12.105
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
dhārmiko'rthānasamprāpya rājāmātyaiḥ prabādhitaḥ। cyutaḥ kośācca daṇḍācca sukhamicchankathaṃ caret ॥12-105-1॥
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?
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
atrāyaṃ kṣemadarśīyam-itihāso'nugīyate। tat-te'haṃ sampravakṣyāmi tan-nibodha yudhiṣṭhira ॥12-105-2॥
Here, the story of Kṣemadarśin is narrated. I will now fully explain it to you; listen carefully, O Yudhiṣṭhira.
kṣemadarśaṃ nṛpasutaṃ yatra kṣīṇabalaṃ purā। muniḥ kālakavṛkṣīya ājagāmeti naḥ śrutam ॥ taṃ papracchopasaṅgṛhya kṛcchrāmāpadamāsthitaḥ ॥12-105-3॥
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.
artheṣu bhāgī puruṣa īhamānaḥ punaḥ punaḥ। alabdhvā mad-vidho rājyaṃ brahman kiṃ kartum arhati॥12-105-4॥
O Brahman, a person who, striving again and again for objects, does not obtain a kingdom like mine—what should he do?
anyatra maraṇāt steyād anyatra parasaṃśrayāt। kṣudrād anyatra ca ācārāt tan mama ācakṣva sattama ॥12-105-5॥
O best one, tell me that (means of livelihood) which is other than death, theft, dependence on others, meanness, and improper conduct.
vyādhinā cābhipannasya mānasenitareṇa vā। bahuśrutaḥ kṛtaprajñastvadvidhaḥ śaraṇaṃ bhavet ॥12-105-6॥
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.
nirvidya hi naraḥ kāmān niyamya sukham edhate। tyaktvā prītiṃ ca śokaṃ ca labdhvā aprītimayaṃ vasu ॥12-105-7॥
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.
sukham-arthāśrayaṃ yeṣām anuśocāmi tān aham। mama hy arthāḥ subahavo naṣṭāḥ svapna iva āgatāḥ ॥12-105-8॥
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.
duṣkaraṃ bata kurvanti mahato'rthāṃstyajanti ye। vayaṃ tvenānparityaktumasato'pi na śaknumaḥ ॥12-105-9॥
Indeed, those who abandon great objects perform a difficult task; but we are not able to abandon even these worthless ones.
imām avasthāṃ samprāptaṃ dīnam ārtaṃ śriyaś cyutam। yad anyat sukham asti iha tad brahman anuśādhi mām ॥12-105-10॥
I have reached this state, wretched and afflicted, with my prosperity lost. O Brahman, whatever other happiness remains here, please instruct me about that.
kausalyenaivamuktastu rājaputreṇa dhīmatā। muniḥ kālakavṛkṣīyaḥ pratyuvāca mahādyutiḥ ॥12-105-11॥
Thus addressed by the wise prince Kausalya, the greatly radiant sage of the Kālakavṛkṣa lineage replied.
purastādeva te buddhiriyaṃ kāryā vijānataḥ। anityaṃ sarvamevedamahaṃ ca mama cāsti yat ॥12-105-12॥
Earlier, the wise should apply this understanding. Everything that is perceived as "I and mine" is impermanent.
yatkiñcin manyase'stīti sarvaṃ nāstīti viddhi tat। evaṃ na vyathate prājñaḥ kṛcchrāmapyāpadaṃ gataḥ ॥12-105-13॥
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.
yaddhi bhūtaṃ bhaviṣyacca dhruvaṃ tan na bhaviṣyati। evaṃ viditavedyas tvam adharmebhyaḥ pramokṣyase ॥12-105-14॥
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.
yacca pūrve samāhāre yacca pūrvatare pare। sarvaṃ tannāsti taccaiva tajjñātvā ko'nusañjvaret ॥12-105-15॥
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?
bhūtvā ca na bhavaty etad abhūtvā ca bhavaty api। śoke na hy asti sāmarthyaṃ śokaṃ kuryāt kathaṃ naraḥ ॥12-105-16॥
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?
kva nu te'dya pitā rājan kva nu te'dya pitāmahaḥ। na tvaṃ paśyasi tān adya na tvā paśyanti te'pi ca ॥12-105-17॥
O king, where is your father today, where is your grandfather today? Today, you do not see them, nor do they see you.
ātmano'dhruvatāṃ paśyaṃstāṃstvaṃ kimanuśocasi। buddhyā caivānubudhyasva dhruvaṃ hi na bhaviṣyasi ॥12-105-18॥
Seeing the impermanence of the self, why do you grieve for them? Understand with your intellect that certainly you will not remain forever.
ahaṃ ca tvaṃ ca nṛpate śatravaḥ suhṛdaś ca te। avaśyaṃ na bhaviṣyāmaḥ sarvaṃ ca na bhaviṣyati ॥12-105-19॥
O king, neither I nor you, nor your friends or enemies, will remain; indeed, nothing will remain.
ye tu viṃśativarṣā vai triṃśadvarṣāś ca mānavāḥ। arvāg eva hi te sarve mariṣyanti śaracchatāt ॥12-105-20॥
But those men who are twenty or thirty years old, indeed, all of them will die before reaching a hundred years.
api cen mahato vittād vipramucyeta pūruṣaḥ। na etat mama iti tan matvā kurvīta priyam ātmanaḥ॥12-105-21॥
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.
anāgataṃ yan na mameti vidyā; atikrāntaṃ yan na mameti vidyāt। diṣṭaṃ balīya iti manyamānāḥ; te paṇḍitās tat-satāṃ sthānam āhuḥ ॥12-105-22॥
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.
anāḍhyāś cāpi jīvanti rājyaṃ cāpy anuśāsate| buddhipauruṣasampannās tvayā tulyādhikā janāḥ ॥12-105-23॥
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.
na ca tvam iva śocanti tasmāt tvam api mā śucaḥ। kiṃ nu tvaṃ tair na vai śreyāṃs tulyo vā buddhi-pauruṣaiḥ॥12-105-24॥
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?
rājaputra uvāca॥
The prince said.
yādṛcchikaṃ mamāsīttadraajyamityeva cintaye। hriyate sarvamevedaṃ kālena mahatā dvija ॥12-105-25॥
I consider that my kingdom came to me by chance. O Brahmin, all of this is taken away by the great force of time.
tasyai vaṃ hriyamāṇasya srotaseva tapodhana। phalam etat prapaśyāmi yathālabdhena vartaye ॥12-105-26॥
O ascetic, as he is thus being swept away by the current, I see this as the fruit; I subsist with whatever is obtained.
muniruvāca॥
The sage said.
anāgatamatītaṃ ca yathā tathyaviniścayāt। nānuśocasi kausalya sarvārtheṣu tathā bhava ॥12-105-27॥
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.
avāpyān kāmayasva arthān nānavāpyān kadācana। pratyutpannān anubhavān mā śucas tvam anāgatān ॥12-105-28॥
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.
yathā labdhopapannārthas tathā kausalya raṁsyase। kaccic chuddhasvabhāvena śriyā hīno na śocasi ॥12-105-29॥
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.
purastādbhūtapūrvatvāddhīnābhāgyo hi durmatiḥ। dhātāraṃ garhate nityaṃ labdhārthāṃśca na mṛṣyate ॥12-105-30॥
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.
anarhān api ca eva anyān manyate śrīmataḥ janān। etasmāt kāraṇāt etat duḥkham bhūyaḥ anuvartate॥12-105-31॥
A wealthy person considers even unworthy others as people; for this reason, this suffering continues to follow again.
īrṣyāticchedasampannā rājanpuruṣamāninaḥ। kaccittvaṃ na tathā prājña matsarī kosalādhipa ॥12-105-32॥
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?
sahasva śriyamanyeṣāṃ yadyapi tvayi nāsti sā। anyatrāpi satīṃ lakṣmīṃ kuśalā bhuñjate janāḥ ॥ abhiviṣyandate śrīrhi satyapi dviṣato janāt ॥12-105-33॥
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.
śriyaṃ ca putrapautraṃ ca manuṣyā dharmacāriṇaḥ। tyāgadharmavido vīrāḥ svayameva tyajantyuta ॥12-105-34॥
Men who are practitioners of dharma, heroes who know the dharma of renunciation, themselves indeed abandon prosperity and sons and grandsons.
bahu saṅkasukaṃ dṛṣṭvā vivitsāsādhanena ca। tathānye santyajantyenaṃ matvā paramadurlabham ॥12-105-35॥
Seeing many hardships and the lack of means for the desire to know, others, thinking it extremely difficult to attain, abandon it.
tvaṃ punaḥ prājñarūpaḥ san kṛpaṇaṃ paritapyase। akāmyān kāmayānaḥ arthān parācīnān upadrutān ॥12-105-36॥
You, though appearing wise, again grieve miserably, desiring objects that are undesirable, turned away, and afflicted.
tāṃ buddhim-upajijñāsus tvam eva enān parityaja| anarthāṃś cārtharūpeṇa arthāṃś cānartharūpataḥ ॥12-105-37॥
You, wishing to understand that intellect, should indeed abandon these: misfortunes appearing as benefits, and benefits appearing as misfortunes.
arthāyaiva hi keṣāñciddhananāśo bhavatyuta। anantyaṃ taṃ sukhaṃ matvā śriyamanyaḥ parīkṣate ॥12-105-38॥
For the sake of gain, some people indeed experience loss of wealth; recognizing that happiness is impermanent, another person examines prosperity.
ramamāṇaḥ śriyā kaścin nānyac chreyo'bhimanyate। tathā tasyehamānasya samārambho vinaśyati ॥12-105-39॥
A person who delights in prosperity does not consider anything else to be better; thus, the efforts of such a person come to ruin.
kṛcchrāllabdhamabhipretaṃ yadā kausalya naśyati। tadā nirvidyate so'rthātparibhagnakramo naraḥ ॥12-105-40॥
When the prosperity that was arduously gained and cherished is lost, then a man whose order is shattered becomes disinterested in wealth.
dharmam eke'bhipadyante kalyāṇābhijanā narāḥ। paratra sukham icchanto nirvidyeyuś ca laukikāt ॥12-105-41॥
Some men of noble lineage resort to dharma; wishing for happiness in the hereafter, they become detached from worldly things.
jīvitaṃ santyajantyeke dhanalobhaparā narāḥ। na jīvitārthaṃ manyante puruṣā hi dhanādṛte ॥12-105-42॥
Some men, driven by greed for wealth, give up their very lives; for men do not consider life to have value without wealth.
paśya teṣāṃ kṛpaṇatāṃ paśya teṣām abuddhitām। adhruve jīvite mohād arthatṛṣṇām upāśritāḥ ॥12-105-43॥
See their misery, see their lack of wisdom; in this impermanent life, out of delusion, they have resorted to the craving for wealth.
sañcaye ca vināśānte maraṇānte ca jīvite। saṃyoge viprayogānte ko nu vipraṇayen manaḥ ॥12-105-44॥
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?
dhanaṃ vā puruṣaṃ rājanpuruṣo vā punardhanam। avaśyaṃ prajahātyetattadvidvānko'nusañjvaret ॥12-105-45॥
O king, either wealth leaves a person or a person leaves wealth; since this is inevitable, who among the wise should grieve over it?
anyeṣām api naśyanti suhṛdaś ca dhanāni ca। paśya buddhyā manuṣyāṇāṃ rājann āpadam ātmanaḥ ॥ niyaccha yaccha saṃyaccha indriyāṇi mano giram ॥12-105-46॥
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.
pratiṣiddhānavāpyeṣu durlabheṣvahiteṣu ca। pratikṛṣṭeṣu bhāveṣu vyatikṛṣṭeṣvasambhave ॥ prajñānatṛpto vikrāntastvavidho nānuśocati ॥12-105-47॥
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.
alpamicchannacapalo mṛdurdāntaḥ susaṃśitaḥ। brahmacaryopapannaśca tvadvidho naiva muhyati ॥12-105-48॥
A person like you, who desires little, is steady, gentle, self-restrained, well-disciplined, and endowed with brahmacarya, truly never becomes deluded.
na tveva jālmīṃ kāpālīṃ vṛttimeṣitumarhasi। nṛśaṃsavṛttiṃ pāpiṣṭhāṃ duḥkhāṃ kāpuruṣocitām ॥12-105-49॥
You should not seek a wicked, skull-bearing way of life; such cruel, sinful, painful conduct is fit only for a coward.
api mūlaphalājīvo ramasvaiko mahāvane। vāgyataḥ saṅgṛhītātmā sarvabhūtadayānvitaḥ ॥12-105-50॥
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.
sadṛśaṃ paṇḍitasyaitadīṣādantena dantinā। yadeko ramate'raṇye yaccāpyalpena tuṣyati ॥12-105-51॥
The wise man is like the elephant with a slightly worn tusk: he finds joy alone in the forest and is content with little.
mahāhradaḥ saṅkṣubhita ātmanai'va prasīdati। etadevaṅgatasyāhaṃ sukhaṃ paśyāmi kevalam ॥12-105-52॥
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.
asambhave śriyo rājaṃhīnasya sacivādibhiḥ। daive pratiniviṣṭe ca kiṃ śreyo manyate bhavān ॥12-105-53॥
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?
