12.085
भीष्म उवाच॥
bhīṣma uvāca॥
[भीष्म (bhīṣma) - Bhīṣma; (name of a person); उवाच (uvāca) - said; (from the root 'vac' - to speak);]
(Bhīṣma said;)
Bhīṣma said:
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। बृहस्पतेश्च संवादं शक्रस्य च युधिष्ठिर ॥१२-८५-१॥
atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam। bṛhaspateś ca saṃvādaṃ śakrasya ca yudhiṣṭhira ॥12-85-1॥
[अत्र (atra) - here; अपि (api) - also; उदाहरन्ति (udāharanti) - they cite; इमम् (imam) - this; इतिहासम् (itihāsam) - history; पुरातनम् (purātanam) - ancient; बृहस्पतेः (bṛhaspateḥ) - of Bṛhaspati; च (ca) - and; संवादम् (saṃvādam) - dialogue; शक्रस्य (śakrasya) - of Śakra; च (ca) - and; युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhiṣṭhira;]
(Here also they cite this ancient history: the dialogue of Bṛhaspati and of Śakra, O Yudhiṣṭhira.)
Here too, O Yudhiṣṭhira, an ancient story is told: the conversation between Bṛhaspati and Śakra.
शक्र उवाच॥
śakra uvāca॥
[शक्र (śakra) - Indra; उवाच (uvāca) - said;]
(Indra said;)
Indra said:
किं स्विदेकपदं ब्रह्मन्पुरुषः सम्यगाचरन्। प्रमाणं सर्वभूतानां यशश्चैवाप्नुयान्महत् ॥१२-८५-२॥
kiṁ svid ekapadaṁ brahman puruṣaḥ samyag ācaran। pramāṇaṁ sarvabhūtānāṁ yaśaś caiva āpnuyān mahat ॥12-85-2॥
[किं (kiṁ) - what; स्वित् (svid) - indeed; एकपदं (ekapadam) - one word; ब्रह्मन् (brahman) - O Brahman; पुरुषः (puruṣaḥ) - person; सम्यक् (samyak) - properly; आचरन् (ācaran) - practicing; प्रमाणं (pramāṇam) - standard; सर्वभूतानां (sarvabhūtānām) - of all beings; यशः (yaśaḥ) - fame; च (ca) - and; एव (eva) - indeed; आप्नुयात् (āpnuyāt) - may obtain; महत् (mahat) - great;]
(What indeed is the one word, O Brahman, which a person, practicing properly, may obtain as the standard of all beings and great fame?)
O Brahman, what is that single word which, if a person practices it properly, will become the standard for all beings and bring him great fame?
बृहस्पतिरुवाच॥
bṛhaspatiruvāca॥
[बृहस्पति (bṛhaspati) - Bṛhaspati; (the sage, preceptor of the gods); उवाच (uvāca) - said;]
(Bṛhaspati said;)
Bṛhaspati said:
सान्त्वमेकपदं शक्र पुरुषः सम्यगाचरन्। प्रमाणं सर्वभूतानां यशश्चैवाप्नुयान्महत् ॥१२-८५-३॥
sāntvam-ekapadaṃ śakra puruṣaḥ samyag-ācaran। pramāṇaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ yaśaś-caivāpnuyān-mahat ॥12-85-3॥
[सान्त्वम् (sāntvam) - conciliation; एकपदं (ekapadam) - in one word; शक्र (śakra) - O Śakra; पुरुषः (puruṣaḥ) - a person; सम्यक् (samyak) - properly; आचरन् (ācaran) - practicing; प्रमाणं (pramāṇam) - standard; सर्वभूतानाम् (sarvabhūtānām) - of all beings; यशः (yaśaḥ) - fame; च (ca) - and; एव (eva) - indeed; आप्नुयात् (āpnuyāt) - may obtain; महत् (mahat) - great;]
(Conciliation in one word, O Śakra, a person properly practicing, as a standard for all beings, and indeed may obtain great fame.)
O Śakra, a person who properly practices conciliation in a single word, as a standard for all beings, may indeed obtain great fame.
एतदेकपदं शक्र सर्वलोकसुखावहम्। आचरन्सर्वभूतेषु प्रियो भवति सर्वदा ॥१२-८५-४॥
etad-ekapadaṃ śakra sarvalokasukhāvaham। ācaran sarvabhūteṣu priyo bhavati sarvadā ॥12-85-4॥
[एतत् (etat) - this; एकपदं (ekapadam) - one word; शक्र (śakra) - O Śakra; सर्वलोकसुखावहम् (sarvalokasukhāvaham) - bringing happiness to all worlds; आचरन् (ācaran) - practicing; सर्वभूतेषु (sarvabhūteṣu) - among all beings; प्रियः (priyaḥ) - dear; भवति (bhavati) - becomes; सर्वदा (sarvadā) - always;]
(This one word, O Śakra, bringing happiness to all worlds, practicing among all beings, becomes dear always.)
O Śakra, whoever practices this one word, which brings happiness to all worlds, among all beings, always becomes dear.
यो हि नाभाषते किञ्चित्सततं भ्रुकुटीमुखः। द्वेष्यो भवति भूतानां स सान्त्वमिह नाचरन् ॥१२-८५-५॥
yo hi nābhāṣate kiñcit satataṃ bhrukuṭī-mukhaḥ। dveṣyo bhavati bhūtānāṃ sa sāntvam iha nācaran ॥12-85-5॥
[यः (yaḥ) - who; हि (hi) - indeed; न (na) - not; आभाषते (ābhāṣate) - speaks; किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - anything; सततम् (satatam) - always; भ्रुकुटीमुखः (bhrukuṭī-mukhaḥ) - with frowning face; द्वेष्यः (dveṣyaḥ) - hateful; भवति (bhavati) - becomes; भूतानाम् (bhūtānām) - of beings; सः (saḥ) - he; सान्त्वम् (sāntvam) - gentleness; इह (iha) - here; न (na) - not; आचरन् (ācaran) - practicing;]
(He who indeed does not speak anything always, with a frowning face, becomes hateful to beings, he not practicing gentleness here.)
He who always remains silent and frowning, without practicing gentleness here, becomes hateful to others.
यस्तु पूर्वमभिप्रेक्ष्य पूर्वमेवाभिभाषते। स्मितपूर्वाभिभाषी च तस्य लोकः प्रसीदति ॥१२-८५-६॥
yastu pūrvam abhiprekṣya pūrvam eva abhibhāṣate। smita-pūrva-abhibhāṣī ca tasya lokaḥ prasīdati॥12-85-6॥
[यः (yaḥ) - who; तु (tu) - but; पूर्वम् (pūrvam) - before; अभिप्रेक्ष्य (abhiprekṣya) - having considered; पूर्वम् (pūrvam) - first; एव (eva) - indeed; अभिभाषते (abhibhāṣate) - speaks; स्मितपूर्व (smita-pūrva) - with a smile beforehand; अभिभाषी (abhibhāṣī) - one who speaks; च (ca) - and; तस्य (tasya) - his; लोकः (lokaḥ) - people; प्रसीदति (prasīdati) - become pleased;]
(But who, having considered beforehand, speaks first indeed; and who speaks with a smile beforehand, his people become pleased.)
But the one who, after careful consideration, speaks first and does so with a smile, wins the favor of people.
दानमेव हि सर्वत्र सान्त्वेनानभिजल्पितम्। न प्रीणयति भूतानि निर्व्यञ्जनमिवाशनम् ॥१२-८५-७॥
dānameva hi sarvatra sāntvenānabhijalpitam। na prīṇayati bhūtāni nirvyañjanam ivāśanam ॥12-85-7॥
[दानम् (dānam) - gift; (act of giving; एव (eva) - indeed; हि (hi) - for; सर्वत्र (sarvatra) - everywhere; सान्त्वेन (sāntvena) - with gentleness; अनभिजल्पितम् (anabhijalpitam) - without harsh words; न (na) - not; प्रीणयति (prīṇayati) - pleases; भूतानि (bhūtāni) - beings; निर्व्यञ्जनम् (nirvyañjanam) - without seasoning; इव (iva) - like; आशनम् (āśanam) - food;]
(Indeed, a gift everywhere, if not accompanied by gentleness and without harsh words, does not please beings, like food without seasoning.)
A gift, if given everywhere without gentleness and with harsh words, does not please beings, just as food without seasoning does not satisfy.
अदाता ह्यपि भूतानां मधुरामीरयन्गिरम्। सर्वलोकमिमं शक्र सान्त्वेन कुरुते वशे ॥१२-८५-८॥
adātā hy api bhūtānāṃ madhurām īrayann giram। sarvalokam imaṃ śakra sāntvena kurute vaśe ॥12-85-8॥
[अदाता (adātā) - one who does not give; हि (hi) - indeed; अपि (api) - even; भूतानाम् (bhūtānām) - of beings; मधुराम् (madhurām) - sweet; ईरयन् (īrayan) - uttering; गिरम् (giram) - speech; सर्वलोकम् (sarvalokam) - all the world; इमम् (imam) - this; शक्र (śakra) - O Śakra; सान्त्वेन (sāntvena) - with conciliation; कुरुते (kurute) - brings; वशे (vaśe) - under control;]
(Even one who does not give, indeed, uttering sweet speech, O Śakra, brings all these beings under control with conciliation.)
O Śakra, even a non-giver, by speaking sweetly and conciliating, brings all beings of this world under his control.
तस्मात्सान्त्वं प्रकर्तव्यं दण्डमाधित्सतामिह। फलं च जनयत्येवं न चास्योद्विजते जनः ॥१२-८५-९॥
tasmātsāntvaṃ prakartavyaṃ daṇḍamādhitsatāmiha। phalaṃ ca janayatyevaṃ na cāsyodvijate janaḥ ॥12-85-9॥
[तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore; सान्त्वं (sāntvam) - conciliation; प्रकर्तव्यं (prakartavyam) - should be done; दण्डम् (daṇḍam) - punishment; आधित्सताम् (ādhitsatām) - by those who desire to inflict; इह (iha) - here; फलं (phalam) - result; च (ca) - and; जनयति (janayati) - produces; एवं (evaṃ) - thus; न (na) - not; च (ca) - and; अस्य (asya) - of him; उद्विजते (udvijate) - is agitated; जनः (janaḥ) - people;]
(Therefore, conciliation should be done by those who desire to inflict punishment here; and thus the result is produced, and people are not agitated by him.)
Therefore, those who wish to punish should first attempt conciliation; in this way, the result is achieved and people are not disturbed by him.
सुकृतस्य हि सान्त्वस्य श्लक्ष्णस्य मधुरस्य च। सम्यगासेव्यमानस्य तुल्यं जातु न विद्यते ॥१२-८५-१०॥
sukṛtasya hi sāntvasya ślakṣṇasya madhurasya ca। samyagāsevyamānasya tulyaṃ jātu na vidyate ॥12-85-10॥
[सुकृतस्य (sukṛtasya) - of good deed; हि (hi) - indeed; सान्त्वस्य (sāntvasya) - of conciliation; श्लक्ष्णस्य (ślakṣṇasya) - of gentleness; मधुरस्य (madhurasya) - of sweetness; च (ca) - and; सम्यक् (samyak) - properly; आसेव्यमानस्य (āsevyamānasya) - of being attended; तुल्यं (tulyaṃ) - equal; जातु (jātu) - ever; न (na) - not; विद्यते (vidyate) - exists;]
(Of good deed indeed, of conciliation, of gentleness, of sweetness and, properly being attended, equal ever not exists.)
There is truly nothing equal to the proper practice of good deeds, conciliation, gentleness, and sweetness.
भीष्म उवाच॥
bhīṣma uvāca॥
[भीष्म (bhīṣma) - Bhīṣma; (name of a person); उवाच (uvāca) - said; (he spoke);]
(Bhīṣma said;)
Bhīṣma said:
इत्युक्तः कृतवान्सर्वं तथा शक्रः पुरोधसा। तथा त्वमपि कौन्तेय सम्यगेतत्समाचर ॥१२-८५-११॥
ityuktaḥ kṛtavān sarvaṃ tathā śakraḥ purodhasā। tathā tvam api kaunteya samyag etat samācara ॥12-85-11॥
[इति (iti) - thus; उक्तः (uktaḥ) - having been told; कृतवान् (kṛtavān) - did; सर्वं (sarvaṃ) - all; तथा (tathā) - in that manner; शक्रः (śakraḥ) - Śakra (Indra); पुरोधसा (purodhasā) - by the priest; तथा (tathā) - in that manner; त्वम् (tvam) - you; अपि (api) - also; कौन्तेय (kaunteya) - O son of Kunti; सम्यक् (samyak) - properly; एतत् (etat) - this; समाचर (samācara) - perform;]
(Thus having been told, Śakra (Indra) did all (that was required) by the priest in that manner. In the same way, you also, O son of Kunti, properly perform this.)
Thus, when instructed, Śakra (Indra) did everything as directed by the priest. Likewise, O son of Kunti, you too should properly perform this.
