12.260
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
avirodhena bhūtānāṃ tyāgaḥ ṣāḍguṇyakārakaḥ। yaḥ syādubhayabhāgdharmastanme brūhi pitāmaha ॥12-260-1॥
O grandsire, tell me that dharma which, by non-opposition of beings and renunciation, becomes the cause of the sixfold policy and possesses the qualities of both sides.
gārhasthyasya ca dharmasya tyāgadharmasya cobhayoḥ। adūrasamprasthitayoḥ kiṃ svicchreyaḥ pitāmaha ॥12-260-2॥
O grandsire, of householdership and its dharma, and of the dharma of renunciation, for those who have not advanced far on either path, which is truly better?
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
ubhau dharmau mahābhāgāvubhau paramaduścarau। ubhau mahāphalau tāta sadbhirācaritāvubhau ॥12-260-3॥
Both of these dharmas, O greatly fortunate one, are extremely difficult to practice. Both yield great results, dear one, and both have been followed by the virtuous.
atra te vartayiṣyāmi prāmāṇyam ubhayos tayoḥ। śṛṇuṣvaikamanāḥ pārtha chinnadharmārthasaṃśayam ॥12-260-4॥
Here, I will explain to you the validity of both; listen attentively, O Pārtha, with your doubts about righteousness and purpose dispelled.
atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam। kapilasya goś ca saṃvādaṃ tan nibodha yudhiṣṭhira ॥12-260-5॥
Here too, an ancient story is told: the conversation between Kapila and the cow. Listen to that, O Yudhiṣṭhira.
āmnāyamanupaśyan hi purāṇaṃ śāśvataṃ dhruvam। nahuṣaḥ pūrvam ālebhe tvaṣṭur gām iti naḥ śrutam ॥12-260-6॥
Indeed, observing the sacred, ancient, eternal, and unchanging tradition, it is heard by us that Nahuṣa formerly obtained the cow of Tvaṣṭṛ.
tāṃ niyuktāmadīnātmā sattvasthaḥ samaye rataḥ। jñānavānniyatāhāro dadarśa kapilastadā ॥12-260-7॥
Then, Kapila, wise and of regulated diet, established in purity, whose spirit was not dejected, engaged at the proper time, saw her who had been appointed.
sa buddhi-muttamāṃ prāpto naiṣṭhikīm-akutobhayām। smarāmi śithilaṃ satyaṃ vedā ity-abravīt sakṛt ॥12-260-8॥
Having attained the highest intellect, steadfast and fearless, he once said, "The Vedas are relaxed truth," I remember.
tāṃ gām ṛṣiḥ syūmaraśmiḥ praviśya yatim abravīt। haṃho vedā yadi matā dharmāḥ kenāpare matāḥ॥12-260-9॥
The sage Syūmaraśmi, having entered the earth, said to the ascetic: "O! If the Vedas are regarded as dharmas, by whom are the others regarded as such?"
tapasvino dhṛtimataḥ śrutivijñānacakṣuṣaḥ। sarvamārṣaṃ hi manyante vyāhṛtaṃ viditātmanaḥ ॥12-260-10॥
Ascetics who are steadfast and whose vision is knowledge and revelation, consider all that is spoken by those who know the self to be of the ṛṣis.
tasyai vaṃ gatatṛṣṇasya vijvarasya nirāśiṣaḥ। kā vivakṣāsti vedeṣu nirārambhasya sarvaśaḥ ॥12-260-11॥
For one whose desires have ceased, who is free from affliction and without wishes, what desire to speak remains in the Vedas for one who has renounced all undertakings in every way?
kapila uvāca॥
Kapila said.
nāhaṃ vedān vinindāmi na vivakṣāmi karhicit। pṛthagāśramiṇāṃ karmāṇy ekārthānīti naḥ śrutam ॥12-260-12॥
I do not criticize the Vedas, nor do I ever intend to speak against them; we have heard that the actions of the different āśrama-dwellers all have a single purpose.
gacchatyeva parityāgī vānaprasthaśca gacchati। gṛhastho brahmacārī ca ubhau tāvapi gacchataḥ ॥12-260-13॥
Indeed, the renouncer departs, and so does the forest-dweller. The householder and the celibate student, both of them also depart.
devayānā hi panthānaś catvāraḥ śāśvatā matāḥ। teṣāṃ jyāyaḥ-kanīyastvaṃ phaleṣu uktaṃ balābalam ॥12-260-14॥
Indeed, four divine paths are considered eternal; among them, the superiority and inferiority in results, and their respective strengths and weaknesses, are described.
evaṃ viditvā sarvārthānārabhediti vaidikam। nārabhediti cānyatra naiṣṭhikī śrūyate śrutiḥ ॥12-260-15॥
Thus, knowing all purposes, the Vedic view is 'not to be commenced.' The same 'not to be commenced' is also heard elsewhere as relating to the final stage, according to scripture.
anārambhe hy adoṣaḥ syād ārambhe'doṣa uttamaḥ। evaṃ sthitasya śāstrasya durvijñeyaṃ balābalam ॥12-260-16॥
Indeed, there is no fault in non-commencement; in commencement, absence of fault is best. Thus, for an established śāstra, it is difficult to determine its strengths and weaknesses.
yadyatra kiñcit pratyakṣam ahiṁsāyāḥ param matam। ṛte tv āgamaśāstrebhyo brūhi tad yadi paśyasi॥12-260-17॥
If you see any supreme opinion of direct non-violence anywhere, apart from the scriptural texts, tell that, if you see it.
syūmaraśmir uvāca॥
Syumarashmi said.
svargakāmo yajeteti satataṃ śrūyate śrutiḥ। phalaṃ prakalpya pūrvaṃ hi tato yajñaḥ pratāyate ॥12-260-18॥
It is always heard from the Veda that "one who desires heaven should perform sacrifice." The sacrifice is performed only after first establishing the desired result.
ajaś cāśvaś ca meṣaś ca gauś ca pakṣigaṇāś ca ye। grāmyāraṇyā oṣadhayaḥ prāṇasy ānnam iti śrutiḥ॥12-260-19॥
Goats, horses, sheep, cows, birds, and all such creatures, both domestic and wild, as well as herbs, are declared by the Veda to be the food of living beings.
tathaivānnaṃ hyaharahaḥ sāyaṃ prātar nirupyate। paśavaścātha dhānyaṃ ca yajñasya-aṅgam iti śrutiḥ ॥12-260-20॥
In the same way, food is indeed offered every day, both in the evening and morning. Animals and grain are also considered components of the sacrifice, as stated by the Veda.
etāni saha yajñena prajāpatiḥ akalpayat। tena prajāpatiḥ devān yajñena ayajat prabhuḥ ॥12-260-21॥
Prajāpati arranged these things together with sacrifice. Thereby, Prajāpati, the lord, worshipped the gods through sacrifice.
te smānyonyañcarāḥ sarve prāṇinaḥ sapta sapta ca। yajñeṣūpākṛtaṃ viśvaṃ prāhuruttamasañjñitam ॥12-260-22॥
They say that all living beings, moving among each other in groups of seven, and the universe prepared in sacrifices, are called the highest.
etaccaivābhyanujñātaṃ pūrvaiḥ pūrvatarais tathā। ko jātu na vicinvīta vidvān svāṃ śaktim ātmanaḥ ॥12-260-23॥
This too has been approved in the same way by those who came before and by their predecessors. What wise person would not examine his own abilities?
paśavaś ca manuṣyāś ca drumāś cauṣadhibhiḥ saha। svargam evābhikāṅkṣante na ca svargas tv ṛte makham ॥12-260-24॥
Animals, humans, trees, and medicinal plants all desire heaven; but heaven cannot be attained without sacrifice.
oṣadhyaḥ paśavo vṛkṣā vīrud ājyaṃ payo dadhi। havir bhūmir diśaḥ śraddhā kālaś caitāni dvādaśa ॥12-260-25॥
These are the twelve: medicinal plants, animals, trees, creepers, clarified butter, milk, curd, offering, earth, directions, faith, and time.
ṛco yajūṃṣi sāmāni yajamānaś ca ṣoḍaśaḥ। agnir jñeyo gṛhapatiḥ sa saptadaśa ucyate॥ aṅgāny etāni yajñasya yajño mūlam iti śrutiḥ॥12-260-26॥
The Rigvedic hymns, Yajurvedic formulas, Samavedic chants, and the sacrificer are counted as the sixteenth part. Agni, the householder, is regarded as the seventeenth. These are considered the limbs of the sacrifice, and the sacrifice itself is said to be the root, according to the Vedic text.
āj-yena payasā dadhnā śakṛt-āmikṣayā tvacā। vālaiḥ śṛṅgeṇa pādena sambhavaty-eva gaur-makham ॥ evaṃ pratyekaśaḥ sarvaṃ yadyad-asya vidhīyate ॥12-260-27॥
The face of the cow is formed by clarified butter, milk, curd, dung mixture, skin, hairs, horn, and foot. In this way, whatever is prescribed for each part, all is so.
yajñaṃ vahanti sambhūya sahartvigbhiḥ sadakṣiṇaiḥ। saṃhatyaitāni sarvāṇi yajñaṃ nirvartayantyuta ॥12-260-28॥
The sacrifice is carried out collectively by all, together with the priests and proper gifts. United, all these indeed accomplish the sacrifice.
yajñārthāni hi sṛṣṭāni yathā vai śrūyate śrutiḥ। evaṃ pūrve pūratarāḥ pravṛttāścaiva mānavāḥ ॥12-260-29॥
It is indeed heard from the Veda that all things were created for the sake of sacrifice. In this way, men of former and still earlier times engaged themselves accordingly.
na hinasti hy ārabhate nābhidruhyati kiñcana। yajño yaṣṭavya ityeva yo yajatyaphalepsayā ॥12-260-30॥
He who undertakes sacrifice without desire for its fruit neither destroys nor harms anything. The sacrifice should be performed only with this attitude.
yajñāṅgāny api caitāni yathoktāni na saṁśayaḥ। vidhinā vidhiyuktāni tārayanti parasparam ॥12-260-31॥
There is no doubt that these sacrificial components, as stated, when performed according to the prescribed procedure, mutually uplift each other.
āmnāyam ārṣaṃ paśyāmi yasmin vedāḥ pratiṣṭhitāḥ। taṃ vidvāṃso'nupaśyanti brāhmaṇasya anudarśanāt ॥12-260-32॥
I perceive the ṛṣi-originated tradition in which the Vedas are established; this is realized by the learned through following the Brāhmaṇa.
brāhmaṇaprabhavo yajño brāhmaṇārpaṇa eva ca। anu yajñaṃ jagatsarvaṃ yajñaścānu jagatsadā ॥12-260-33॥
Sacrifice originates from the brāhmaṇa, and is truly an offering by the brāhmaṇa. The entire world follows sacrifice, and sacrifice always follows the world.
om iti brahmaṇo yonir namaḥ svāhā svadhā vaṣaṭ। yasya etāni prayujyante yathāśakti kṛtāni api ॥12-260-34॥
"Om" is the source of Brahman; salutation, svāhā, svadhā, vaṣaṭ—whoever employs these, even those performed according to one's ability.
na tasya triṣu lokeṣu paralokabhayaṃ viduḥ। iti vedā vadantīha siddhāśca paramarṣayaḥ ॥12-260-35॥
The Vedas, as well as the perfected beings and supreme sages here, declare that he has no fear of the other world in all the three worlds.
ṛco yajūṃṣi sāmāni stobhāś ca vidhicoditāḥ। yasminn etāni sarvāṇi bahir eva sa vai dvijaḥ॥12-260-36॥
He in whom all the Rigvedic hymns, Yajurvedic formulas, Samavedic chants, and ritual musical syllables exist only externally—he indeed is a twice-born.
agnyādheye yad bhavati yac ca some sute dvija | yac ca itaraiḥ mahāyajñaiḥ veda tad bhagavān svataḥ ॥12-260-37॥
O twice-born, whatever arises in the fire-sacrifice, whatever (arises) in the Soma pressing, and whatever is known by others through great sacrifices, all that the Lord knows by Himself.
tasmādbrahmanyajetaiva yājayeccāvicārayan। yajataḥ svargavidhinā pretya svargaphalaṃ mahat ॥12-260-38॥
Therefore, O Brāhmaṇa, one should perform sacrifices and cause others to perform them without hesitation; for one who sacrifices according to the rules for attaining heaven, after death, attains the great fruit of heaven.
nāyaṃ loko'styajñānāṃ paraśceti viniścayaḥ। vedavādavidaścaiva pramāṇamubhayaṃ tadā ॥12-260-39॥
It is determined that for the ignorant, neither this world nor the next exists. At that time, the knowers of Vedic doctrine accept both as authoritative.
