग्रहो भवेत् ॥ प्रासादं शयनं यानं वासांस्याभरणानि च ॥१२-१८-२१॥
Who am I to you, and who are you to me? What is your favor to me today? O king, rule the earth wherever your favor may be. The palace, bed, vehicle, garments, and ornaments are yours.
श्रिया निराशैरधनैस्त्यक्तमित्रैरकिञ्चनैः। सौखिकैः सम्भृतानर्थान्यः सन्त्यजसि किं नु तत् ॥१२-१८-२२॥
What indeed is that wealth, accumulated by prosperity, by hopeless, poor, friendless, destitute, and pleasure-seeking people, which you abandon?
योऽत्यन्तं प्रतिगृह्णीयाद्यश्च दद्यात्सदैव हि। तयोस्त्वमन्तरं विद्धि श्रेयांस्ताभ्यां क उच्यते ॥१२-१८-२३॥
Whoever always receives excessively and whoever always gives—know the difference between those two; who among them is considered superior?
सदैव याचमानेषु सत्सु दम्भविवर्जिषु। एतेषु दक्षिणा दत्ता दावाग्नाविव दुर्हुतम् ॥१२-१८-२४॥
A gift given always to those who ask, among the virtuous and free from hypocrisy, is, in these cases, like an offering poorly made in a forest fire.
जातवेदा यथा राजन्नादग्ध्वैवोपशाम्यति। सदैव याचमानो वै तथा शाम्यति न द्विजः ॥१२-१८-२५॥
O king, just as fire does not subside without consuming, so too, a Brāhmaṇa who is always begging does not cease.
सतां च वेदा अन्नं च लोकेऽस्मिन्प्रकृतिर्ध्रुवा। न चेद्दाता भवेद्दाता कुतः स्युर्मोक्षकाङ्क्षिणः ॥१२-१८-२६॥
For the virtuous, the Vedas and food are ever-present in this world by their very nature. If there were no giver, how could there be seekers of liberation?
अन्नाद्गृहस्था लोकेऽस्मिन्भिक्षवस्तत एव च। अन्नात्प्राणः प्रभवति अन्नदः प्राणदो भवेत् ॥१२-१८-२७॥
In this world, both householders and mendicants depend on food; from food, life arises; one who gives food becomes the giver of life.
गृहस्थेभ्योऽभिनिर्वृत्ता गृहस्थानेव संश्रिताः। प्रभवं च प्रतिष्ठां च दान्ता निन्दन्त आसते ॥१२-१८-२८॥
Those who have originated from householders and have resorted to householders, the self-restrained, censure both origin and foundation, and remain seated.
त्यागान्न भिक्षुकं विद्यान्न मौण्ड्यान्न च याचनात्। ऋजुस्तु योऽर्थं त्यजति तं सुखं विद्धि भिक्षुकम् ॥१२-१८-२९॥
Do not think one is a mendicant merely by renunciation, shaving the head, or begging; rather, know that person to be a true and happy mendicant who, being upright, gives up wealth.
असक्तः सक्तवद्गच्छन्निःसङ्गो मुक्तबन्धनः। समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च स वै मुक्तो महीपते ॥१२-१८-३०॥
O king, he who is unattached, moves about as if attached, is free from association and released from bondage, and who is equal towards both enemy and friend, he indeed is liberated.
परिव्रजन्ति दानार्थं मुण्डाः काषायवाससः। सिता बहुविधैः पाशैः सञ्चिन्वन्तो वृथामिषम् ॥१२-१८-३१॥
Shaven-headed ascetics, clad in ochre robes, wander for the sake of gifts; the white one, with many kinds of snares, gathers useless bait.
त्रयीं च नाम वार्तां च त्यक्त्वा पुत्रांस्त्यजन्ति ये। त्रिविष्टब्धं च वासश्च प्रतिगृह्णन्त्यबुद्धयः ॥१२-१८-३२॥
Those who, abandoning the three Vedas and worldly occupations, also forsake their sons—such unwise people accept heaven and residence.
अनिष्कषाये काषायमीहार्थमिति विद्धि तत्। धर्मध्वजानां मुण्डानां वृत्त्यर्थमिति मे मतिः ॥१२-१८-३३॥
Know that here the ochre-robe is for those not purified; in my opinion, it is for the livelihood of the so-called banners of dharma, the shaven-headed.
काषायैरजिनैश्चीरैर्नग्नान्मुण्डाञ्जटाधरान्। बिभ्रत्साधून्महाराज जय लोकाञ्जितेन्द्रियः ॥१२-१८-३४॥
O great king, you bear ascetics who wear ochre robes, animal skins, bark garments, who are naked, shaven-headed, or matted-haired; victory to the worlds, O conqueror of the senses.
अग्न्याधेयानि गुर्वर्थान्क्रतून्सपशुदक्षिणान्। ददात्यहरहः पूर्वं को नु धर्मतरस्ततः ॥१२-१८-३५॥
He daily gives offerings for the fire, for the teacher, and sacrifices with animals and gifts; who, then, can be more righteous than he?
तत्त्वज्ञो जनको राजा लोकेऽस्मिन्निति गीयते। सोऽप्यासीन्मोहसम्पन्नो मा मोहवशमन्वगाः ॥१२-१८-३६॥
King Janaka, renowned as a knower of truth in this world, was also once overcome by delusion. Therefore, do not let yourself be led by delusion.
एवं धर्ममनुक्रान्तं सदा दानपरैर्नरैः। आनृशंस्यगुणोपेतैः कामक्रोधविवर्जिताः ॥१२-१८-३७॥
Thus, dharma was always followed by men devoted to charity, endowed with compassion, and free from desire and anger.
पालयन्तः प्रजाश्चैव दानमुत्तममास्थिताः। इष्टाँल्लोकानवाप्स्यामो ब्रह्मण्याः सत्यवादिनः ॥१२-१८-३८॥
By protecting the people and practicing the highest charity, being devoted to Brahman and speaking the truth, we shall attain the desired worlds.
