12.170
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
धनिनो वाधना ये च वर्तयन्ति स्वतन्त्रिणः। सुखदुःखागमस्तेषां कः कथं वा पितामह ॥१२-१७०-१॥
O grandsire, for those who are wealthy or poor and live independently, how does happiness and sorrow come to them, and in what manner?
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhīṣma said.
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। शम्याकेन विमुक्तेन गीतं शान्तिगतेन ह ॥१२-१७०-२॥
Here too, they recount this ancient story, which was sung by Śamyāka, the liberated one, who had attained peace.
अब्रवीन्मां पुरा कश्चिद्ब्राह्मणस्त्यागमास्थितः। क्लिश्यमानः कुदारेण कुचैलेन बुभुक्षया ॥१२-१७०-३॥
Once, a certain brāhmaṇa devoted to renunciation, tormented by hunger, poor tools, and ragged clothes, spoke to me.
उत्पन्नमिह लोके वै जन्मप्रभृति मानवम्। विविधान्युपवर्तन्ते दुःखानि च सुखानि च ॥१२-१७०-४॥
From the moment of birth in this world, a human being inevitably experiences various kinds of sufferings and pleasures.
तयोरेकतरे मार्गे यद्येनमभिसंनयेत्। न सुखं प्राप्य संहृष्येन्न दुःखं प्राप्य सञ्ज्वरेत् ॥१२-१७०-५॥
If one is led on either of those two paths, he should neither rejoice on attaining happiness nor be distressed on attaining sorrow.
न वै चरसि यच्छ्रेय आत्मनो वा यदीहसे। अकामात्मापि हि सदा धुरमुद्यम्य चैव हि ॥१२-१७०-६॥
You do not act for your own good or for what you desire. Even one whose self is without desire, indeed, always takes up the yoke of duty and certainly does so.
अकिञ्चनः परिपतन्सुखमास्वादयिष्यसि। अकिञ्चनः सुखं शेते समुत्तिष्ठति चैव हि ॥१२-१७०-७॥
A person who owns nothing, even when falling, will experience happiness. One who owns nothing sleeps happily and certainly rises again.
आकिञ्चन्यं सुखं लोके पथ्यं शिवमनामयम्। अनमित्रमथो ह्येतद्दुर्लभं सुलभं सताम् ॥१२-१७०-८॥
In this world, absence of possessions brings happiness, wholesomeness, auspiciousness, and freedom from disease. And being without enemies is indeed difficult to attain, but for the virtuous it is easily achieved.
अकिञ्चनस्य शुद्धस्य उपपन्नस्य सर्वशः। अवेक्षमाणस्त्रीँल्लोकान्न तुल्यमुपलक्षये ॥१२-१७०-९॥
Observing the three worlds in every way, I do not find anything equal to one who is pure, possesses nothing, and is appropriate.
आकिञ्चन्यं च राज्यं च तुलया समतोलयम्। अत्यरिच्यत दारिद्र्यं राज्यादपि गुणाधिकम् ॥१२-१७०-१०॥
I weighed non-possession and kingdom equally on a balance; poverty was found to surpass even the kingdom, being greater in virtue.
आकिञ्चन्ये च राज्ये च विशेषः सुमहानयम्। नित्योद्विग्नो हि धनवान्मृत्योरास्यगतो यथा ॥१२-१७०-११॥
There is a great difference between poverty and sovereignty: the wealthy are always anxious, as if they are in the jaws of death.
नैवास्याग्निर्न चादित्यो न मृत्युर्न च दस्यवः। प्रभवन्ति धनज्यानिनिर्मुक्तस्य निराशिषः ॥१२-१७०-१२॥
Neither fire, nor the sun, nor death, nor enemies can harm one who has abandoned weapons and is free from desires.
तं वै सदा कामचरमनुपस्तीर्णशायिनम्। बाहूपधानं शाम्यन्तं प्रशंसन्ति दिवौकसः ॥१२-१७०-१३॥
The dwellers of heaven always praise him who moves as he wishes, lies on an unspread bed, rests with his arms as a pillow.
धनवान्क्रोधलोभाभ्यामाविष्टो नष्टचेतनः। तिर्यगीक्षः शुष्कमुखः पापको भ्रुकुटीमुखः ॥१२-१७०-१४॥
A wealthy man, overpowered by anger and greed, loses his sense, looks sideways, has a dry mouth, is wicked, and wears a frown.
निर्दशंश्चाधरोष्ठं च क्रुद्धो दारुणभाषिता। कस्तमिच्छेत्परिद्रष्टुं दातुमिच्छति चेन्महीम् ॥१२-१७०-१५॥
Biting his lower lip in anger and speaking harshly, who would wish to even look at him, let alone wish to give him the earth?
श्रिया ह्यभीक्ष्णं संवासो मोहयत्यविचक्षणम्। सा तस्य चित्तं हरति शारदाभ्रमिवानिलः ॥१२-१७०-१६॥
Indeed, constant association with prosperity deludes the undiscerning; she carries away his mind just as the wind carries away an autumn cloud.
अथैनं रूपमानश्च धनमानश्च विन्दति। अभिजातोऽस्मि सिद्धोऽस्मि नास्मि केवलमानुषः ॥ इत्येभिः कारणैस्तस्य त्रिभिश्चित्तं प्रसिच्यते ॥१२-१७०-१७॥
Then he acquires pride of beauty and pride of wealth. He thinks, "I am noble-born, I am perfected, I am not merely human." Thus, by these three causes, his mind is influenced.
स प्रसिक्तमना भोगान्विसृज्य पितृसञ्चितान्। परिक्षीणः परस्वानामादानं साधु मन्यते ॥१२-१७०-१८॥
He, whose mind is attached, having abandoned the enjoyments accumulated by his ancestors, and being impoverished, considers taking others' wealth to be proper.
तमतिक्रान्तमर्यादमाददानं ततस्ततः। प्रतिषेधन्ति राजानो लुब्धा मृगमिवेषुभिः ॥१२-१७०-१९॥
Kings, greedy for gain, restrain him who, having crossed the boundary, takes from here and there, just as hunters restrain a deer with arrows.
एवमेतानि दुःखानि तानि तानीह मानवम्। विविधान्युपवर्तन्ते गात्रसंस्पर्शजानि च ॥१२-१७०-२०॥
Thus, all these various sufferings, those and others, befall a man here, including those arising from contact with the body.
तेषां परमदुःखानां बुद्ध्या भैषज्यमाचरेत्। लोकधर्मं समाज्ञाय ध्रुवाणामध्रुवैः सह ॥१२-१७०-२१॥
One should wisely administer remedies to those who are greatly afflicted. Understanding the ways of the world, one should recognize the interplay of the permanent with the impermanent.
नात्यक्त्वा सुखमाप्नोति नात्यक्त्वा विन्दते परम्। नात्यक्त्वा चाभयः शेते त्यक्त्वा सर्वं सुखी भव ॥१२-१७०-२२॥
One does not attain happiness without renunciation; nor does one reach the highest without renunciation; nor does the fearless one rest without renunciation. Abandoning everything, be happy.
इत्येतद्धास्तिनपुरे ब्राह्मणेनोपवर्णितम्। शम्याकेन पुरा मह्यं तस्मात्त्यागः परो मतः ॥१२-१७०-२३॥
Thus, this was explained in Hastinapura by the Brāhmaṇa. Long ago, Śamyāka told me this; therefore, renunciation is considered supreme.
