12.105
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
धार्मिकोऽर्थानसम्प्राप्य राजामात्यैः प्रबाधितः। च्युतः कोशाच्च दण्डाच्च सुखमिच्छन्कथं चरेत् ॥१२-१०५-१॥
How should a righteous person, who has not obtained wealth, is oppressed by the king and his ministers, and is deprived of both treasury and punishment, act if he desires happiness?
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhīṣma said.
अत्रायं क्षेमदर्शीयमितिहासोऽनुगीयते। तत्तेऽहं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि तन्निबोध युधिष्ठिर ॥१२-१०५-२॥
Here, the story of Kṣemadarśin is narrated. I will now fully explain it to you; listen carefully, O Yudhiṣṭhira.
क्षेमदर्शं नृपसुतं यत्र क्षीणबलं पुरा। मुनिः कालकवृक्षीय आजगामेति नः श्रुतम् ॥ तं पप्रच्छोपसङ्गृह्य कृच्छ्रामापदमास्थितः ॥१२-१०५-३॥
We have heard that, in the past, when the prince Kṣemadarśa was weakened, the sage from Kalakavṛkṣa came there. Approaching him, who was in great distress, the sage questioned him.
अर्थेषु भागी पुरुष ईहमानः पुनः पुनः। अलब्ध्वा मद्विधो राज्यं ब्रह्मन्किं कर्तुमर्हति ॥१२-१०५-४॥
O Brahman, a person who, striving again and again for objects, does not obtain a kingdom like mine—what should he do?
अन्यत्र मरणात्स्तेयादन्यत्र परसंश्रयात्। क्षुद्रादन्यत्र चाचारात्तन्ममाचक्ष्व सत्तम ॥१२-१०५-५॥
O best one, tell me that (means of livelihood) which is other than death, theft, dependence on others, meanness, and improper conduct.
व्याधिना चाभिपन्नस्य मानसेनेतरेण वा। बहुश्रुतः कृतप्रज्ञस्त्वद्विधः शरणं भवेत् ॥१२-१०५-६॥
Whether afflicted by disease, mental distress, or any other cause, a person well-versed in scriptures and endowed with wisdom, like you, should become a refuge.
निर्विद्य हि नरः कामान्नियम्य सुखमेधते। त्यक्त्वा प्रीतिं च शोकं च लब्ध्वाप्रीतिमयं वसु ॥१२-१०५-७॥
Indeed, when a man becomes disinterested and restrains his desires, he attains happiness. By abandoning both pleasure and sorrow, and by obtaining wealth that is devoid of pleasure, he finds contentment.
सुखमर्थाश्रयं येषामनुशोचामि तानहम्। मम ह्यर्थाः सुबहवो नष्टाः स्वप्न इवागताः ॥१२-१०५-८॥
I grieve for those whose happiness and wealth I have lost; for indeed, my many riches have vanished, as if they had come in a dream.
दुष्करं बत कुर्वन्ति महतोऽर्थांस्त्यजन्ति ये। वयं त्वेनान्परित्यक्तुमसतोऽपि न शक्नुमः ॥१२-१०५-९॥
Indeed, those who abandon great objects perform a difficult task; but we are not able to abandon even these worthless ones.
इमामवस्थां सम्प्राप्तं दीनमार्तं श्रियश्च्युतम्। यदन्यत्सुखमस्तीह तद्ब्रह्मन्ननुशाधि माम् ॥१२-१०५-१०॥
I have reached this state, wretched and afflicted, with my prosperity lost. O Brahman, whatever other happiness remains here, please instruct me about that.
कौसल्येनैवमुक्तस्तु राजपुत्रेण धीमता। मुनिः कालकवृक्षीयः प्रत्युवाच महाद्युतिः ॥१२-१०५-११॥
Thus addressed by the wise prince Kausalya, the greatly radiant sage of the Kālakavṛkṣa lineage replied.
पुरस्तादेव ते बुद्धिरियं कार्या विजानतः। अनित्यं सर्वमेवेदमहं च मम चास्ति यत् ॥१२-१०५-१२॥
Earlier, the wise should apply this understanding. Everything that is perceived as "I and mine" is impermanent.
यत्किञ्चिन्मन्यसेऽस्तीति सर्वं नास्तीति विद्धि तत्। एवं न व्यथते प्राज्ञः कृच्छ्रामप्यापदं गतः ॥१२-१०५-१३॥
Whatever you consider to exist, know all that as non-existent. Thus, the wise person is not disturbed, even when faced with great difficulty or calamity.
यद्धि भूतं भविष्यच्च ध्रुवं तन्न भविष्यति। एवं विदितवेद्यस्त्वमधर्मेभ्यः प्रमोक्ष्यसे ॥१२-१०५-१४॥
That which has existed and will exist, that which is permanent, will not cease to be. Thus, knowing this, you will be freed from unrighteousness.
यच्च पूर्वे समाहारे यच्च पूर्वतरे परे। सर्वं तन्नास्ति तच्चैव तज्ज्ञात्वा कोऽनुसञ्ज्वरेत् ॥१२-१०५-१५॥
Whatever the former ones possessed in the collection, and whatever the still earlier others had, all that does not exist; knowing that, who should grieve after it?
भूत्वा च न भवत्येतदभूत्वा च भवत्यपि। शोके न ह्यस्ति सामर्थ्यं शोकं कुर्यात्कथं नरः ॥१२-१०५-१६॥
Whether something has come to be or not, this is the case; even if it has not come to be, it still happens. In grief, indeed, there is no power; how can a man act out of grief?
क्व नु तेऽद्य पिता राजन्क्व नु तेऽद्य पितामहः। न त्वं पश्यसि तानद्य न त्वा पश्यन्ति तेऽपि च ॥१२-१०५-१७॥
O king, where is your father today, where is your grandfather today? Today, you do not see them, nor do they see you.
आत्मनोऽध्रुवतां पश्यंस्तांस्त्वं किमनुशोचसि। बुद्ध्या चैवानुबुध्यस्व ध्रुवं हि न भविष्यसि ॥१२-१०५-१८॥
Seeing the impermanence of the self, why do you grieve for them? Understand with your intellect that certainly you will not remain forever.
अहं च त्वं च नृपते शत्रवः सुहृदश्च ते। अवश्यं न भविष्यामः सर्वं च न भविष्यति ॥१२-१०५-१९॥
O king, neither I nor you, nor your friends or enemies, will remain; indeed, nothing will remain.
ये तु विंशतिवर्षा वै त्रिंशद्वर्षाश्च मानवाः। अर्वागेव हि ते सर्वे मरिष्यन्ति शरच्छतात् ॥१२-१०५-२०॥
But those men who are twenty or thirty years old, indeed, all of them will die before reaching a hundred years.
अपि चेन्महतो वित्ताद्विप्रमुच्येत पूरुषः। नैतन्ममेति तन्मत्वा कुर्वीत प्रियमात्मनः ॥१२-१०५-२१॥
Even if a person is deprived of great wealth, realizing 'this is not mine', one should act in a way that is truly beneficial to oneself.
अनागतं यन्न ममेति विद्या; दतिक्रान्तं यन्न ममेति विद्यात्। दिष्टं बलीय इति मन्यमाना; स्ते पण्डितास्तत्सतां स्थानमाहुः ॥१२-१०५-२२॥
The wise, considering what is destined as most powerful, say that the attitude of not claiming as 'mine' either what is yet to come or what is past is the true position of the virtuous.
अनाढ्याश्चापि जीवन्ति राज्यं चाप्यनुशासते। बुद्धिपौरुषसम्पन्नास्त्वया तुल्याधिका जनाः ॥१२-१०५-२३॥
Even those who are not wealthy live and also govern kingdoms; there are people endowed with intellect and manliness who are equal or even greater than you.
न च त्वमिव शोचन्ति तस्मात्त्वमपि मा शुचः। किं नु त्वं तैर्न वै श्रेयांस्तुल्यो वा बुद्धिपौरुषैः ॥१२-१०५-२४॥
You do not grieve as they do; therefore, you too should not grieve. Are you not, indeed, either superior or at least equal to them in intellect and strength?
राजपुत्र उवाच॥
The prince said.
यादृच्छिकं ममासीत्तद्राज्यमित्येव चिन्तये। ह्रियते सर्वमेवेदं कालेन महता द्विज ॥१२-१०५-२५॥
I consider that my kingdom came to me by chance. O Brahmin, all of this is taken away by the great force of time.
तस्यैवं ह्रियमाणस्य स्रोतसेव तपोधन। फलमेतत्प्रपश्यामि यथालब्धेन वर्तये ॥१२-१०५-२६॥
O ascetic, as he is thus being swept away by the current, I see this as the fruit; I subsist with whatever is obtained.
मुनिरुवाच॥
The sage said.
अनागतमतीतं च यथा तथ्यविनिश्चयात्। नानुशोचसि कौसल्य सर्वार्थेषु तथा भव ॥१२-१०५-२७॥
O Kausalya, just as you do not grieve for what has not yet come or what is past, having determined the truth, so too be in all matters.
अवाप्यान्कामयस्वार्थान्नानवाप्यान्कदाचन। प्रत्युत्पन्नाननुभवन्मा शुचस्त्वमनागतान् ॥१२-१०५-२८॥
Desire only those objects that can be obtained, never those that cannot. While experiencing what has arisen, do not grieve for what has not yet come.
यथा लब्धोपपन्नार्थस्तथा कौसल्य रंस्यसे। कच्चिच्छुद्धस्वभावेन श्रिया हीनो न शोचसि ॥१२-१०५-२९॥
Just as one rejoices upon attaining what is sought, so, O Kausalya, you too will rejoice. I hope, being of pure nature, you do not grieve if deprived of prosperity.
पुरस्ताद्भूतपूर्वत्वाद्धीनभाग्यो हि दुर्मतिः। धातारं गर्हते नित्यं लब्धार्थांश्च न मृष्यते ॥१२-१०५-३०॥
A person of poor fortune and evil mind, due to his past nature, always blames the creator and cannot tolerate those who have gained wealth.
अनर्हानपि चैवान्यान्मन्यते श्रीमतो जनान्। एतस्मात्कारणादेतद्दुःखं भूयोऽनुवर्तते ॥१२-१०५-३१॥
A wealthy person considers even unworthy others as people; for this reason, this suffering continues to follow again.
ईर्ष्यातिच्छेदसम्पन्ना राजन्पुरुषमानिनः। कच्चित्त्वं न तथा प्राज्ञ मत्सरी कोसलाधिप ॥१२-१०५-३२॥
O lord of Kosala, are you, wise as you are, not jealous in the way that those proud of manliness and endowed with excessive envy are, O king?
सहस्व श्रियमन्येषां यद्यपि त्वयि नास्ति सा। अन्यत्रापि सतीं लक्ष्मीं कुशला भुञ्जते जनाः ॥ अभिविष्यन्दते श्रीर्हि सत्यपि द्विषतो जनात् ॥१२-१०५-३३॥
Endure the prosperity of others, even if you do not possess it yourself. Skilled people enjoy fortune even when it exists elsewhere. Prosperity indeed overflows even from those who are hostile, even if that is true.
श्रियं च पुत्रपौत्रं च मनुष्या धर्मचारिणः। त्यागधर्मविदो वीराः स्वयमेव त्यजन्त्युत ॥१२-१०५-३४॥
Men who are practitioners of dharma, heroes who know the dharma of renunciation, themselves indeed abandon prosperity and sons and grandsons.
बहु सङ्कसुकं दृष्ट्वा विवित्सासाधनेन च। तथान्ये सन्त्यजन्त्येनं मत्वा परमदुर्लभम् ॥१२-१०५-३५॥
Seeing many hardships and the lack of means for the desire to know, others, thinking it extremely difficult to attain, abandon it.
त्वं पुनः प्राज्ञरूपः सन्कृपणं परितप्यसे। अकाम्यान्कामयानोऽर्थान्पराचीनानुपद्रुतान् ॥१२-१०५-३६॥
You, though appearing wise, again grieve miserably, desiring objects that are undesirable, turned away, and afflicted.
तां बुद्धिमुपजिज्ञासुस्त्वमेवैनान्परित्यज। अनर्थांश्चार्थरूपेण अर्थांश्चानर्थरूपतः ॥१२-१०५-३७॥
You, wishing to understand that intellect, should indeed abandon these: misfortunes appearing as benefits, and benefits appearing as misfortunes.
अर्थायैव हि केषाञ्चिद्धननाशो भवत्युत। अनन्त्यं तं सुखं मत्वा श्रियमन्यः परीक्षते ॥१२-१०५-३८॥
For the sake of gain, some people indeed experience loss of wealth; recognizing that happiness is impermanent, another person examines prosperity.
रममाणः श्रिया कश्चिन्नान्यच्छ्रेयोऽभिमन्यते। तथा तस्येहमानस्य समारम्भो विनश्यति ॥१२-१०५-३९॥
A person who delights in prosperity does not consider anything else to be better; thus, the efforts of such a person come to ruin.
कृच्छ्राल्लब्धमभिप्रेतं यदा कौसल्य नश्यति। तदा निर्विद्यते सोऽर्थात्परिभग्नक्रमो नरः ॥१२-१०५-४०॥
When the prosperity that was arduously gained and cherished is lost, then a man whose order is shattered becomes disinterested in wealth.
धर्ममेकेऽभिपद्यन्ते कल्याणाभिजना नराः। परत्र सुखमिच्छन्तो निर्विद्येयुश्च लौकिकात् ॥१२-१०५-४१॥
Some men of noble lineage resort to dharma; wishing for happiness in the hereafter, they become detached from worldly things.
जीवितं सन्त्यजन्त्येके धनलोभपरा नराः। न जीवितार्थं मन्यन्ते पुरुषा हि धनादृते ॥१२-१०५-४२॥
Some men, driven by greed for wealth, give up their very lives; for men do not consider life to have value without wealth.
पश्य तेषां कृपणतां पश्य तेषामबुद्धिताम्। अध्रुवे जीविते मोहादर्थतृष्णामुपाश्रिताः ॥१२-१०५-४३॥
See their misery, see their lack of wisdom; in this impermanent life, out of delusion, they have resorted to the craving for wealth.
सञ्चये च विनाशान्ते मरणान्ते च जीविते। संयोगे विप्रयोगान्ते को नु विप्रणयेन्मनः ॥१२-१०५-४४॥
Who could truly delight the mind in accumulation and destruction, in life and at the end of death, in union and at the end of separation?
धनं वा पुरुषं राजन्पुरुषो वा पुनर्धनम्। अवश्यं प्रजहात्येतत्तद्विद्वान्कोऽनुसञ्ज्वरेत् ॥१२-१०५-४५॥
O king, either wealth leaves a person or a person leaves wealth; since this is inevitable, who among the wise should grieve over it?
अन्येषामपि नश्यन्ति सुहृदश्च धनानि च। पश्य बुद्ध्या मनुष्याणां राजन्नापदमात्मनः ॥ नियच्छ यच्छ संयच्छ इन्द्रियाणि मनो गिरम् ॥१२-१०५-४६॥
O king, the friends and wealth of others also perish; observe with intellect the misfortune of men, including your own. Restrain, control, and completely restrain the senses, the mind, and speech.
प्रतिषिद्धानवाप्येषु दुर्लभेष्वहितेषु च। प्रतिकृष्टेषु भावेषु व्यतिकृष्टेष्वसम्भवे ॥ प्रज्ञानतृप्तो विक्रान्तस्त्वद्विधो नानुशोचति ॥१२-१०५-४७॥
A person like you, who is courageous and satisfied with wisdom, does not grieve for things that are forbidden, unattainable, difficult to obtain, harmful, degraded, mixed, or impossible.
अल्पमिच्छन्नचपलो मृदुर्दान्तः सुसंशितः। ब्रह्मचर्योपपन्नश्च त्वद्विधो नैव मुह्यति ॥१२-१०५-४८॥
A person like you, who desires little, is steady, gentle, self-restrained, well-disciplined, and endowed with brahmacarya, truly never becomes deluded.
न त्वेव जाल्मीं कापालीं वृत्तिमेषितुमर्हसि। नृशंसवृत्तिं पापिष्ठां दुःखां कापुरुषोचिताम् ॥१२-१०५-४९॥
You should not seek a wicked, skull-bearing way of life; such cruel, sinful, painful conduct is fit only for a coward.
अपि मूलफलाजीवो रमस्वैको महावने। वाग्यतः सङ्गृहीतात्मा सर्वभूतदयान्वितः ॥१२-१०५-५०॥
Indeed, live alone in the great forest, sustaining yourself on roots and fruits, delighting in solitude, with restrained speech, self-control, and compassion for all beings.
सदृशं पण्डितस्यैतदीषादन्तेन दन्तिना। यदेको रमतेऽरण्ये यच्चाप्यल्पेन तुष्यति ॥१२-१०५-५१॥
The wise man is like the elephant with a slightly worn tusk: he finds joy alone in the forest and is content with little.
महाह्रदः सङ्क्षुभित आत्मनैव प्रसीदति। एतदेवङ्गतस्याहं सुखं पश्यामि केवलम् ॥१२-१०५-५२॥
Just as a great lake, though disturbed, calms itself, so too do I see happiness only in this: for one who has departed in this way, peace arises by itself.
असम्भवे श्रियो राजन्हीनस्य सचिवादिभिः। दैवे प्रतिनिविष्टे च किं श्रेयो मन्यते भवान् ॥१२-१०५-५३॥
When prosperity is impossible for one who is without a king, even with ministers and others, and when fate is determined, what benefit do you think there is?
