12.185
भृगुरुवाच॥
Bhṛgu said.
वानप्रस्थाः खलु ऋषिधर्ममनुसरन्तः पुण्यानि तीर्थानि नदीप्रस्रवणानि सुविविक्तेष्वरण्येषु मृगमहिषवराहसृमरगजाकीर्णेषु तपस्यन्तोऽनुसञ्चरन्ति। त्यक्तग्राम्यवस्त्राहारोपभोगा वन्यौषधिमूलफलपर्णपरिमितविचित्रनियताहाराः स्थानासनिनो भूमिपाषाणसिकताशर्करावालुकाभस्मशायिनः काशकुशचर्मवल्कलसंवृताङ्गाः केशश्मश्रुनखरोमधारिणो नियतकालोपस्पर्शना अस्कन्नहोमबलिकालानुष्ठायिनः समित्कुशकुसुमोपहारहोमार्जनलब्धविश्रामाः शीतोष्णपवननिष्टप्तविभिन्नसर्वत्वचो विविधनियमयोगचर्याविहितधर्मानुष्ठानहृतमांसशोणितास्त्वगस्थिभूता धृतिपराः सत्त्वयोगाच्छरीराण्युद्वहन्ति ॥१२-१८५-१॥
Forest-dwellers, indeed, following the duties of sages, wander practicing austerities at holy fords and river-springs, in solitary forests filled with deer, buffalo, boar, antelope, and elephants. Having renounced worldly clothes, food, and enjoyments, they subsist on limited and regulated foods of forest herbs, roots, fruits, and leaves. They sit in fixed places, lie on earth, stone, sand, gravel, fine sand, or ashes, their bodies covered with kāśa grass, kuśa grass, skin, or bark, bearing hair, beard, nails, and body hair. At fixed times they perform ritual touchings, uninterrupted sacrificial fires and offerings, and rest after offering twigs, kuśa grass, and flowers, and cleaning for sacrifice. Their skin, scorched and split by cold, heat, and wind, is worn away by various rules, yogic practices, and prescribed duties, so that their flesh and blood are gone and only bone remains. Steadfast in fortitude, by union with sattva, they bear their bodies.
यस्त्वेतां नियतश्चर्यां ब्रह्मर्षिविहितां चरेत्। स दहेदग्निवद्दोषाञ्जयेल्लोकांश्च दुर्जयान् ॥१२-१८५-२॥
But whoever practices this regulated conduct established by the brahmarṣis, he burns away faults like fire and conquers even those worlds that are difficult to conquer.
परिव्राजकानां पुनराचारस्तद्यथा। विमुच्याग्निधनकलत्रपरिबर्हसङ्गानात्मनः स्नेहपाशानवधूय परिव्रजन्ति समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनास्त्रिवर्गप्रवृत्तेष्वारम्भेष्वसक्तबुद्धयोऽरिमित्रोदासीनेषु तुल्यवृत्तयः स्थावरजरायुजाण्डजस्वेदजोद्भिज्जानां भूतानां वाङ्मनःकर्मभिरनभिद्रोहिणोऽनिकेताः पर्वतपुलिनवृक्षमूलदेवतायतनान्यनुचरन्तो वासार्थमुपेयुर्नगरं ग्रामं वा नगरे पञ्चरात्रिका ग्रामैकरात्रिकाः। प्रविश्य च प्राणधारणमात्रार्थं द्विजातीनां भवनान्यसङ्कीर्णकर्मणामुपतिष्ठेयुः पात्रपतितायाचितभैक्षाः कामक्रोधदर्पमोहलोभकार्पण्यदम्भपरिवादाभिमानहिंसानिवृत्ता इति ॥१२-१८५-३॥
The conduct of wandering ascetics is as follows: They abandon fire, wealth, wife, household goods, and all attachments, casting off the bonds of affection. They wander, remaining equal towards clod, stone, and gold, with unattached minds in all undertakings, and behave equally towards enemy, friend, and neutral. They do not harm any beings—whether born from womb, egg, sweat, or sprouting—by speech, mind, or actions. Homeless, they wander among mountains, sandbanks, tree roots, and shrines of deities, and for the sake of shelter, may approach a city or village, staying five nights in a city or one night in a village. Entering only to sustain life, they approach the houses of the twice-born who are not engaged in mixed actions, accepting alms that have fallen into the vessel or have been begged, having renounced desire, anger, pride, delusion, greed, miserliness, hypocrisy, slander, arrogance, and violence. Thus.
भवति चात्र श्लोकः अभयं सर्वभूतेभ्यो दत्त्वा चरति यो मुनिः। न तस्य सर्वभूतेभ्यो भयमुत्पद्यते क्वचित् ॥१२-१८५-४॥
Here is a verse: The sage who grants fearlessness to all beings moves about; from all beings, no fear arises to him anywhere.
कृत्वाग्निहोत्रं स्वशरीरसंस्थं; शारीरमग्निं स्वमुखे जुहोति। यो भैक्षचर्योपगतैर्हविर्भि; श्चिताग्निनां स व्यतियाति लोकान् ॥१२-१८५-५॥
Having performed the Agnihotra within his own body, offering the bodily fire in his own mouth, he who uses offerings gained through alms surpasses the worlds of the funeral pyres.
मोक्षाश्रमं यः कुरुते यथोक्तं; शुचिः सुसङ्कल्पितबुद्धियुक्तः। अनिन्धनं ज्योतिरिव प्रशान्तं; स ब्रह्मलोकं श्रयते द्विजातिः ॥१२-१८५-६॥
He who establishes the abode of liberation as instructed, who is pure and endowed with a well-determined intellect, tranquil like a flame without fuel, that twice-born attains the world of Brahman.
भरद्वाज उवाच॥
Bharadvāja said.
अस्माल्लोकात्परो लोकः श्रूयते नोपलभ्यते। तमहं ज्ञातुमिच्छामि तद्भवान्वक्तुमर्हति ॥१२-१८५-७॥
It is said that there is a world higher than this one, but it cannot be perceived. I wish to know about that; you should tell me about it.
भृगुरुवाच॥
Bhṛgu said.
उत्तरे हिमवत्पार्श्वे पुण्ये सर्वगुणान्विते। पुण्यः क्षेम्यश्च काम्यश्च स वरो लोक उच्यते ॥१२-१८५-८॥
On the northern side of the Himalayas, in the sacred and virtuous land, that region which is holy, secure, and desirable is called the excellent world.
तत्र ह्यपापकर्माणः शुचयोऽत्यन्तनिर्मलाः। लोभमोहपरित्यक्ता मानवा निरुपद्रवाः ॥१२-१८५-९॥
There, indeed, the humans whose actions are not evil, who are pure and utterly spotless, having abandoned greed and delusion, are free from disturbance.
स स्वर्गसदृशो देशस्तत्र ह्युक्ताः शुभा गुणाः। काले मृत्युः प्रभवति स्पृशन्ति व्याधयो न च ॥१२-१८५-१०॥
That region is like heaven; there, indeed, auspicious qualities are said to exist. In due time, death occurs, but diseases do not touch (the people) there.
न लोभः परदारेषु स्वदारनिरतो जनः। न चान्योन्यवधस्तत्र द्रव्येषु न च विस्मयः ॥ परोक्षधर्मो नैवास्ति संदेहो नापि जायते ॥१२-१८५-११॥
There is no greed for others' wives, people are devoted to their own spouses; there is no mutual killing, nor is there amazement regarding possessions. There is no hidden virtue, and no doubt ever arises.
कृतस्य तु फलं तत्र प्रत्यक्षमुपलभ्यते। शय्यायानासनोपेताः प्रासादभवनाश्रयाः ॥ सर्वकामैर्वृताः केचिद्धेमाभरणभूषिताः ॥१२-१८५-१२॥
But there, the results of actions are directly experienced. Some, endowed with beds, vehicles, and seats, residing in palaces and mansions, are surrounded by every pleasure and adorned with golden ornaments.
प्राणधारणमात्रं तु केषाञ्चिदुपपद्यते। श्रमेण महता केचित्कुर्वन्ति प्राणधारणम् ॥१२-१८५-१३॥
For some, merely sustaining life is possible; some, by great effort, manage to sustain their lives.
इह धर्मपराः केचित्केचिन्नैकृतिका नराः। सुखिता दुःखिताः केचिन्निर्धना धनिनोऽपरे ॥१२-१८५-१४॥
Here, some men are devoted to dharma, some are honest; some are happy, some are unhappy; some are poor, others are wealthy.
इह श्रमो भयं मोहः क्षुधा तीव्रा च जायते। लोभश्चार्थकृतो नॄणां येन मुह्यन्ति पण्डिताः ॥१२-१८५-१५॥
Here, fatigue, fear, delusion, and intense hunger arise; and greed caused by wealth, by which even the wise are deluded.
इह चिन्ता बहुविधा धर्माधर्मस्य कर्मणः। यस्तद्वेदोभयं प्राज्ञः पाप्मना न स लिप्यते ॥१२-१८५-१६॥
Here, there are many kinds of concerns about actions that are righteous and unrighteous. The wise person who knows both is not tainted by sin.
सोपधं निकृतिः स्तेयं परिवादोऽभ्यसूयता। परोपघातो हिंसा च पैशुन्यमनृतं तथा ॥१२-१८५-१७॥
Deceit, fraud, theft, slander, envy, harming others, violence, malicious gossip, and falsehood are also included.
एतानासेवते यस्तु तपस्तस्य प्रहीयते। यस्त्वेतान्नाचरेद्विद्वांस्तपस्तस्याभिवर्धते ॥१२-१८५-१८॥
He who does not practice these, his austerity diminishes; but the wise man who practices these, his austerity increases.
कर्मभूमिरियं लोक इह कृत्वा शुभाशुभम्। शुभैः शुभमवाप्नोति कृत्वाशुभमतोऽन्यथा ॥१२-१८५-१९॥
This world is a field of action; here, by performing good or evil deeds, one attains good results through good actions, and otherwise by performing evil actions.
इह प्रजापतिः पूर्वं देवाः सर्षिगणास्तथा। इष्ट्वेष्टतपसः पूता ब्रह्मलोकमुपाश्रिताः ॥१२-१८५-२०॥
Here, in earlier times, Prajāpati, the gods, and the groups of ṛṣis, having performed sacrifices and austerities, became purified and attained the world of Brahma.
उत्तरः पृथिवीभागः सर्वपुण्यतमः शुभः। इहत्यास्तत्र जायन्ते ये वै पुण्यकृतो जनाः ॥१२-१८५-२१॥
The northern part of the earth is the most virtuous and auspicious; here, those people are born who have indeed performed meritorious deeds.
असत्कर्माणि कुर्वन्तस्तिर्यग्योनिषु चापरे। क्षीणायुषस्तथैवान्ये नश्यन्ति पृथिवीतले ॥१२-१८५-२२॥
Those who perform unrighteous deeds are born in animal wombs; others, whose lifespan is diminished, likewise perish on the surface of the earth.
अन्योन्यभक्षणे सक्ता लोभमोहसमन्विताः। इहैव परिवर्तन्ते न ते यान्त्युत्तरां दिशम् ॥१२-१८५-२३॥
Those who are attached to eating one another, filled with greed and delusion, keep revolving here itself; they do not attain the higher realms.
ये गुरूनुपसेवन्ते नियता ब्रह्मचारिणः। पन्थानं सर्वलोकानां ते जानन्ति मनीषिणः ॥१२-१८५-२४॥
The wise, self-restrained celibates who serve their teachers know the path to all worlds.
इत्युक्तोऽयं मया धर्मः सङ्क्षेपाद्ब्रह्मनिर्मितः। धर्माधर्मौ हि लोकस्य यो वै वेत्ति स बुद्धिमान् ॥१२-१८५-२५॥
Thus, this dharma, created by Brahma, has been stated by me in brief. He who truly knows dharma and adharma of the world is wise.
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhīṣma said.
इत्युक्तो भृगुणा राजन्भरद्वाजः प्रतापवान्। भृगुं परमधर्मात्मा विस्मितः प्रत्यपूजयत् ॥१२-१८५-२६॥
O king, when Bhṛgu spoke thus, the powerful and supremely righteous Bharadvāja, astonished, honored Bhṛgu in return.
एष ते प्रभवो राजञ्जगतः सम्प्रकीर्तितः। निखिलेन महाप्राज्ञ किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि ॥१२-१८५-२७॥
O king, the origin of the world has now been fully declared to you. O greatly wise one, is there anything else you wish to hear?
