12.132
भीष्म उवाच॥
bhīṣma uvāca॥
[भीष्म (bhīṣma) - Bhīṣma; उवाच (uvāca) - said;]
(Bhīṣma said;)
Bhīṣma said.
अत्र कर्मान्तवचनं कीर्तयन्ति पुराविदः। प्रत्यक्षावेव धर्मार्थौ क्षत्रियस्य विजानतः ॥ तत्र न व्यवधातव्यं परोक्षा धर्मयापना ॥१२-१३२-१॥
atra karmāntavacanaṃ kīrtayanti purāvidaḥ। pratyakṣāveva dharmārthau kṣatriyasya vijānataḥ॥ tatra na vyavadhātavyaṃ parokṣā dharmayāpanā॥12-132-1॥
[अत्र (atra) - here; कर्मान्तवचनं (karmāntavacanaṃ) - statement regarding the end of action; कीर्तयन्ति (kīrtayanti) - they mention; पुराविदः (purāvidaḥ) - knowers of ancient times; प्रत्यक्षावेव (pratyakṣāveva) - indeed in direct perception; धर्मार्थौ (dharmārthau) - dharma and artha; क्षत्रियस्य (kṣatriyasya) - of the kṣatriya; विजानतः (vijānataḥ) - of the one who knows; तत्र (tatra) - there; न (na) - not; व्यवधातव्यं (vyavadhātavyaṃ) - should be obstructed; परोक्षा (parokṣā) - indirect; धर्मयापना (dharmayāpanā) - maintenance of dharma; १२-१३२-१ (12-132-1) - 12-132-1;]
(Here, the knowers of ancient times mention the statement regarding the end of action. Indeed, for the kṣatriya who knows, dharma and artha are in direct perception. There, indirect maintenance of dharma should not be obstructed. 12-132-1.)
Here, the ancient authorities mention the statement about the conclusion of action. For the kṣatriya who understands, both dharma and artha are directly perceived. In that context, indirect maintenance of dharma should not be hindered. 12-132-1.
अधर्मो धर्म इत्येतद्यथा वृकपदं तथा। धर्माधर्मफले जातु न ददर्शेह कश्चन ॥१२-१३२-२॥
adharmo dharma ity etad yathā vṛkapadaṃ tathā। dharmādharmaphale jātu na dadarśeha kaścana॥12-132-2॥
[अधर्मः (adharmaḥ) - unrighteousness; धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - righteousness; इति (iti) - thus; एतत् (etat) - this; यथा (yathā) - just as; वृकपदं (vṛkapadam) - wolf's footprint; तथा (tathā) - so; धर्म-अधर्म-फले (dharma-adharma-phale) - in the fruits of righteousness and unrighteousness; जातु (jātu) - ever; न (na) - not; ददर्श (dadarśa) - saw; इह (iha) - here; कश्चन (kaścana) - anyone;]
(Unrighteousness (is called) righteousness, thus this (is), just as (with) a wolf's footprint, so (it is); in the fruits of righteousness and unrighteousness, ever not saw here anyone.)
Unrighteousness is called righteousness; just as with a wolf's footprint, so it is. No one here has ever seen the fruits of righteousness or unrighteousness.
बुभूषेद्बलवानेव सर्वं बलवतो वशे। श्रियं बलममात्यांश्च बलवानिह विन्दति ॥१२-१३२-३॥
bubhūṣed balavān eva sarvaṃ balavato vaśe। śriyaṃ balam amātyāṃś ca balavān iha vindati॥12-132-3॥
[बुभूषेत् (bubhūṣet) - should desire; (from the root भू, to be, with desiderative prefix and optative ending) बलवान् (balavān) - the strong one; एव (eva) - indeed; सर्वम् (sarvam) - all; बलवतः (balavataḥ) - of the powerful; वशे (vaśe) - in the control; श्रियम् (śriyam) - prosperity; बलम् (balam) - strength; अमात्यान् (amātyān) - ministers; च (ca) - and; बलवान् (balavān) - the strong one; इह (iha) - here; विन्दति (vindati) - obtains; (from the root विद्, to find, to obtain);]
(The strong one indeed should desire all to be under the control of the powerful. Here, the strong one obtains prosperity, strength, and ministers.)
A powerful person should wish to bring everything under the sway of the strong. In this world, it is the strong who gain prosperity, strength, and loyal ministers.
यो ह्यनाढ्यः स पतितस्तदुच्छिष्टं यदल्पकम्। बह्वपथ्यं बलवति न किञ्चित्त्रायते भयात् ॥१२-१३२-४॥
yo hy anāḍhyaḥ sa patitas tad ucchiṣṭaṃ yad alpakam | bahv apathyaṃ balavati na kiñcit trāyate bhayāt ||12-132-4||
[यः (yaḥ) - who; हि (hi) - indeed; अनाढ्यः (anāḍhyaḥ) - not wealthy; सः (saḥ) - he; पतितः (patitaḥ) - fallen; तत् (tat) - that; उच्छिष्टम् (ucchiṣṭam) - remnant; यत् (yat) - which; अल्पकम् (alpakam) - very little; बहु (bahu) - much; अपथ्यम् (apathyam) - unwholesome; बलवति (balavati) - to the strong; न (na) - not; किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - anything; त्रायते (trāyate) - protects; भयात् (bhayāt) - from fear;]
(Who indeed is not wealthy, he is fallen; that remnant which is very little, much unwholesome to the strong, does not protect from fear.)
He who is not wealthy is fallen; whatever little remnant remains, even if much and unwholesome, does not protect the strong from fear.
उभौ सत्याधिकारौ तौ त्रायेते महतो भयात्। अति धर्माद्बलं मन्ये बलाद्धर्मः प्रवर्तते ॥१२-१३२-५॥
ubhau satyādhikārau tau trāyete mahato bhayāt। ati dharmād balaṃ manye balāddharmaḥ pravartate ॥12-132-5॥
[उभौ (ubhau) - both; सत्याधिकारौ (satyādhikārau) - truth-authorities; तौ (tau) - those two; त्रायेते (trāyete) - protect; महतः (mahataḥ) - from great; भयात् (bhayāt) - from fear; अति (ati) - excess; धर्मात् (dharmāt) - from dharma; बलम् (balam) - strength; मन््ये (manye) - I think; बलात् (balāt) - from strength; धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - dharma; प्रवर्तते (pravartate) - proceeds;]
(Both those authorities of truth protect from great fear. I think strength is above dharma; from strength, dharma proceeds.)
Both authorities of truth protect from great fear. I believe that strength is superior to dharma; from strength, dharma arises.
बले प्रतिष्ठितो धर्मो धरण्यामिव जङ्गमः। धूमो वायोरिव वशं बलं धर्मोऽनुवर्तते ॥१२-१३२-६॥
bale pratiṣṭhito dharmo dharaṇyām iva jaṅgamaḥ। dhūmo vāyor iva vaśaṃ balaṃ dharmo'nuvaratate ॥12-132-6॥
[बले (bale) - in strength; प्रतिष्ठितः (pratiṣṭhitaḥ) - established; धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - dharma; धरण्याम् (dharaṇyām) - on the earth; इव (iva) - like; जङ्गमः (jaṅgamaḥ) - moving; धूमः (dhūmaḥ) - smoke; वायोः (vāyoḥ) - by wind; इव (iva) - like; वशम् (vaśam) - control; बलम् (balaṃ) - strength; धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - dharma; अनुवर्तते (anuvartate) - follows;]
(Dharma established in strength is moving on the earth like (something) mobile; like smoke by the wind's control, strength is followed by dharma.)
Dharma, when established in strength, moves on the earth like a living being; just as smoke follows the wind, so does dharma follow strength.
अनीश्वरे बलं धर्मो द्रुमं वल्लीव संश्रिता। वश्यो बलवतां धर्मः सुखं भोगवतामिव ॥ नास्त्यसाध्यं बलवतां सर्वं बलवतां शुचि ॥१२-१३२-७॥
anīśvare balaṃ dharmo drumaṃ vallīva saṃśritā। vaśyo balavatāṃ dharmaḥ sukhaṃ bhogavatāmiva ॥ nāstyasādhyaṃ balavatāṃ sarvaṃ balavatāṃ śuci ॥12-132-7॥
[अनीश्वरे (anīśvare) - in the powerless; बलं (balaṃ) - strength; धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - righteousness; द्रुमं (drumaṃ) - tree; वल्ली (vallī) - creeper; इव (iva) - like; संश्रिता (saṃśritā) - dependent; वश्यः (vaśyaḥ) - subject; बलवताम् (balavatām) - of the powerful; धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - righteousness; सुखं (sukhaṃ) - happiness; भोगवताम् (bhogavatām) - of the enjoyers; इव (iva) - like; नास्ति (nāsti) - there is not; असाध्यं (asādhyaṃ) - impossible; बलवताम् (balavatām) - for the powerful; सर्वं (sarvaṃ) - all; बलवताम् (balavatām) - of the powerful; शुचि (śuci) - pure;]
(In the powerless, strength is to righteousness as a creeper is to a tree, being dependent; righteousness is subject to the powerful, happiness to the enjoyers. There is nothing impossible for the powerful; all is pure for the powerful.)
For those without power, righteousness depends on strength just as a creeper depends on a tree; righteousness is subject to the powerful, and happiness to those who enjoy. Nothing is impossible for the powerful; for the powerful, everything is attainable and pure.
दुराचारः क्षीणबलः परिमाणं नियच्छति। अथ तस्मादुद्विजते सर्वो लोको वृकादिव ॥१२-१३२-८॥
durācāraḥ kṣīṇabalaḥ parimāṇaṃ niyacchati। atha tasmād udvijate sarvo loko vṛkād iva ॥12-132-8॥
[दुराचारः (durācāraḥ) - wicked-behaved; क्षीणबलः (kṣīṇabalaḥ) - one whose strength is diminished; परिमाणम् (parimāṇam) - measure; नियच्छति (niyacchati) - restrains; अथ (atha) - then; तस्मात् (tasmāt) - from him; उद्विजते (udvijate) - shrinks away; सर्वः (sarvaḥ) - everyone; लोकः (lokaḥ) - people; वृकात् (vṛkāt) - from a wolf; इव (iva) - like;]
(A wicked-behaved, one whose strength is diminished, restrains measure. Then, from him, everyone shrinks away, like from a wolf.)
A person of wicked conduct and diminished strength restricts his own scope; then, everyone avoids him just as people avoid a wolf.
अपध्वस्तो ह्यवमतो दुःखं जीवति जीवितम्। जीवितं यदवक्षिप्तं यथैव मरणं तथा ॥१२-१३२-९॥
apadhvastо hy-avamato duḥkhaṃ jīvati jīvitam। jīvitaṃ yad-avakṣiptaṃ yathaiva maraṇaṃ tathā ॥12-132-9॥
[अपध्वस्तः (apadhvastaḥ) - cast down; हि (hi) - indeed; अवमतः (avamataḥ) - despised; दुःखं (duḥkham) - suffering; जीवति (jīvati) - lives; जीवितम् (jīvitam) - life; जीवितं (jīvitam) - life; यत् (yat) - which; अवक्षिप्तं (avakṣiptam) - rejected; यथा (yathā) - just as; एव (eva) - indeed; मरणं (maraṇam) - death; तथा (tathā) - so;]
(Cast down, indeed despised, life lives in suffering. Life which is rejected is just as indeed death so.)
A life that is cast down and despised lives in suffering. A life that is rejected is just like death itself.
यदेनमाहुः पापेन चारित्रेण विनिक्षतम्। स भृशं तप्यतेऽनेन वाक्षल्येन परिक्षतः ॥१२-१३२-१०॥
yadenam āhuḥ pāpena cāritreṇa vinikṣatam। sa bhṛśaṃ tapyate'nena vākṣalyena parikṣataḥ ॥12-132-10॥
[यत् (yat) - which; एनम् (enam) - him; आहुः (āhuḥ) - they say; पापेन (pāpena) - by sin; चारित्रेण (cāritreṇa) - by conduct; विनिक्षतम् (vinikṣatam) - smeared; सः (saḥ) - he; भृशम् (bhṛśam) - greatly; तप्यते (tapyate) - is tormented; अनेन (anena) - by this; वाक्षल्येन (vākṣalyena) - by harshness; परिक्षतः (parikṣataḥ) - afflicted;]
(Which him they say by sin, by conduct, smeared; he greatly is tormented by this, by harshness, afflicted.)
He whom they say is smeared by sin and conduct, he is greatly tormented and afflicted by this harshness.
अत्रैतदाहुराचार्याः पापस्य परिमोक्षणे। त्रयीं विद्यां निषेवेत तथोपासीत स द्विजान् ॥१२-१३२-११॥
atraitadāhurācāryāḥ pāpasya parimokṣaṇe। trayīṃ vidyāṃ niṣeveda tathopāsīta sa dvijān ॥12-132-11॥
[अत्र (atra) - here; एतत् (etat) - this; आहुः (āhuḥ) - they say; आचार्याः (ācāryāḥ) - teachers; पापस्य (pāpasya) - of sin; परिमोक्षणे (parimokṣaṇe) - in the removal; त्रयीम् (trayīm) - the threefold (Veda); विद्याम् (vidyām) - knowledge; निषेवेत (niṣeveda) - should practice; तथा (tathā) - thus; उपासीत (upāsīta) - should worship; सः (saḥ) - he; द्विजान् (dvijān) - the twice-born (Brahmins);]
(Here this the teachers say in the removal of sin: one should practice the threefold knowledge (Veda), thus he should worship the twice-born.)
Here, the teachers declare regarding the removal of sin: one should study the threefold Vedic knowledge and likewise honor the Brahmins.
प्रसादयेन्मधुरया वाचाप्यथ च कर्मणा। महामनाश्चैव भवेद्विवहेच्च महाकुले ॥१२-१३२-१२॥
prasādayen madhurayā vācā api atha ca karmaṇā। mahāmanāḥ ca eva bhavet vivāhe ca mahākule ॥12-132-12॥
[प्रसादयेत् (prasādayet) - should conciliate; मधुरया (madhurayā) - with sweet; वाचा (vācā) - speech; अपि (api) - also; अथ (atha) - then; च (ca) - and; कर्मणा (karmaṇā) - by action; महामनाः (mahāmanāḥ) - great-minded; च (ca) - and; एव (eva) - indeed; भवेत् (bhavet) - should be; विवाहे (vivāhe) - in marriage; च (ca) - and; महाकुले (mahākule) - in a great family;]
(One should conciliate with sweet speech and also by action; and indeed, one should be great-minded in marriage and in a great family.)
One should win over others with sweet words and actions; and in marriage, one should be noble-minded, especially in a distinguished family.
इत्यस्मीति वदेदेवं परेषां कीर्तयन्गुणान्। जपेदुदकशीलः स्यात्पेशलो नातिजल्पनः ॥१२-१३२-१३॥
ity asmīti vaded evaṃ pareṣāṃ kīrtayan guṇān। japed udakaśīlaḥ syāt peśalo nāti jalpanaḥ ॥12-132-13॥
[इति (iti) - thus; अस्मि (asmi) - I am; इति (iti) - thus; वदेत् (vadet) - one should say; एवं (evaṃ) - in this way; परेषाम् (pareṣām) - of others; कीर्तयन् (kīrtayan) - praising; गुणान् (guṇān) - qualities; जपेत् (japet) - one should recite; उदकशीलः (udakaśīlaḥ) - having the habit of water (purity); स्यात् (syāt) - should be; पेशलः (peśalaḥ) - gentle; न (na) - not; अति (ati) - excessively; जल्पनः (jalpanaḥ) - talkative;]
(Thus 'I am'—one should say in this way, praising the qualities of others; one should recite, being pure in habits, gentle, and not excessively talkative.)
One should say, 'Thus I am,' and in this way praise the qualities of others; one should recite, be pure in habits, gentle, and not excessively talkative.
ब्रह्मक्षत्रं सम्प्रविशेद्बहु कृत्वा सुदुष्करम्। उच्यमानोऽपि लोकेन बहु तत्तदचिन्तयन् ॥१२-१३२-१४॥
brahmakṣatraṃ sampraviśedbahu kṛtvā suduṣkaram। ucyamāno'pi lokena bahu tattadacintayan ॥12-132-14॥
[ब्रह्मक्षत्रम् (brahmakṣatram) - the Brāhmaṇa and Kṣatriya orders; सम्प्रविशेत् (sampraviśet) - would enter; बहु (bahu) - many times; कृत्वा (kṛtvā) - having done; सुदुष्करम् (suduṣkaram) - very difficult; उच्यमानः (ucyamānaḥ) - being spoken of; अपि (api) - even; लोकेन (lokena) - by people; बहु (bahu) - much; तत्तत् (tattat) - this and that; अचिन्तयन् (acintayan) - not considering;]
(He would enter the Brāhmaṇa and Kṣatriya orders many times, having done what is very difficult; even when being spoken of much by people about this and that, he did not consider (it).)
He repeatedly entered the Brāhmaṇa and Kṣatriya orders, performing very difficult deeds; even when people spoke much about various things, he paid no attention to them.
अपापो ह्येवमाचारः क्षिप्रं बहुमतो भवेत्। सुखं वित्तं च भुञ्जीत वृत्तेनैतेन गोपयेत् ॥ लोके च लभते पूजां परत्र च महत्फलम् ॥१२-१३२-१५॥
apāpo hyevam-ācāraḥ kṣipraṃ bahumato bhavet। sukhaṃ vittaṃ ca bhuñjīta vṛttenaaitena gopayet॥ loke ca labhate pūjāṃ paratra ca mahatphalam॥12-132-15॥
[अपापः (apāpaḥ) - not-sinful; हि (hi) - indeed; एवम् (evam) - thus; आचारः (ācāraḥ) - conduct; क्षिप्रं (kṣipram) - quickly; बहुमतः (bahumataḥ) - much-honored; भवेत् (bhavet) - becomes; सुखं (sukham) - happiness; वित्तं (vittam) - wealth; च (ca) - and; भुञ्जीत (bhuñjīta) - should enjoy; वृत्तेन (vṛttena) - by conduct; एतेन (etena) - by this; गोपयेत् (gopayet) - should protect; लोके (loke) - in the world; च (ca) - and; लभते (labhate) - obtains; पूजां (pūjām) - honor; परत्र (paratra) - in the next world; च (ca) - and; महत् (mahat) - great; फलम् (phalam) - fruit;]
(Not-sinful indeed thus-conduct quickly much-honored becomes. Happiness wealth and should enjoy, by this conduct should protect. In the world and obtains honor, in the next world and great fruit.)
A person of such conduct is indeed free from sin and quickly becomes highly respected. He should enjoy happiness and wealth, and protect them by this conduct. In this world, he attains honor, and in the next, great reward.
