12.255
jājaliruvāca॥
Jājali said.
yathā pravartito dharmas tulāṃ dhārayatā tvayā। svargadvāraṃ ca vṛttiṃ ca bhūtānām avarotsyate ॥12-255-1॥
As you uphold the balance and establish dharma, both the gate to heaven and the livelihood of all beings will be safeguarded.
kṛṣyā hy annaṃ prabhavati tatas tvam api jīvasi। paśubhiś cauṣadhībhis ca martyā jīvanti vāṇija ॥12-255-2॥
It is through agriculture that food is produced; thus, you too live. By means of animals and plants, mortals sustain themselves, O merchant.
yato yajñaḥ prabhavati nāstikyam api jalpasi। na hi varted ayaṃ loko vārtām utsṛjya kevalam ॥12-255-3॥
You speak even of atheism, though sacrifice is the source of all. Indeed, this world would not exist if everyone abandoned their means of livelihood and lived only thus.
tulādhāra uvāca॥
Tulādhāra said.
vakṣyāmi jājale vṛttiṃ nāsmi brāhmaṇa nāstikaḥ। na ca yajñaṃ vinindāmi yajñavit tu sudurlabhaḥ ॥12-255-4॥
O Brāhmaṇa, I will explain the conduct, O descendant of Jājali. I am not an atheist, nor do I condemn sacrifice; but one who truly knows sacrifice is very rare.
namo brāhmaṇayajñāya ye ca yajñavido janāḥ। svayajñaṃ brāhmaṇā hitvā kṣātraṃ yajñamihāsthitāḥ ॥12-255-5॥
Salutations to the Brāhmaṇa-sacrifice and to those who are versed in sacrifice. Here, the Brāhmaṇas, having given up their own sacrifice, have taken up the Kṣatriya sacrifice.
lubdhair vittaparair brahman nāstikaiḥ sampravartitam। vedavādān avijñāya satyābhāsam ivānṛtam ॥12-255-6॥
O Brāhmaṇa, this was instituted by the greedy, the wealth-seekers, and the atheists. Not understanding the Vedic doctrines, it is a falsehood that appears like the truth.
idaṃ deyam idaṃ deyam iti na antaṃ cikīrṣati। ataḥ stainyaṃ prabhavati vikarmāṇi ca jājale॥ tadeva sukṛtaṃ havyaṃ yena tuṣyanti devatāḥ॥12-255-7॥
One who keeps saying, "This should be given, this should be given," and never feels satisfied, causes theft and wrong actions to arise in the world. Only that act is truly virtuous, that offering by which the deities are pleased.
namaskāreṇa haviṣā svādhyāyairauṣadhaiḥ tathā। pūjā syād devatānāṃ hi yathā śāstra-nidarśanam ॥12-255-8॥
Worship of the deities should be performed by salutation, oblation, recitation of sacred texts, and medicinal herbs, exactly as prescribed by the scriptures.
iṣṭāpūrtādasādhūnāṃ viṣamā jāyate prajā। lubdhebhyo jāyate lubdhaḥ samebhyo jāyate samaḥ ॥12-255-9॥
When unrighteous people perform sacrifices and charitable works, their offspring turn out unequal. The greedy give rise to greedy offspring, while the virtuous produce virtuous ones.
yajamāno yathātmānamṛtvijaśca tathā prajāḥ। yajñātprajā prabhavati nabhaso’mbha ivāmalam ॥12-255-10॥
Just as the sacrificer and the priests are (born) from themselves, so too do offspring arise from sacrifice, just as pure water arises from the sky.
agnau prāstāhutir brahman nādityam upatiṣṭhati। ādityāj jāyate vṛṣṭir vṛṣṭer annaṃ tataḥ prajāḥ ॥12-255-11॥
O Brahman, the offering placed in the fire reaches the Sun. From the Sun comes rain, from rain comes food, and from food arise living beings.
tasmātsvanuṣṭhitātpūrve sarvānkāmāṃśca lebhire। akṛṣṭapacyā pṛthivī āśīrbhirvīrudho'bhavan ॥ na te yajñeṣvātmasu vā phalaṃ paśyanti kiñcana ॥12-255-12॥
Therefore, the people of old, by performing their own duties, obtained all their desires; the earth, without being tilled, produced plants by blessings. They do not see any fruit in sacrifices or in themselves.
śaṅkamānāḥ phalaṃ yajñe ye yajerankathañcana। jāyante'sādhavo dhūrtā lubdhā vittaprayojanāḥ ॥12-255-13॥
Those who doubt the results of sacrifice and perform it in any manner, are born as unrighteous, deceitful, and greedy people whose only aim is wealth.
sa sma pāpakṛtāṃ lokān gacchet aśubhakarmaṇā। pramāṇam apramāṇena yaḥ kuryād aśubhaṃ naraḥ ॥ pāpātmā saḥ akṛtaprajñaḥ sadā eva iha dvijottama ॥12-255-14॥
He who, by evil actions, goes to the worlds of evil-doers, and who acts wrongly against authority with non-authority, is a wicked-souled and unwise man, always so, O best of the twice-born.
kartavyam iti kartavyaṃ vetti yo brāhmaṇo ubhayam। brahma eva vartate loke na eti kartavyatāṃ punaḥ ॥12-255-15॥
The brāhmaṇa who understands what is to be done as duty knows both; in the world, only Brahman exists, and he does not again become subject to duty.
viguṇaṃ ca punaḥ karma jyāya ity anuśuśruma। sarvabhūtopaghātaś ca phalabhāve ca saṃyamaḥ ॥12-255-16॥
We have heard that even defective action is better; restraint in the result and not harming all beings is also taught.
satyayajñā damayajñā alubdhāś cātmatṛptayaḥ। utpannatyāginaḥ sarve janā āsannamatsarāḥ ॥12-255-17॥
All people were devoted to truth and self-control, free from greed, content in themselves, given to renunciation, and without envy.
kṣetrakṣetrajñatattvajñāḥ svayajñaparinishṭhitāḥ। brāhmaṃ vedamadhīyantastoṣayantyamarānapi ॥12-255-18॥
Those who know the field, the knower of the field, and the truth, who are firmly established in self-sacrifice and study the Veda relating to Brahman, even please the immortals.
akhilaṃ daivataṃ sarvaṃ brahma brāhmaṇasaṃśritam। tṛpyanti tṛpyato devāstṛptāstṛptasya jājale ॥12-255-19॥
All divinity, everything, is Brahman, dependent on the Brāhmaṇa. The gods are satisfied by those who are content; the contented are fulfilled in the sacrifice.
yathā sarvarasais tṛpto nābhinandati kiñcana| tathā prajñānatṛptasya nityaṃ tṛptiḥ sukhodayā ||12-255-20||
Just as a person who is satisfied with all tastes does not delight in anything in particular, so too, for one who is fulfilled by wisdom, there is always a satisfaction from which happiness arises.
dharmārāmā dharmasukhāḥ kṛtsnavyavasitās tathā। asti nas tattvato bhūya iti prajñāgaveṣiṇaḥ ॥12-255-21॥
Those who delight and find happiness in dharma, who are wholly resolved, likewise, for us, there is truly more—thus are the seekers of wisdom.
jñānavijñāninaḥ kecit paraṃ pāraṃ titīrṣavaḥ। atīva tat sadā puṇyaṃ puṇyābhijana-saṃhitam ॥12-255-22॥
Some of those endowed with knowledge and realization, wishing to cross to the supreme further shore, always greatly value that which is meritorious and associated with noble lineage.
yatra gatvā na śocanti na cyavanti vyathanti ca। te tu tadbrahmaṇaḥ sthānaṃ prāpnuvantīha sāttvikāḥ ॥12-255-23॥
The pure ones, having reached that state where there is no grief, no fall, and no disturbance, attain here the abode of Brahman.
naiva te svargam icchanti na yajanti yaśo-dhanaiḥ. satāṃ vartma anuvartante yathā-balam ahiṃsayā ॥12-255-24॥
They neither desire heaven nor perform sacrifices for fame and wealth; instead, they follow the path of the virtuous as best as they can, practicing non-violence.
vanaspatīnoṣadhīś ca phalamūlaṃ ca te viduḥ। na caitān ṛtvijo lubdhā yājayanti dhanārthinaḥ ॥12-255-25॥
They know the forest plants, herbs, fruits, and roots; and the priests, not greedy for wealth, do not make these people perform sacrifices for the sake of money.
svam eva ca arthaṃ kurvāṇā yajñaṃ cakruḥ punar dvijāḥ। pariniṣṭhita-karmāṇaḥ prajānugraha-kāmyayā ॥12-255-26॥
The twice-born, whose actions were accomplished, again performed sacrifices for their own purpose, wishing to benefit the people.
prāpayeyuḥ prajāḥ svargaṃ svadharmacaraṇena vai। iti me vartate buddhiḥ samā sarvatra jājale ॥12-255-27॥
My conviction is this: everywhere in Jājala, I hold the view that subjects may indeed attain heaven by practicing their own dharma.
prayuñjate yāni yajñe sadā prājñā dvijarṣabha। tena te devayānena pathā yānti mahāmune ॥12-255-28॥
O best of the twice-born, the wise always perform those rites in the sacrifice; by that, they travel the path of the gods, O great sage.
āvṛttis tatra caikasya nāsty āvṛttir manīṣiṇām। ubhau tau devayānena gacchato jājale pathā ॥12-255-29॥
There, for one, there is return; for the wise, there is no return. Both of them proceed by the divine path, by the Jājala path.
svayaṃ caiṣām anaḍuho yujyanti ca vahanti ca। svayam usrāś ca duhyante manaḥsaṅkalpasiddhibhiḥ ॥12-255-30॥
Their bulls are yoked and draw the ploughs by themselves; their cows are milked by themselves, through the accomplishment of mental resolve.
svayaṃ yūpānupādāya yajante svāptadakṣiṇaiḥ। yastathābhāvitātmā syātsa gāmālabdhumarhati ॥12-255-31॥
Those who themselves take up the sacrificial post and perform sacrifices with gifts acquired by their own means—he who is thus purified in mind is worthy to obtain the earth (or cow as reward).
oṣadhībhiḥ tathā brahman yajeramste natādṛśāḥ। buddhityāgaṃ puraskṛtya tādṛśaṃ prabravīmi te ॥12-255-32॥
O Brahman, in those days, people would perform sacrifices using herbs; they were not like those of today. Now, having placed the abandonment of intellect foremost, I declare such to you.
nirāśiṣam-anārambhaṃ nirnamaskāram-astutim। akṣīṇaṃ kṣīṇakarmāṇaṃ taṃ devā brāhmaṇaṃ viduḥ ॥12-255-33॥
The gods recognize as a brāhmaṇa that person who is free from desire for blessings, does not undertake actions, offers no salutations or praise, is undiminished, and whose actions are exhausted.
nāśrāvayanna ca yajanna dadadbrāhmaṇeṣu ca। grāmyāṃ vṛttiṃ lipsamānaḥ kāṃ gatiṃ yāti jājale ॥ idaṃ tu daivataṃ kṛtvā yathā yajñamavāpnuyāt ॥12-255-34॥
If one does not cause to be heard, does not sacrifice, does not give to Brāhmaṇas, and desires a worldly livelihood, what state does he attain in impurity? But if this is made divine, one may obtain the fruit of sacrifice.
jājaliruvāca॥
Jājali said.
na vai munīnāṃ śṛṇumaḥ sma tattvaṃ; pṛcchāmi tvā vāṇija kaṣṭam etat. pūrve pūrve cāsya nāvekṣamāṇā; nātaḥ paraṃ tam ṛṣayaḥ sthāpayanti ॥12-255-35॥
We have not heard the truth from the sages; I ask you, O merchant, about this difficulty. The sages of old, having not observed this, do not establish anything beyond this.
asminn evātmatīrthe na paśavaḥ prāpnuyuḥ sukham। atha svakarmaṇā kena vāṇija prāpnuyāt sukham॥ śaṁsa me tan mahāprājña bhṛśaṁ vai śraddadhāmi te॥12-255-36॥
In this very sacred place of the self, animals do not attain happiness. So, by what action can a merchant attain happiness? Please tell me that, O greatly wise one; I have great faith in you.
tulādhāra uvāca॥
Tulādhāra said.
uta yajñā utāyajñā makhaṃ nārhanti te kvacit। ājyena payasā dadhnā pūrṇāhutya viśeṣataḥ ॥ vālaiḥ śṛṅgeṇa pādena sambhavatyeva gaurmakham ॥12-255-37॥
Neither sacrifices nor non-sacrifices are ever worthy of the ritual; it is especially with clarified butter, milk, curds, and full oblation; with her hair, horn, and foot, indeed the cow herself becomes the ritual.
patnīṃ cānena vidhinā prakaroti niyojayan। puroḍāśo hi sarveṣāṃ paśūnāṃ medhya ucyate ॥12-255-38॥
By this procedure, engaging the wife, one performs (the rite); the sacrificial cake is indeed called the fit-for-sacrifice among all animals.
sarvā nadyaḥ sarasvatyaḥ sarve puṇyāḥ śilocchayāḥ। jājale tīrtham ātmaiva mā sma deśātithir bhava ॥12-255-39॥
All rivers, all Sarasvatis, and all holy stone mounds— in Jājala, the true sacred place is the self alone; never become a guest in another land.
etānīdṛśakāndharmān ācaran niha jājale। kāraṇair dharmam anvicchan lokān āpnute śubhān ॥12-255-40॥
By practising such kinds of dharmas here in this world, and seeking dharma by proper means, one attains auspicious worlds.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
etān īdṛśakān dharmān tulādhāraḥ praśaṃsati। upapattyā hi sampannān nityaṃ sadbhir niṣevitān ॥12-255-41॥
Tuladhara praises these kinds of dharmas. For, by reasoning, those dharmas which are always practiced by the virtuous are indeed accomplished.
