12.153
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
O grandsire, greed is described as the root of calamities. O father, I also wish to hear in detail about ignorance.
Bhīṣma said.
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.
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 said.
The activity, place, growth, decline, rise, root, union, movement, time, cause, and reason of ignorance.
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 said.
Attachment, aversion, delusion, joy, sorrow, pride, desire, anger, arrogance, sloth, and laziness are enumerated here.
Desire, hatred, affliction, envy at others' prosperity, and ignorance—these are described as the actions of the sinful.
O mighty-armed one, you ask about this activity, its increase, and its parts; listen to that in detail, O lord of men.
O Bhārata, both these have equal results and equal faults. Know ignorance and excessive greed to be one and the same, O king.
Ignorance that arises from greed, once grown, continues to increase further. In each place, as decline occurs, diminishment attains various states.
The root of great greed is the movement whose essence is time; whether greed is ended or not, time alone is truly the cause.
Greed arises from ignorance, and ignorance also arises from greed. All faults likewise arise from greed; therefore, one should avoid greed.
Janaka, Yuvanāśva, Vṛṣādarbhi, and Prasenajit attained heaven by destroying greed; likewise, other kings also reached heaven.
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.
