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.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
yudhiṣṭhirasya tadvākyaṃ śrutvā dvaipāyanastadā। samīkṣya nipuṇaṃ buddhyā ṛṣiḥ provāca pāṇḍavam ॥12-34-1॥
When Dvaipayana (Vyasa) heard Yudhiṣṭhira's words, he thoughtfully considered them and then addressed the Pandava.
mā viṣādaṃ kṛthā rājan kṣatradharmam anusmara। svadharmeṇa hatā hyete kṣatriyāḥ kṣatriyarṣabha ॥12-34-2॥
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.
kāṅkṣamāṇāḥ śriyaṃ kṛtsnāṃ pṛthivyāṃ ca mahadyaśaḥ। kṛtāntavidhisaṃyuktāḥ kālena nidhanaṃ gatāḥ ॥12-34-3॥
Those who desired all prosperity and great fame on earth, bound by the decree of death, have met their end in due time.
na tvaṃ hantā na bhīmo'pi nārjuno na yamāvapi। kālaḥ paryāyadharmeṇa prāṇānādatta dehinām ॥12-34-4॥
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.
na yasya mātāpitarau nānugrāhyo'sti kaścana। karmasākṣī prajānāṃ yastenakālena saṃhṛtāḥ ॥12-34-5॥
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.
hetumātram idaṃ tasya kālasya puruṣarṣabha। yad dhanti bhūtair bhūtāni tad asmai rūpam aiśvaram ॥12-34-6॥
O best of men, this is only the cause of that Time; that which destroys beings by beings, that is his divine form.
karmamūrtyātmakaṃ viddhi sākṣiṇaṃ śubhapāpayoḥ। sukhaduḥkhaguṇodarkaṃ kālaṃ kālaphalapradam ॥12-34-7॥
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.
teṣām api mahābāho karmāṇi paricintaya। vināśahetukāritve yais te kālavaśaṃ gatāḥ ॥12-34-8॥
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.
ātmanaś ca vijānīhi niyamavrataśīlatām। yadā tvam īdṛśaṃ karma vidhinākramya kāritaḥ ॥12-34-9॥
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.
tvaṣṭreva vihitaṃ yantraṃ yathā sthāpayiturvaśe| karmaṇā kālayuktena tathedaṃ bhrāmyate jagat ॥12-34-10॥
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.
puruṣasya hi dṛṣṭvemām utpattim animittataḥ। yadṛcchayā vināśaṃ ca śoka-harṣau anarthakau ॥12-34-11॥
Indeed, when one observes that the origin and destruction of a person occur without cause and by chance, both sorrow and joy are meaningless.
vyalīkaṃ cāpi yattatra cittavaitamsikaṃ tava। tadarthamiṣyate rājanprāyaścittaṃ tadācara ॥12-34-12॥
O king, whatever offence of mind you have here, for that reason, atonement is prescribed; perform that.
idaṃ ca śrūyate pārtha yuddhe devāsure purā। asurā bhrātaro jyeṣṭhā devāś cāpi yavīyasaḥ ॥12-34-13॥
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.
teṣām api śrīnimittaṃ mahān āsīt samucchrayaḥ। yuddhaṃ varṣasahasrāṇi dvātriṃśad abhavat kila ॥12-34-14॥
For them too, a great conflict arose for the sake of prosperity. The battle is said to have lasted for thirty-two thousand years.
ekārṇavāṃ mahīṃ kṛtvā rudhireṇa pariplutām। jaghnur daityāṃs tadā devās tridivaṃ caiva lebhire ॥12-34-15॥
The gods, having turned the earth into a single ocean flooded with blood, then slew the Daityas and thus gained heaven.
tathaiva pṛthivīṃ labdhvā brāhmaṇā vedapāragāḥ। saṃśritā dānavānāṃ vai sāhyārthe darpamohitāḥ॥12-34-16॥
Similarly, after gaining the earth, the Brāhmaṇas who had mastered the Vedas, seeking alliance, took refuge with the Dānavas, being deluded by pride.
śālāvṛkā iti khyātās triṣu lokeṣu bhārata। aṣṭāśītisahasrāṇi te cāpi vibudhair hatāḥ ॥12-34-17॥
O Bhārata, the jackals, thus known in the three worlds, eighty-eight thousand in number, were also slain by the wise.
dharmavyucchittim icchanto ye'dharmasya pravartakāḥ। hantavyās te durātmāno devair daityā iva ulbaṇāḥ॥12-34-18॥
Those who wish to destroy righteousness and promote unrighteousness—such wicked people must be slain by the gods, just as fierce demons are destroyed.
ekaṃ hatvā yadi kule śiṣṭānāṃ syādanāmayam। kulaṃ hatvātha rāṣṭraṃ vā na tadvṛttopaghātakam ॥12-34-19॥
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.
adharmarūpo dharmo hi kaścidasti narādhipa। dharmaścādharmarūpo'sti tacca jñeyaṃ vipaścitā ॥12-34-20॥
O king, sometimes what appears as righteousness is actually unrighteousness, and what appears as unrighteousness is actually righteousness; the wise should discern this.
tasmātsaṃstambhayātmānaṃ śrutavānasi pāṇḍava। devaiḥ pūrvagataṃ mārgam anuyāto'si bhārata ॥12-34-21॥
Therefore, O Pāṇḍava, restrain yourself; having listened, you, O Bhārata, have followed the path formerly taken by the gods.
na hīdṛśā gamiṣyanti narakaṃ pāṇḍavarṣabha. bhrātṝnāśvāsayaitāṃstvaṃ suhṛdaśca parantapa ॥12-34-22॥
Surely, such as these will not go to hell, O best of the Pāṇḍavas. Console your brothers and friends, O subduer of enemies.
yo hi pāpasamārambhe kārye tadbhāvabhāvitaḥ। kurvannapi tathaiva syātkṛtvā ca nirapatrapaḥ॥12-34-23॥
Whoever, being engaged in evil deeds and actions with such a disposition, even while acting thus, becomes shameless after having done so.
tasmiṃs tatkaluṣaṃ sarvaṃ samāptam iti śabditam। prāyaścittaṃ na tasyāsti hrāso vā pāpakarmaṇaḥ ॥12-34-24॥
It is declared that in that, all impurity is ended. For him, there is no atonement, nor any reduction of the evil deed.
tvaṃ tu śuklābhijātīyaḥ paradoṣeṇa kāritaḥ। anicchamānaḥ karmedaṃ kṛtvā ca paritapyase ॥12-34-25॥
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.
aśvamedho mahāyajñaḥ prāyaścittamudāhṛtam। tamāhara mahārāja vipāpmāivaṃ bhaviṣyasi ॥12-34-26॥
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.
marudbhiḥ saha jitvārīn maghavān pākaśāsanaḥ। ekaikaṃ kratum āhṛtya śatakṛtvaḥ śatakratuḥ ॥12-34-27॥
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.
pūtapāpmā jitasvargo lokānprāpya sukhodayān। marudgaṇavṛtaḥ śakraḥ śuśubhe bhāsayandiśaḥ ॥12-34-28॥
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.
svargaloke mahīyantam apsarobhiḥ śacīpatim। ṛṣayaḥ paryupāsante devāś ca vibudheśvaram ॥12-34-29॥
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.
so'yaṃ tvam iha saṅkrānto vikrameṇa vasundharām। nirjitāś ca mahīpālā vikrameṇa tvayānagha ॥12-34-30॥
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.
teṣāṃ purāṇi rāṣṭrāṇi gatvā rājan-suhṛd-vṛtaḥ। bhrātṝn putrāṃś ca pautrāṃś ca sve sve rājye'bhiṣecaya ॥12-34-31॥
O king, after visiting their ancient kingdoms with friends, anoint the brothers, sons, and grandsons in their respective kingdoms.
bālān api ca garbhasthān sāntvāni samudācaran। rañjayan prakṛtīḥ sarvāḥ paripāhi vasundharām ॥12-34-32॥
By uttering soothing words even to children and those in the womb, delighting all beings, may you protect the earth.
kumāro nāsti yeṣāṃ ca kanyās tatrābhiṣecaya। kāmāśayo hi strīvargaḥ śokam evaṃ prahāsyati ॥12-34-33॥
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.
evam āśvāsanaṃ kṛtvā sarvarāṣṭreṣu bhārata। yajasva vājimedhena yathendro vijayī purā ॥12-34-34॥
O Bhārata, after assuring all the kingdoms in this way, perform the horse-sacrifice just as Indra, the victorious one, did in ancient times.
aśocyās te mahātmānaḥ kṣatriyāḥ kṣatriyarṣabha। svakarmabhir gatā nāśaṃ kṛtāntabalamohitāḥ ॥12-34-35॥
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.
avāptaḥ kṣatradharmas te rājyaṃ prāptam akalmaṣam। carasva dharmaṃ kaunteya śreyān yaḥ pretya bhāvikaḥ ॥12-34-36॥
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.
