12.019
Library: Yudhishthira advises Arjuna - the knower of dharma attains greatness through austerity, finds greatness through intellect, and always attains happiness through renunciation.
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhishthira said:
vedāhaṃ tāta śāstrāṇi aparāṇi parāṇi ca। ubhayaṃ vedavacanaṃ kuru karma tyajeti ca ॥12-19-1॥
O father, I know the scriptures, both the earlier and later ones; and I know both Vedic injunctions: 'perform action' and 'abandon action'.
ākulāni ca śāstrāṇi hetubhiś citritāni ca। niścayaś caiva yan-mātro vedāhaṃ taṃ yathā-vidhi ॥12-19-2॥
The scriptures are confused and embellished with many arguments; as for certainty, whatever I know of it, I know that according to the prescribed method.
tvaṃ tu kevalamastrajño vīravratamanuṣṭhitaḥ। śāstrārthaṃ tattvato gantuṃ na samarthaḥ kathaṃcana॥12-19-3॥
You are only skilled in weapons and have performed a hero’s vow, but you are in no way capable of truly understanding the meaning of the śāstra.
śāstrārthasūkṣmadarśī yo dharmanischayakovidaḥ। tenāpy evaṃ na vācyo'ham yadi dharmaṃ prapaśyasi ॥12-19-4॥
If you truly perceive dharma, then even one who sees the subtle meaning of the scriptures and is expert in determining dharma should not speak to me in this way.
bhrātṛ-sauhṛdam āsthāya yad uktaṃ vacanaṃ tvayā। nyāyyaṃ yuktaṃ ca kaunteya prīto'ham tena te'rjuna ॥12-19-5॥
O Arjuna, O son of Kunti, having adopted brotherly friendship, what you have spoken is just and proper; I am pleased with you for that.
yuddhadharmeṣu sarveṣu kriyāṇāṃ naipuṇeṣu ca। na tvayā sadṛśaḥ kaścit triṣu lokeṣu vidyate ॥12-19-6॥
In the duties of battle, in all actions, and in skills, there is no one equal to you in the three worlds.
dharmasūkṣmaṃ tu yadvākyaṃ tatra duṣprataraṃ tvayā। dhanañjaya na me buddhim abhiśaṅkitum arhasi ॥12-19-7॥
But, O Dhananjaya, as for the statement about the subtlety of dharma, it is very difficult for you to grasp; you should not doubt my understanding.
yuddhaśāstravideva tvaṃ na vṛddhāḥ sevitāstvayā। samāsavistaravidāṃ na teṣāṃ vetsi niścayam ॥12-19-8॥
You act as if you know the science of war, but you have not served the elders; you do not truly understand the certainty of those who know both the concise and the detailed aspects.
tapastyāgo vidhiriti niścayastāta dhīmatām। paraṃ paraṃ jyāya eṣāṃ saiṣā naiḥśreyasī gatiḥ ॥12-19-9॥
O dear, for the wise, austerity, renunciation, and rule are considered determination; among these, the supreme is the greatest—this is the path to the highest good.
na tv etan manyase pārtha na jyāyo 'sti dhanād iti। atra te vartayiṣyāmi yathā naitat pradhānataḥ ॥12-19-10॥
O Pārtha, you do not consider that there is nothing greater than wealth. Here, I will explain to you how this is not the primary truth.
tapaḥsvādhyāyaśīlā hi dṛśyante dhārmikā janāḥ। ṛṣayastapasā yuktā yeṣāṃ lokāḥ sanātanāḥ ॥12-19-11॥
Indeed, righteous people devoted to austerity and self-study are seen. The sages, engaged in austerity, are those whose worlds are eternal.
ajātaśmaśravo dhīrās tathānye vanavāsinaḥ। anantā adhanā eva svādhyāyena divaṃ gatāḥ ॥12-19-12॥
Young men whose beards had not grown, steadfast and wise, and others living in the forest—innumerable and poor indeed—have attained heaven by self-study.
uttareṇa tu panthānam āryā viṣayanigrahāt। abuddhijaṃ tamas tyaktvā lokāṃs tyāgavatāṃ gatāḥ ॥12-19-13॥
But the noble ones, by the northern path, through sense restraint and having cast off the darkness born of ignorance, have reached the realms attained by those who renounce.
dakṣiṇena tu panthānaṃ yaṃ bhāsvantaṃ prapaśyasi। ete kriyāvatāṃ lokā ye śmaśānāni bhejire ॥12-19-14॥
But the shining southern path that you see—these are the worlds attained by those who performed rites and have gone to the cremation grounds.
anirdeśyā gatiḥ sā tu yāṃ prapaśyanti mokṣiṇaḥ। tasmāttyāgaḥ pradhāneṣṭaḥ sa tu duḥkhaḥ praveditum ॥12-19-15॥
That state which cannot be described, but which is perceived by the liberated, therefore renunciation is considered the highest; but that suffering is to be explained.
anusṛtya tu śāstrāṇi kavayaḥ samavasthitāḥ। apīha syādapīha syātsārāsāradidṛkṣayā ॥12-19-16॥
The wise, having followed the scriptures, are well established; yet, even here, it may be so, with the desire to discern between essence and non-essence.
vedavādānatikramya śāstrāṇyāraṇyakāni ca। vipāṭya kadalīskandhaṃ sāraṃ dadṛśire na te ॥12-19-17॥
They went beyond the Vedic discourses, treatises, and Āraṇyakas, but even after splitting open the banana-stem, they did not find the essence.
athaikāntavyudāsena śarīre pañcabhautike| icchādveṣasamāyuktamātmānaṃ prāhuriṅgitaiḥ ||12-19-18||
Now, by complete withdrawal, they refer to the self, endowed with desire and aversion, in the body composed of five elements, by gestures.
agrāhyaś cakṣuṣā so'pi anirdeśyaṃ ca tad-girā | karma-hetu-puraskāraṃ bhūteṣu parivartate ॥12-19-19॥
He cannot be perceived by the eye, nor described by speech; led by the cause of action, he moves among beings.
kalyāṇagocaraṃ kṛtvā manastṛṣṇāṃ nigṛhya ca। karmasantatim utsṛjya syān nirālambanaḥ sukhī॥12-19-20॥
By making the mind's desires focus on the auspicious and restraining them, and by abandoning the continuity of actions, one becomes happy and independent.
asminnevaṃ sūkṣmagamye mārge sadbhirniṣevite। kathamarthamanarthāḍhyamarjuna tvaṃ praśaṃsasi ॥12-19-21॥
O Arjuna, in this subtle path, which is practiced by the virtuous, how do you praise wealth that is full of misfortune?
pūrvaśāstravido hyevaṃ janāḥ paśyanti bhārata। kriyāsu niratā nityaṃ dāne yajñe ca karmaṇi ॥12-19-22॥
O Bhārata, people who know the former scriptures thus see: they are always engaged in actions, in charity, in sacrifice, and in deeds.
bhavanti sudurāvartā hetumanto'pi paṇḍitāḥ। dṛḍhapūrvaśrutā mūḍhā naitadastīti vādinaḥ॥12-19-23॥
Even learned people, though reasoning and well-versed, become extremely obstinate; those who have firmly heard before, being deluded, declare, "This does not exist."
amṛtasyāvamantāro vaktāro janasaṃsadi। caranti vasudhāṃ kṛtsnāṃ vāvadūkā bahuśrutāḥ ॥12-19-24॥
Those who despise immortality and speak in public assemblies, the talkative and widely heard, roam the whole earth.
yān vayaṃ nābhijānīmaḥ kastañ jñātum ihārhati। evaṃ prājñān sataś cāpi mahataḥ śāstravittamān ॥12-19-25॥
Whom we do not know, who here can know them? Thus, even the wise and great, who possess knowledge of the śāstra, (are like this).
tapasā mahadāpnoti buddhyā vai vindate mahat। tyāgena sukhamāpnoti sadā kaunteya dharmavit ॥12-19-26॥
O son of Kunti, the knower of dharma, one attains greatness through austerity, finds greatness through intellect, and always attains happiness through renunciation.
