12.146
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
[युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhishthira; (proper noun; name of a person); उवाच (uvāca) - said; (from the root 'vac', to speak);]
(Yudhishthira said;)
Yudhishthira said.
अबुद्धिपूर्वं यः पापं कुर्याद्भरतसत्तम। मुच्यते स कथं तस्मादेनसस्तद्वदस्व मे ॥१२-१४६-१॥
abuddhipūrvaṃ yaḥ pāpaṃ kuryād bharatasattama। mucyate sa kathaṃ tasmād enasas tad vadasva me ॥12-146-1॥
[अबुद्धिपूर्वं (abuddhipūrvam) - without prior understanding; यः (yaḥ) - who; पापं (pāpam) - sin; कुर्यात् (kuryāt) - would do; भरतसत्तम (bharatasattama) - O best of the Bharatas; मुच्यते (mucyate) - is released; सः (saḥ) - he; कथं (kathaṃ) - how; तस्मात् (tasmāt) - from that; एनसः (enasas) - from sin; तत् (tat) - that; वदस्व (vadasva) - please tell; मे (me) - to me;]
(Without prior understanding, who would do sin, O best of the Bharatas, is released—how from that sin? That, please tell to me.)
O best of the Bharatas, please tell me how one who commits a sin without prior understanding is released from that sin.
भीष्म उवाच॥
bhīṣma uvāca॥
[भीष्म (bhīṣma) - Bhīṣma; (name of a person); उवाच (uvāca) - said; (he) spoke;]
(Bhīṣma said;)
Bhīṣma said.
अत्र ते वर्णयिष्येऽहमितिहासं पुरातनम्। इन्द्रोतः शौनको विप्रो यदाह जनमेजयम् ॥१२-१४६-२॥
atra te varṇayiṣye'hamitihāsaṃ purātanam। indrotaḥ śaunako vipro yadāha janamejayam ॥12-146-2॥
[अत्र (atra) - here; ते (te) - to you; वर्णयिष्ये (varṇayiṣye) - I shall describe; अहम् (aham) - I; इतिहासम् (itihāsam) - history; पुरातनम् (purātanam) - ancient; इन्द्रोतः (indrotaḥ) - descendant of Indrota; शौनकः (śaunakaḥ) - Śaunaka; विप्रः (vipraḥ) - sage; यत् (yat) - which; आह (āha) - said; जनमेजयम् (janamejayam) - to Janamejaya;]
(Here to you I shall describe the ancient history, which the sage Śaunaka, descendant of Indrota, said to Janamejaya.)
Here, I will narrate to you the ancient history that the sage Śaunaka, descendant of Indrota, told to Janamejaya.
आसीद्राजा महावीर्यः पारिक्षिज्जनमेजयः। अबुद्धिपूर्वं ब्रह्महत्या तमागच्छन्महीपतिम् ॥१२-१४६-३॥
āsīdrājā mahāvīryaḥ pārikṣijjanamejayaḥ। abuddhipūrvaṃ brahmahatyā tamāgacchanmahīpatim ॥12-146-3॥
[आसीत् (āsīt) - was; राजा (rājā) - king; महावीर्यः (mahāvīryaḥ) - of great strength; पारिक्षित् (pārikṣit) - descendant of Parikṣit; जनमेजयः (janamejayaḥ) - Janamejaya; अबुद्धिपूर्वं (abuddhipūrvam) - unintentionally; ब्रह्महत्या (brahmahatyā) - Brahminicide; तम् (tam) - him; आगच्छत् (āgacchat) - approached; महीपतिम् (mahīpatim) - the king;]
(There was a king of great strength, Janamejaya, descendant of Parikṣit. Unintentionally, Brahminicide approached him, the king.)
There was a mighty king named Janamejaya, descendant of Parikṣit. Unknowingly, the sin of killing a Brahmin befell him.
तं ब्राह्मणाः सर्व एव तत्यजुः सपुरोहिताः। जगाम स वनं राजा दह्यमानो दिवानिशम् ॥१२-१४६-४॥
taṃ brāhmaṇāḥ sarva eva tatyajuḥ sapurohitāḥ। jagāma sa vanaṃ rājā dahyamāno divāniśam ॥12-146-4॥
[तं (taṃ) - him; ब्राह्मणाः (brāhmaṇāḥ) - brāhmaṇas; सर्व (sarva) - all; एव (eva) - indeed; तत्यजुः (tatyajuḥ) - abandoned; सपुरोहिताः (sapurohitāḥ) - with the family priest; जगाम (jagāma) - went; स (sa) - he; वनम् (vanaṃ) - forest; राजा (rājā) - king; दह्यमानः (dahyamānaḥ) - burning (with grief); दिवानिशम् (divāniśam) - day and night;]
(Him, the brāhmaṇas, all indeed, abandoned, with the family priest. He, the king, burning (with grief), went to the forest day and night.)
All the brāhmaṇas, along with the family priest, abandoned him. The king, burning with grief, went to the forest day and night.
स प्रजाभिः परित्यक्तश्चकार कुशलं महत्। अतिवेलं तपस्तेपे दह्यमानः स मन्युना ॥१२-१४६-५॥
sa prajābhiḥ parityaktaś cakāra kuśalaṃ mahat। ativelaṃ tapastepe dahyamānaḥ sa manyunā ॥12-146-5॥
[स (sa) - he; प्रजाभिः (prajābhiḥ) - by the subjects; परित्यक्तः (parityaktaḥ) - abandoned; चकार (cakāra) - did; कुशलं (kuśalam) - auspicious act; महत् (mahat) - great; अतिवेलं (ativelam) - excessively; तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity; तेपे (tepe) - practiced; दह्यमानः (dahyamānaḥ) - burning; स (sa) - he; मन्युना (manyunā) - with anger;]
(He, abandoned by the subjects, performed a great auspicious act. He practiced austerity excessively, burning with anger.)
Abandoned by his subjects, he performed a great auspicious act. Burning with anger, he practiced severe austerities to an excessive degree.
तत्रेतिहासं वक्ष्यामि धर्मस्यास्योपबृंहणम्। दह्यमानः पापकृत्या जगाम जनमेजयः ॥१२-१४६-६॥
tatretihāsaṃ vakṣyāmi dharmasyāsyopabṛṃhaṇam। dahyamānaḥ pāpakṛtyā jagāma janamejayaḥ ॥12-146-6॥
[तत्र (tatra) - there; इतिहासं (itihāsaṃ) - history; वक्ष्यामि (vakṣyāmi) - I shall speak; धर्मस्य (dharmasya) - of dharma; अस्य (asya) - of this; उपबृंहणम् (upabṛṃhaṇam) - augmentation; दह्यमानः (dahyamānaḥ) - being burned; पापकृत्या (pāpakṛtyā) - by sinful act; जगाम (jagāma) - went; जनमेजयः (janamejayaḥ) - Janamejaya;]
(There, I shall speak the history, the augmentation of this dharma. Being burned by sinful act, Janamejaya went.)
There, I will narrate the history that augments this dharma. Tormented by his sinful deed, Janamejaya departed.
वरिष्यमाण इन्द्रोतं शौनकं संशितव्रतम्। समासाद्योपजग्राह पादयोः परिपीडयन् ॥१२-१४६-७॥
variṣyamāṇa indrotaṃ śaunakaṃ saṃśitavratam। samāsādyopajagrāha pādayoḥ paripīḍayan ॥12-146-7॥
[वरिष्यमाण (variṣyamāṇa) - about to rain; (here: about to pour forth, impending) इन्द्रोतं (indrotaṃ) - Indrota; (name, son of Indrota) शौनकं (śaunakaṃ) - Śaunaka; (descendant of Śunaka) संशितव्रतम् (saṃśitavratam) - firm in vow; (one of strict observance) समासाद्य (samāsādya) - having approached; उपजग्राह (upajagrāha) - he seized; he took hold of; पादयोः (pādayoḥ) - of the feet; परिपीडयन् (paripīḍayan) - pressing closely; squeezing;]
(About to pour forth, Indrota, the Śaunaka, firm in vow, having approached, seized (him) by the feet, pressing closely.)
As the rain was about to fall, Indrota, the Śaunaka of firm vows, approached and seized his feet, pressing them closely.
ततो भीतो महाप्राज्ञो जगर्हे सुभृशं तदा। कर्ता पापस्य महतो भ्रूणहा किमिहागतः ॥१२-१४६-८॥
tato bhīto mahāprājño jagarhe subhṛśaṃ tadā। kartā pāpasya mahato bhrūṇahā kimiha āgataḥ ॥12-146-8॥
[ततः (tataḥ) - then; भीतः (bhītaḥ) - afraid; महाप्राज्ञः (mahāprājñaḥ) - the very wise one; जगर्हे (jagarhe) - censured; सुभृशम् (subhṛśam) - severely; तदा (tadā) - at that time; कर्त्ता (kartā) - the doer; पापस्य (pāpasya) - of sin; महतः (mahataḥ) - great; भ्रूणहा (bhrūṇahā) - killer of the embryo; किम् (kim) - why; इह (iha) - here; आगतः (āgataḥ) - has come;]
(Then, afraid, the very wise one censured severely at that time: "The doer of great sin, the killer of the embryo, why has he come here?")
Then, being afraid, the very wise one severely censured, saying at that time: "Why has the killer of the embryo, the doer of great sin, come here?"
किं तवास्मासु कर्तव्यं मा मा स्प्राक्षीः कथञ्चन। गच्छ गच्छ न ते स्थानं प्रीणात्यस्मानिह ध्रुवम् ॥१२-१४६-९॥
kiṃ tavāsmāsu kartavyaṃ mā mā sprākṣīḥ kathañcana। gaccha gaccha na te sthānaṃ prīṇātyasmāniha dhruvam ॥12-146-9॥
[किं (kiṃ) - what; तव (tava) - your; अस्मासु (asmāsu) - among us; कर्तव्यं (kartavyam) - to be done; मा (mā) - do not; मा (mā) - do not; स्प्राक्षीः (sprākṣīḥ) - touch; कथञ्चन (kathañcana) - in any way; गच्छ (gaccha) - go; गच्छ (gaccha) - go; न (na) - not; ते (te) - for you; स्थानं (sthānaṃ) - place; प्रीणाति (prīṇāti) - pleases; अस्मान् (asmān) - us; इह (iha) - here; ध्रुवम् (dhruvam) - certainly;]
(What is to be done by you among us? Do not, do not touch (us) in any way. Go, go, there is not a place for you here that pleases us, certainly.)
What business do you have with us? Do not touch us in any way. Go away, go away; there is certainly no place here that pleases us.
रुधिरस्येव ते गन्धः शवस्येव च दर्शनम्। अशिवः शिवसङ्काशो मृतो जीवन्निवाटसि ॥१२-१४६-१०॥
rudhirasyeva te gandhaḥ śavasyeva ca darśanam। aśivaḥ śivasaṅkāśo mṛto jīvannivāṭasi ॥12-146-10॥
[रुधिरस्य (rudhirasya) - of blood; इव (iva) - like; ते (te) - your; गन्धः (gandhaḥ) - smell; शवस्य (śavasya) - of a corpse; इव (iva) - like; च (ca) - and; दर्शनम् (darśanam) - appearance; अशिवः (aśivaḥ) - inauspicious; शिवसङ्काशः (śivasaṅkāśaḥ) - appearing auspicious; मृतः (mṛtaḥ) - dead; जीवन् (jīvan) - living; निवाटसि (nivāṭasi) - you dwell; ॥१२-१४६-१०॥ (॥12-146-10॥) - (verse number;);]
(Your smell is like that of blood, and your appearance like that of a corpse; inauspicious, appearing auspicious, dead, living, you dwell.)
Your scent is like blood, your appearance like a corpse; you are inauspicious though you seem auspicious, dead though you appear alive, and you dwell thus.
अन्तर्मृत्युरशुद्धात्मा पापमेवानुचिन्तयन्। प्रबुध्यसे प्रस्वपिषि वर्तसे चरसे सुखी ॥१२-१४६-११॥
antarmṛtyuraśuddhātmā pāpamevā́nucintayan। prabudhyase prasvapiṣi vartase carase sukhī ॥12-146-11॥
[अन्तः-मृत्युः (antaḥ-mṛtyuḥ) - inner-death; अशुद्ध-आत्मा (aśuddha-ātmā) - impure-self; पापम्-एव (pāpam-eva) - sin-only; अनु-चिन्तयन् (anu-cintayan) - continually-thinking; प्रबुध्यसे (prabudhyase) - you-awaken; प्रस्वपिषि (prasvapiṣi) - you-sleep; वर्तसे (vartase) - you-exist; चरसे (carase) - you-move; सुखी (sukhī) - happy;]
(With inner death, impure self, continually thinking only of sin, you awaken, you sleep, you exist, you move, happy.)
With inner death and an impure self, always thinking only of sin, you awaken, sleep, exist, and move about, thinking yourself happy.
मोघं ते जीवितं राजन्परिक्लिष्टं च जीवसि। पापायेव च सृष्टोऽसि कर्मणे ह यवीयसे ॥१२-१४६-१२॥
moghaṃ te jīvitaṃ rājanparikliṣṭaṃ ca jīvasi. pāpāyeva ca sṛṣṭo'si karmaṇe ha yavīyase ॥12-146-12॥
[मोघं (mogham) - in vain; ते (te) - your; जीवितं (jīvitam) - life; राजन् (rājan) - O king; परिक्लिष्टं (parikliṣṭam) - afflicted; च (ca) - and; जीवसि (jīvasi) - you live; पापाय (pāpāya) - for evil; एव (eva) - indeed; च (ca) - and; सृष्टः (sṛṣṭaḥ) - created; असि (asi) - you are; कर्मणे (karmaṇe) - for action; ह (ha) - indeed; यवीयसे (yavīyase) - for something worse;]
(In vain your life, O king, afflicted and you live. For evil indeed and you are created for action indeed for something worse.)
O king, your life is in vain and you live in affliction. Indeed, you are created for evil deeds and for even worse actions.
बहु कल्याणमिच्छन्त ईहन्ते पितरः सुतान्। तपसा देवतेज्याभिर्वन्दनेन तितिक्षया ॥१२-१४६-१३॥
bahu kalyāṇam icchanta īhante pitaraḥ sutān। tapasā devatejyābhir vandanena titikṣayā ॥12-146-13॥
[बहु (bahu) - much; many; कल्याणम् (kalyāṇam) - welfare; auspiciousness; इच्छन्त (icchanta) - desiring; wishing; ईहन्ते (īhante) - strive; endeavor; पितरः (pitaraḥ) - fathers; ancestors; सुतान् (sutān) - sons; children; तपसा (tapasā) - by austerity; by penance; देवतेज्याभिः (devatejyābhiḥ) - by worship of the gods; वन्दनेन (vandanena) - by salutation; by reverence; तितिक्षया (titikṣayā) - by forbearance; by endurance;]
(Desiring much welfare, the fathers strive for their sons by austerity, by worship of the gods, by salutation, by forbearance.)
Fathers, wishing for the great welfare of their sons, strive through penance, worship of the gods, reverence, and endurance.
पितृवंशमिमं पश्य त्वत्कृते नरकं गतम्। निरर्थाः सर्व एवैषामाशाबन्धास्त्वदाश्रयाः ॥१२-१४६-१४॥
pitṛvaṃśam imaṃ paśya tvat-kṛte narakaṃ gatam। nirarthāḥ sarva eva eṣām āśā-bandhāḥ tvad-āśrayāḥ ॥12-146-14॥
[पितृवंशम् (pitṛvaṃśam) - ancestral lineage; इमम् (imam) - this; पश्य (paśya) - see; त्वत्कृते (tvat-kṛte) - for your sake; नरकं (narakaṃ) - hell; गतं (gatam) - gone; निरर्थाः (nirarthāḥ) - useless; सर्व (sarva) - all; एव (eva) - indeed; एषाम् (eṣām) - of these; आशाबन्धाः (āśā-bandhāḥ) - bonds of hope; त्वदाश्रयाः (tvad-āśrayāḥ) - dependent on you;]
(See this ancestral lineage, for your sake has gone to hell. All the bonds of hope of these are indeed useless, dependent on you.)
Behold this ancestral line—because of you, it has gone to hell. All their bonds of hope, which depend on you, are now rendered useless.
यान्पूजयन्तो विन्दन्ति स्वर्गमायुर्यशः सुखम्। तेषु ते सततं द्वेषो ब्राह्मणेषु निरर्थकः ॥१२-१४६-१५॥
yān pūjayanto vindanti svargam āyur yaśaḥ sukham। teṣu te satataṃ dveṣo brāhmaṇeṣu nirarthakaḥ ॥12-146-15॥
[यान् (yān) - whom; पूजयन्तः (pūjayantaḥ) - worshipping; विन्दन्ति (vindanti) - attain; स्वर्गम् (svargam) - heaven; आयुः (āyuḥ) - life; यशः (yaśaḥ) - fame; सुखम् (sukham) - happiness; तेषु (teṣu) - towards them; ते (te) - they; सततम् (satatam) - always; द्वेषः (dveṣaḥ) - hatred; ब्राह्मणेषु (brāhmaṇeṣu) - towards Brāhmaṇas; निरर्थकः (nirarthakaḥ) - useless;]
(Whom worshipping attain heaven, life, fame, happiness; towards them, they always hatred towards Brāhmaṇas useless.)
Hatred towards Brāhmaṇas, whom people worship and thereby attain heaven, long life, fame, and happiness, is always useless.
इमं लोकं विमुच्य त्वमवाङ्मूर्धा पतिष्यसि। अशाश्वतीः शाश्वतीश्च समाः पापेन कर्मणा ॥१२-१४६-१६॥
imaṃ lokaṃ vimucya tvam avāṅmūrdhā patiṣyasi। aśāśvatīḥ śāśvatīś ca samāḥ pāpena karmaṇā ॥12-146-16॥
[इमं (imaṃ) - this; (accusative singular masculine of idam) लोकं (lokaṃ) - world; (accusative singular masculine) विमुच्य (vimucya) - having abandoned; (absolutive of vi-√muc) त्वम् (tvam) - you; अवाङ्मूर्धा (avāṅmūrdhā) - with head downward; (compound: avāk + mūrdhan) पतिष्यसि (patiṣyasi) - you will fall; (future of √pat) अशाश्वतीः (aśāśvatīḥ) - non-eternal; (accusative plural feminine of aśāśvatī) शाश्वतीः (śāśvatīḥ) - eternal; (accusative plural feminine of śāśvatī) च (ca) - and; समाः (samāḥ) - years; (accusative plural feminine) पापेन (pāpena) - by sin; (instrumental singular neuter of pāpa) कर्मणा (karmaṇā) - by action; (instrumental singular neuter of karma);]
(Having abandoned this world, you will fall head downward. For non-eternal and eternal years, by sinful action.)
Having abandoned this world, you will fall head downward. Because of sinful actions, you will experience both fleeting and endless years of suffering.
अद्यमानो जन्तुगृध्रैः शितिकण्ठैरयोमुखैः। ततोऽपि पुनरावृत्तः पापयोनिं गमिष्यसि ॥१२-१४६-१७॥
adyamāno jantugṛdhraiḥ śitikaṇṭhairayomukhaiḥ। tato'pi punarāvṛttaḥ pāpayoniṃ gamiṣyasi॥12-146-17॥
[अद्यमानः (adyamānaḥ) - being eaten; जन्तु-गृध्रैः (jantu-gṛdhraiḥ) - by creature-vultures; शिति-कण्ठैः (śiti-kaṇṭhaiḥ) - with white-throated; अयः-मुखैः (ayaḥ-mukhaiḥ) - with iron-beaked; ततः (tataḥ) - from there; अपि (api) - even; पुनः (punaḥ) - again; आवृत्तः (āvṛttaḥ) - having returned; पाप-योनिम् (pāpa-yonim) - sinful womb; गमिष्यसि (gamiṣyasi) - you will go;]
(Being eaten by creature-vultures with white throats and iron beaks, from there even having returned again, you will go to a sinful womb.)
While being devoured by creature-vultures with white throats and iron beaks, even after returning from there, you will again enter a sinful birth.
यदिदं मन्यसे राजन्नायमस्ति परः कुतः। प्रतिस्मारयितारस्त्वां यमदूता यमक्षये ॥१२-१४६-१८॥
yad idaṃ manyase rājan nāyam asti paraḥ kutaḥ। pratismārayitāras tvāṃ yamadūtā yamakṣaye ॥12-146-18॥
[यत् (yat) - which; इदं (idaṃ) - this; मन्यसे (manyase) - you think; राजन् (rājan) - O king; न (na) - not; अयम् (ayam) - this; अस्ति (asti) - is; परः (paraḥ) - another; कुतः (kutaḥ) - from where; प्रतिस्मारयितारः (pratismārayitāraḥ) - reminders; त्वाम् (tvām) - you; यमदूताः (yamadūtāḥ) - messengers of Yama; यमक्षये (yamakṣaye) - at the abode of Yama;]
(Which this you think, O king, not this is another, from where? Reminders (will be) you, messengers of Yama, at the abode of Yama.)
O king, if you think this is not so, then where is another? The messengers of Yama will remind you at the abode of Yama.
