12.153
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
anarthānām adhiṣṭhānam ukto lobhaḥ pitāmaha। ajñānam api vai tāta śrotum icchāmi tattvataḥ ॥12-153-1॥
O grandsire, greed is described as the root of calamities. O father, I also wish to hear in detail about ignorance.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
karoti pāpaṃ yo'jñānānnātmano vetti ca kṣamam। pradveṣṭi sādhuvṛttāṃśca sa lokasyaiti vācyatām ॥12-153-2॥
He who, out of ignorance, commits sin, does not understand forgiveness for himself, and despises those of virtuous conduct, is to be regarded as such by the world.
ajñānānnirayaṃ yāti tathājñānena durgatim। ajñānātkleśamāpnoti tathāpatsu nimajjati ॥12-153-3॥
Due to ignorance, one goes to hell; similarly, through ignorance, one falls into a bad state. Ignorance leads to suffering, and likewise, one is submerged in calamities.
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
ajñānasya pravṛttiṃ ca sthānaṃ vṛddhiṃ kṣayodayau। mūlaṃ yogaṃ gatiṃ kālaṃ kāraṇaṃ hetumeva ca ॥12-153-4॥
The activity, place, growth, decline, rise, root, union, movement, time, cause, and reason of ignorance.
śrotum icchāmi tattvena yathāvad iha pārthiva। ajñāna-prabhavaṃ hīdaṃ yad duḥkham upalabhyate ॥12-153-5॥
O king, I wish to hear, in truth and as it is, here, about the suffering that is indeed experienced, which arises from ignorance.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
rāgo dveṣas tathā moho harṣaḥ śoko'bhimānitā। kāmaḥ krodhaś ca darpaś ca tandrīr ālasyam eva ca ॥12-153-6॥
Attachment, aversion, delusion, joy, sorrow, pride, desire, anger, arrogance, sloth, and laziness are enumerated here.
icchā dveṣas tathā tāpaḥ paravṛddhy-upatāpitā। ajñānam etan nirdiṣṭaṃ pāpānāṃ caiva yāḥ kriyāḥ ॥12-153-7॥
Desire, hatred, affliction, envy at others' prosperity, and ignorance—these are described as the actions of the sinful.
etayā yā pravṛttiś ca vṛddhy-ādīny āṃś ca pṛcchasi। vistareṇa mahābāho śṛṇu tac ca viśāṃ pate ॥12-153-8॥
O mighty-armed one, you ask about this activity, its increase, and its parts; listen to that in detail, O lord of men.
ubhāvetau samaphalau samadoṣau ca bhārata। ajñānaṃ cātilobhaścāpyekaṃ jānīhi pārthiva ॥12-153-9॥
O Bhārata, both these have equal results and equal faults. Know ignorance and excessive greed to be one and the same, O king.
lobhaprabhavam ajñānaṃ vṛddhaṃ bhūyaḥ pravardhate. sthāne sthānaṃ kṣaye kṣaiṇyam upaiti vividhāṃ gatim ॥12-153-10॥
Ignorance that arises from greed, once grown, continues to increase further. In each place, as decline occurs, diminishment attains various states.
mūlaṃ lobhasya mahataḥ kālātmagatireva ca। chinne'cchinne tathā lobhe kāraṇaṃ kāla eva hi॥12-153-11॥
The root of great greed is the movement whose essence is time; whether greed is ended or not, time alone is truly the cause.
tasyājñānāttu lobho hi lobhād ajñānam eva ca। sarve doṣās tathā lobhāt tasmāl lobhaṃ vivarjayet ॥12-153-12॥
Greed arises from ignorance, and ignorance also arises from greed. All faults likewise arise from greed; therefore, one should avoid greed.
janako yuvanāśvaś ca vṛṣādarbhiḥ prasenajit। lobhakṣayād divaṃ prāptās tathaivānye janādhipāḥ ॥12-153-13॥
Janaka, Yuvanāśva, Vṛṣādarbhi, and Prasenajit attained heaven by destroying greed; likewise, other kings also reached heaven.
pratyakṣaṃ tu kuruśreṣṭha tyaja lobham ihātmanā। tyaktvā lobhaṃ sukhaṃ loke pretya cānucariṣyasi ॥12-153-14॥
O best of the Kurus, abandon greed here and now by your own effort. By giving up greed, you will attain happiness both in this world and after death.
