12.034
Core and Pancharatra: Vyasa instructs Yudhishthira that he has done only his duty and no sin attaches to him. He should perform the horse-sacrifice and assure all the kingdoms.
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
युधिष्ठिरस्य तद्वाक्यं श्रुत्वा द्वैपायनस्तदा। समीक्ष्य निपुणं बुद्ध्या ऋषिः प्रोवाच पाण्डवम् ॥१२-३४-१॥
When Dvaipayana (Vyasa) heard Yudhiṣṭhira's words, he thoughtfully considered them and then addressed the Pandava.
मा विषादं कृथा राजन्क्षत्रधर्ममनुस्मर। स्वधर्मेण हता ह्येते क्षत्रियाः क्षत्रियर्षभ ॥१२-३४-२॥
Do not yield to despair, O king; remember your warrior's duty. These warriors have been slain in accordance with their own duty, O best among warriors.
काङ्क्षमाणाः श्रियं कृत्स्नां पृथिव्यां च महद्यशः। कृतान्तविधिसंयुक्ताः कालेन निधनं गताः ॥१२-३४-३॥
Those who desired all prosperity and great fame on earth, bound by the decree of death, have met their end in due time.
न त्वं हन्ता न भीमोऽपि नार्जुनो न यमावपि। कालः पर्यायधर्मेण प्राणानादत्त देहिनाम् ॥१२-३४-४॥
Neither you, nor Bhīma, nor Arjuna, nor even the two Yamas are the killers; it is Time, by the law of succession, that takes the lives of embodied beings.
न यस्य मातापितरौ नानुग्राह्योऽस्ति कश्चन। कर्मसाक्षी प्रजानां यस्तेन कालेन संहृताः ॥१२-३४-५॥
He who has neither mother nor father, nor anyone to support him; he is the witness of the actions of beings, and by that time, they are destroyed.
हेतुमात्रमिदं तस्य कालस्य पुरुषर्षभ। यद्धन्ति भूतैर्भूतानि तदस्मै रूपमैश्वरम् ॥१२-३४-६॥
O best of men, this is only the cause of that Time; that which destroys beings by beings, that is his divine form.
कर्ममूर्त्यात्मकं विद्धि साक्षिणं शुभपापयोः। सुखदुःखगुणोदर्कं कालं कालफलप्रदम् ॥१२-३४-७॥
Know that the witness, having the form of action, abides in both auspicious and inauspicious acts; time, which brings about the qualities of pleasure and pain, is the giver of the fruits of time.
तेषामपि महाबाहो कर्माणि परिचिन्तय। विनाशहेतुकारित्वे यैस्ते कालवशं गताः ॥१२-३४-८॥
O mighty-armed one, also consider their actions; those by whom the cause of destruction was enacted have already come under the sway of time.
आत्मनश्च विजानीहि नियमव्रतशीलताम्। यदा त्वमीदृशं कर्म विधिनाक्रम्य कारितः ॥१२-३४-९॥
Know well your own discipline, vows, and character; for when you are made to act in such a way by violating the prescribed rule, understand this.
त्वष्ट्रेव विहितं यन्त्रं यथा स्थापयितुर्वशे। कर्मणा कालयुक्तेन तथेदं भ्राम्यते जगत् ॥१२-३४-१०॥
Just as a machine constructed by Tvaṣṭṛ operates under the control of its maker, so too is this world set in motion by actions performed in accordance with time.
पुरुषस्य हि दृष्ट्वेमामुत्पत्तिमनिमित्ततः। यदृच्छया विनाशं च शोकहर्षावनर्थकौ ॥१२-३४-११॥
Indeed, when one observes that the origin and destruction of a person occur without cause and by chance, both sorrow and joy are meaningless.
व्यलीकं चापि यत्त्वत्र चित्तवैतंसिकं तव। तदर्थमिष्यते राजन्प्रायश्चित्तं तदाचर ॥१२-३४-१२॥
O king, whatever offence of mind you have here, for that reason, atonement is prescribed; perform that.
इदं च श्रूयते पार्थ युद्धे देवासुरे पुरा। असुरा भ्रातरो ज्येष्ठा देवाश्चापि यवीयसः ॥१२-३४-१३॥
O Pārtha, it is said that in the ancient battle between the gods and asuras, the asuras were the elder brothers and the gods were the younger.
तेषामपि श्रीनिमित्तं महानासीत्समुच्छ्रयः। युद्धं वर्षसहस्राणि द्वात्रिंशदभवत्किल ॥१२-३४-१४॥
For them too, a great conflict arose for the sake of prosperity. The battle is said to have lasted for thirty-two thousand years.
एकार्णवां महीं कृत्वा रुधिरेण परिप्लुताम्। जघ्नुर्दैत्यांस्तदा देवास्त्रिदिवं चैव लेभिरे ॥१२-३४-१५॥
The gods, having turned the earth into a single ocean flooded with blood, then slew the Daityas and thus gained heaven.
तथैव पृथिवीं लब्ध्वा ब्राह्मणा वेदपारगाः। संश्रिता दानवानां वै साह्यार्थे दर्पमोहिताः ॥१२-३४-१६॥
Similarly, after gaining the earth, the Brāhmaṇas who had mastered the Vedas, seeking alliance, took refuge with the Dānavas, being deluded by pride.
शालावृका इति ख्यातास्त्रिषु लोकेषु भारत। अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणि ते चापि विबुधैर्हताः ॥१२-३४-१७॥
O Bhārata, the jackals, thus known in the three worlds, eighty-eight thousand in number, were also slain by the wise.
धर्मव्युच्छित्तिमिच्छन्तो येऽधर्मस्य प्रवर्तकाः। हन्तव्यास्ते दुरात्मानो देवैर्दैत्या इवोल्बणाः ॥१२-३४-१८॥
Those who wish to destroy righteousness and promote unrighteousness—such wicked people must be slain by the gods, just as fierce demons are destroyed.
एकं हत्वा यदि कुले शिष्टानां स्यादनामयम्। कुलं हत्वाथ राष्ट्रं वा न तद्वृत्तोपघातकम् ॥१२-३४-१९॥
If killing one person would not harm the virtuous in the family, then killing the family or even the kingdom would not destroy their righteous conduct.
अधर्मरूपो धर्मो हि कश्चिदस्ति नराधिप। धर्मश्चाधर्मरूपोऽस्ति तच्च ज्ञेयं विपश्चिता ॥१२-३४-२०॥
O king, sometimes what appears as righteousness is actually unrighteousness, and what appears as unrighteousness is actually righteousness; the wise should discern this.
तस्मात्संस्तम्भयात्मानं श्रुतवानसि पाण्डव। देवैः पूर्वगतं मार्गमनुयातोऽसि भारत ॥१२-३४-२१॥
Therefore, O Pāṇḍava, restrain yourself; having listened, you, O Bhārata, have followed the path formerly taken by the gods.
न हीदृशा गमिष्यन्ति नरकं पाण्डवर्षभ। भ्रातॄनाश्वासयैतांस्त्वं सुहृदश्च परन्तप ॥१२-३४-२२॥
Surely, such as these will not go to hell, O best of the Pāṇḍavas. Console your brothers and friends, O subduer of enemies.
यो हि पापसमारम्भे कार्ये तद्भावभावितः। कुर्वन्नपि तथैव स्यात्कृत्वा च निरपत्रपः ॥१२-३४-२३॥
Whoever, being engaged in evil deeds and actions with such a disposition, even while acting thus, becomes shameless after having done so.
तस्मिंस्तत्कलुषं सर्वं समाप्तमिति शब्दितम्। प्रायश्चित्तं न तस्यास्ति ह्रासो वा पापकर्मणः ॥१२-३४-२४॥
It is declared that in that, all impurity is ended. For him, there is no atonement, nor any reduction of the evil deed.
त्वं तु शुक्लाभिजातीयः परदोषेण कारितः। अनिच्छमानः कर्मेदं कृत्वा च परितप्यसे ॥१२-३४-२५॥
But you, born of a pure lineage, have been made to do this by another's fault; though unwilling, having performed this action, you are now tormented by it.
अश्वमेधो महायज्ञः प्रायश्चित्तमुदाहृतम्। तमाहर महाराज विपाप्मैवं भविष्यसि ॥१२-३४-२६॥
The horse-sacrifice, which is a great sacrifice, has been declared as an expiation. Perform that, O great king, and thus you will become free from sin.
मरुद्भिः सह जित्वारीन्मघवान्पाकशासनः। एकैकं क्रतुमाहृत्य शतकृत्वः शतक्रतुः ॥१२-३४-२७॥
Indra, called Maghavan and Pākaśāsana, together with the Maruts, having conquered his enemies, appropriated each sacrifice a hundred times; thus Śatakratu (Indra) is so named.
पूतपाप्मा जितस्वर्गो लोकान्प्राप्य सुखोदयान्। मरुद्गणवृतः शक्रः शुशुभे भासयन्दिशः ॥१२-३४-२८॥
Śakra, whose sins were purified and who had conquered heaven, having attained worlds of happiness, surrounded by the hosts of Maruts, shone brilliantly, illuminating all directions.
स्वर्गलोके महीयन्तमप्सरोभिः शचीपतिम्। ऋषयः पर्युपासन्ते देवाश्च विबुधेश्वरम् ॥१२-३४-२९॥
In the heavenly realm, Indra, the husband of Śacī and lord of the wise, is honored by the celestial nymphs and worshipped by sages and gods alike.
सोऽयं त्वमिह सङ्क्रान्तो विक्रमेण वसुन्धराम्। निर्जिताश्च महीपाला विक्रमेण त्वयानघ ॥१२-३४-३०॥
He—this very you—has here advanced upon the earth by valor. And the kings have been conquered by you through valor, O sinless one.
तेषां पुराणि राष्ट्राणि गत्वा राजन्सुहृद्वृतः। भ्रातॄन्पुत्रांश्च पौत्रांश्च स्वे स्वे राज्येऽभिषेचय ॥१२-३४-३१॥
O king, after visiting their ancient kingdoms with friends, anoint the brothers, sons, and grandsons in their respective kingdoms.
बालानपि च गर्भस्थान्सान्त्वानि समुदाचरन्। रञ्जयन्प्रकृतीः सर्वाः परिपाहि वसुन्धराम् ॥१२-३४-३२॥
By uttering soothing words even to children and those in the womb, delighting all beings, may you protect the earth.
कुमारो नास्ति येषां च कन्यास्तत्राभिषेचय। कामाशयो हि स्त्रीवर्गः शोकमेवं प्रहास्यति ॥१२-३४-३३॥
Where there is no son but only daughters, enthrone one of them there. For, indeed, women whose nature is desire will thus overcome their grief.
एवमाश्वासनं कृत्वा सर्वराष्ट्रेषु भारत। यजस्व वाजिमेधेन यथेन्द्रो विजयी पुरा ॥१२-३४-३४॥
O Bhārata, after assuring all the kingdoms in this way, perform the horse-sacrifice just as Indra, the victorious one, did in ancient times.
अशोच्यास्ते महात्मानः क्षत्रियाः क्षत्रियर्षभ। स्वकर्मभिर्गता नाशं कृतान्तबलमोहिताः ॥१२-३४-३५॥
O best of warriors, those great-souled Kshatriyas are not to be grieved for; by their own actions, deluded by the power of Death, they have gone to destruction.
अवाप्तः क्षत्रधर्मस्ते राज्यं प्राप्तमकल्मषम्। चरस्व धर्मं कौन्तेय श्रेयान्यः प्रेत्य भाविकः ॥१२-३४-३६॥
You have obtained the duty of a kṣatriya; you have attained an untainted kingdom. O son of Kunti, perform your duty; one who acts thus attains a better state after death.
