12.174
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
yady asti dattam iṣṭaṃ vā tapas taptaṃ tathaiva ca। gurūṇāṃ cāpi śuśrūṣā tan me brūhi pitāmaha ॥12-174-1॥
O grandsire, if there is any gift given, any desired act performed, any austerity undertaken, or any service rendered to the teachers, please tell me about that.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
ātmanānarthayuktena pāpe niviśate manaḥ। sa karma kaluṣaṃ kṛtvā kleśe mahati dhīyate ॥12-174-2॥
When one, through their own misfortune, allows the mind to enter into sin, that impure action leads to great suffering.
durbhikṣādeva durbhikṣaṃ kleśātkleśaṃ bhayādbhayam। mṛtebhyaḥ pramṛtaṃ yānti daridrāḥ pāpakāriṇaḥ ॥12-174-3॥
Indeed, famine begets famine, suffering begets suffering, and fear begets fear. From the dead, the utterly dead arise—these are the poor and the evil-doers.
utsavād utsavaṃ yānti svargāt svargaṃ sukhāt sukham। śraddadhānāś ca dāntāś ca dhanāḍhyāḥ śubhakāriṇaḥ ॥12-174-4॥
Those who have faith, self-restraint, wealth, and do good deeds go from one festival to another, from one heaven to another, and from one happiness to another.
vyālakuñjaradurgeṣu sarpacorabhayeṣu ca। hastāvāpena gacchanti nāstikāḥ kimataḥ param ॥12-174-5॥
Atheists pass through the dangers of wild beasts, snakes, and thieves simply by raising their hand; what could be more than this?
priyadevāthiyeyāś ca vadānyāḥ priyasādhavaḥ। kṣemyam ātmavatāṃ mārgam āsthitā hastadakṣiṇam ॥12-174-6॥
They are dear to gods and guests, generous, beloved and virtuous, having taken the safe and righteous path of the self-controlled, keeping to the right-hand side.
pulākā iva dhānyeṣu puttikā iva pakṣiṣu। tadvidhāste manuṣyeṣu yeṣāṃ dharmo na kāraṇam ॥12-174-7॥
Just as chaff is found among grains and eggs among birds, so too are those among men for whom dharma is not the cause.
suśīghram api dhāvantaṃ vidhānam anudhāvati। śete saha śayānena yena yena yathā kṛtam ॥12-174-8॥
No matter how swiftly one runs, destiny follows. Destiny stays with the one who lies down, and it acts according to whatever is done, by whomever.
upatiṣṭhati tiṣṭhantaṃ gacchantamanugacchati। karoti kurvataḥ karma chāyevānuvidhīyate ॥12-174-9॥
It approaches one who stands, follows one who goes. Action is performed by the doer and, like a shadow, always accompanies him.
yena yena yathā yadyat purā karma samācitam। tattadeva naro bhuṅkte nityaṃ vihitam ātmanā ॥12-174-10॥
Whatever actions a person has performed in the past, by whatever means and in whatever manner, he constantly experiences exactly those results, as ordained by his own self.
svakarmaphalavikṣiptaṃ vidhānaparirakṣitam। bhūtagrāmamimaṃ kālaḥ samantātparikarṣati ॥12-174-11॥
Time, from all sides, draws along this group of beings, scattered by the results of their own actions and protected by cosmic order.
acodyamānāni yathā puṣpāṇi ca phalāni ca। svakālaṃ nātivartante tathā karma purākṛtam ॥12-174-12॥
Just as flowers and fruits, without being impelled, do not go beyond their proper time, so too, actions performed in the past yield results in their due time.
saṁmānaś cāvamānaś ca lābhālābhau kṣayodayau। pravṛttā vinivartante vidhānānte punaḥ punaḥ ॥12-174-13॥
Honor and dishonor, gain and loss, decline and rise repeatedly arise and cease at the end of every arrangement.
ātmanā vihitaṃ duḥkham ātmanā vihitaṃ sukham। garbhaśayyām upādāya bhujyate paurvadehikam॥12-174-14॥
Suffering and happiness are ordained by oneself; after entering the womb, one experiences what is carried over from the previous body.
bālo yuvā ca vṛddhaśca yatkaroti śubhāśubham। tasyāṃ tasyāmavasthāyāṃ bhuṅkte janmani janmani ॥12-174-15॥
Whatever a person does, whether as a child, youth, or old person—be it auspicious or inauspicious—he experiences the results of those actions in every state, in every birth.
yathā dhenusahasreṣu vatso vindati mātaram। tathā pūrvakṛtaṃ karma kartāramanugacchati ॥12-174-16॥
Just as a calf finds its mother among thousands of cows, so too, the actions performed in the past follow the doer.
samunnamagrato vastraṃ paścācchudhyati karmaṇā। upavāsaiḥ prataptānāṃ dīrghaṃ sukham anantakam ॥12-174-17॥
A cloth held up in front is later purified by action; for those who have endured austerities, there is long-lasting and endless happiness.
dīrghakālena tapasā sevitena tapovane। dharmanirdhūtapāpānāṃ saṃsidhyante manorathāḥ ॥12-174-18॥
In the forest of austerities, by practicing austerity for a long time, the desires of those whose sins are washed away by dharma are fulfilled.
śakunīnām iv ākāśe matsyānām iva ca udake | padaṃ yathā na dṛśyeta tathā jñānavidāṃ gatiḥ ॥12-174-19॥
Just as the path of birds in the sky and of fishes in water cannot be seen, so too the path of the wise is not visible.
alaman-yair-upālambhaiḥ kīrtitaiś-ca vyatikramaiḥ। peśalaṃ cānurūpaṃ ca kartavyaṃ hitam-ātmanaḥ ॥12-174-20॥
Let there be no more reproaches by others or reports of transgressions; one should act in a gentle and appropriate manner, doing what is beneficial for oneself.
