12.265
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
कथं भवति पापात्मा कथं धर्मं करोति वा। केन निर्वेदमादत्ते मोक्षं वा केन गच्छति ॥१२-२६५-१॥
How does a person become wicked-souled? How does one perform dharma? By what does one attain dispassion, and by what does one reach liberation?
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhīṣma said.
विदिताः सर्वधर्मास्ते स्थित्यर्थमनुपृच्छसि। शृणु मोक्षं सनिर्वेदं पापं धर्मं च मूलतः ॥१२-२६५-२॥
All dharmas are known to you; you ask for the sake of their maintenance. Now hear about liberation with dispassion, sin, and dharma from the root.
विज्ञानार्थं हि पञ्चानामिच्छा पूर्वं प्रवर्तते। प्राप्य ताञ्जायते कामो द्वेषो वा भरतर्षभ ॥१२-२६५-३॥
Desire for the five senses first arises for the sake of knowledge. Upon obtaining them, either desire or aversion is born, O best of the Bharatas.
ततस्तदर्थं यतते कर्म चारभते पुनः। इष्टानां रूपगन्धानामभ्यासं च चिकीर्षति ॥१२-२६५-४॥
Then, for that purpose, he strives and again undertakes actions, wishing to practice the enjoyment of desired forms and scents.
ततो रागः प्रभवति द्वेषश्च तदनन्तरम्। ततो लोभः प्रभवति मोहश्च तदनन्तरम् ॥१२-२६५-५॥
From that, attachment arises, then aversion follows. From that, greed arises, then delusion follows.
लोभमोहाभिभूतस्य रागद्वेषान्वितस्य च। न धर्मे जायते बुद्धिर्व्याजाद्धर्मं करोति च ॥१२-२६५-६॥
For one who is overpowered by greed and delusion, and is possessed by attachment and aversion, understanding of dharma does not arise; by deceit, he even performs dharma.
व्याजेन चरतो धर्ममर्थव्याजोऽपि रोचते। व्याजेन सिध्यमानेषु धनेषु कुरुनन्दन ॥१२-२६५-७॥
O Kurunandana, for one who acts righteously by pretext, even the pretext of wealth becomes agreeable; by pretext, when wealth is being acquired.
तत्रैव कुरुते बुद्धिं ततः पापं चिकीर्षति। सुहृद्भिर्वार्यमाणोऽपि पण्डितैश्चापि भारत ॥१२-२६५-८॥
There, having resolved, he then seeks to commit evil, O Bhārata, even when restrained by friends and wise men.
उत्तरं न्यायसम्बद्धं ब्रवीति विधियोजितम्। अधर्मस्त्रिविधस्तस्य वर्धते रागमोहजः ॥१२-२६५-९॥
He gives an answer connected with logic and joined with rule. For him, unrighteousness, which is threefold and born of passion and delusion, increases.
पापं चिन्तयते चैव प्रब्रवीति करोति च। तस्याधर्मप्रवृत्तस्य दोषान्पश्यन्ति साधवः ॥१२-२६५-१०॥
He who thinks, speaks, and does evil—his faults are seen by the virtuous, for he is engaged in unrighteousness.
एकशीलाश्च मित्रत्वं भजन्ते पापकर्मिणः। स नेह सुखमाप्नोति कुत एव परत्र वै ॥१२-२६५-११॥
Those of one nature form friendships with evil-doers; such a person does not attain happiness here, so how indeed in the next world?
एवं भवति पापात्मा धर्मात्मानं तु मे शृणु। यथा कुशलधर्मा स कुशलं प्रतिपद्यते ॥१२-२६५-१२॥
Thus is the case with the wicked-souled; but listen to me about the righteous-souled. Just as one whose nature is virtuous attains virtue.
य एतान्प्रज्ञया दोषान्पूर्वमेवानुपश्यति। कुशलः सुखदुःखानां साधूंश्चाप्युपसेवते ॥१२-२६५-१३॥
He who, by wisdom, foresees these faults in advance, the wise one associates with the virtuous, whether in happiness or in sorrow.
तस्य साधुसमाचारादभ्यासाच्चैव वर्धते। प्रज्ञा धर्मे च रमते धर्मं चैवोपजीवति ॥१२-२६५-१४॥
His wisdom increases through good conduct and practice; he delights in dharma and lives by dharma.
सोऽथ धर्मादवाप्तेषु धनेषु कुरुते मनः। तस्यैव सिञ्चते मूलं गुणान्पश्यति यत्र वै ॥१२-२६५-१५॥
Then, when wealth is obtained through righteousness, he directs his mind to it; he nourishes only its root and perceives the qualities where they truly are.
धर्मात्मा भवति ह्येवं मित्रं च लभते शुभम्। स मित्रधनलाभात्तु प्रेत्य चेह च नन्दति ॥१२-२६५-१६॥
A person of righteous soul thus becomes and gains a good friend; from the gain of friends and wealth, he rejoices both here and after death.
शब्दे स्पर्शे तथा रूपे रसे गन्धे च भारत। प्रभुत्वं लभते जन्तुर्धर्मस्यैतत्फलं विदुः ॥१२-२६५-१७॥
O Bhārata, it is known that the fruit of dharma is that a creature attains mastery over sound, touch, form, taste, and smell.
स धर्मस्य फलं लब्ध्वा न तृप्यति युधिष्ठिर। अतृप्यमाणो निर्वेदमादत्ते ज्ञानचक्षुषा ॥१२-२६५-१८॥
O Yudhiṣṭhira, even after attaining the fruit of dharma, one is not satisfied. Not being satisfied, one develops dispassion through the eye of knowledge.
प्रज्ञाचक्षुर्यदा कामे दोषमेवानुपश्यति। विरज्यते तदा कामान्न च धर्मं विमुञ्चति ॥१२-२६५-१९॥
When a person, with the eye of wisdom, sees only fault in desires, then he withdraws from desires but does not abandon righteousness.
सर्वत्यागे च यतते दृष्ट्वा लोकं क्षयात्मकम्। ततो मोक्षाय यतते नानुपायादुपायतः ॥१२-२६५-२०॥
When one, having renounced everything, sees the world as perishable, he then strives for liberation, not by improper means, but by proper means.
शनैर्निर्वेदमादत्ते पापं कर्म जहाति च। धर्मात्मा चैव भवति मोक्षं च लभते परम् ॥१२-२६५-२१॥
Gradually, one attains dispassion, abandons sinful actions, becomes righteous, and attains the highest liberation.
एतत्ते कथितं तात यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि। पापं धर्मं तथा मोक्षं निर्वेदं चैव भारत ॥१२-२६५-२२॥
O Bhārata, I have explained to you, dear one, what you asked me about: evil, righteousness, liberation, and also dispassion.
तस्माद्धर्मे प्रवर्तेथाः सर्वावस्थं युधिष्ठिर। धर्मे स्थितानां कौन्तेय सिद्धिर्भवति शाश्वती ॥१२-२६५-२३॥
Therefore, Yudhiṣṭhira, you should always act according to dharma in every situation. O son of Kunti, for those who are established in dharma, eternal success is attained.
