12.268
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
[युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhiṣṭhira; (proper noun, name of a person); उवाच (uvāca) - said; (from the root 'vac', to speak);]
(Yudhiṣṭhira said;)
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
भ्रातरः पितरः पुत्रा ज्ञातयः सुहृदस्तथा। अर्थहेतोर्हताः क्रूरैरस्माभिः पापबुद्धिभिः ॥१२-२६८-१॥
bhrātaraḥ pitaraḥ putrā jñātayaḥ suhṛdas tathā। arthahetor hatāḥ krūrair asmābhiḥ pāpabuddhibhiḥ ॥12-268-1॥
[भ्रातरः (bhrātaraḥ) - brothers; पितरः (pitaraḥ) - fathers; पुत्राः (putrāḥ) - sons; ज्ञातयः (jñātayaḥ) - kinsmen; सुहृदः (suhṛdaḥ) - friends; तथा (tathā) - likewise; अर्थहेतोः (arthahetoḥ) - for the sake of wealth; हताः (hatāḥ) - killed; क्रूरैः (krūraiḥ) - by the cruel; अस्माभिः (asmābhiḥ) - by us; पापबुद्धिभिः (pāpabuddhibhiḥ) - with sinful minds;]
(Brothers, fathers, sons, kinsmen, friends likewise; for the sake of wealth, killed by the cruel, by us with sinful minds.)
Brothers, fathers, sons, kinsmen, and friends alike have been killed for the sake of wealth by us, the cruel ones with sinful minds.
येयमर्थोद्भवा तृष्णा कथमेतां पितामह। निवर्तयेम पापं हि तृष्णया कारिता वयम् ॥१२-२६८-२॥
yeyam arthodbhavā tṛṣṇā katham etāṃ pitāmaha। nivartayema pāpaṃ hi tṛṣṇayā kāritā vayam ॥12-268-2॥
[ये (ye) - who; इयम् (iyam) - this; अर्थोद्भवा (arthodbhavā) - arising from wealth; तृष्णा (tṛṣṇā) - desire; कथम् (katham) - how; एताम् (etām) - this; पितामह (pitāmaha) - O grandsire; निवर्तयेम (nivartayema) - may we turn away; पापम् (pāpam) - sin; हि (hi) - indeed; तृष्णया (tṛṣṇayā) - by desire; कारिताः (kāritāḥ) - caused; वयम् (vayam) - we;]
(Who, this arising from wealth desire, how this, O grandsire, may we turn away? Sin indeed by desire caused we.)
O grandsire, how can we turn away from this desire that arises from wealth? Indeed, we have been caused to sin by desire.
भीष्म उवाच॥
bhīṣma uvāca॥
[भीष्म (bhīṣma) - Bhīṣma; उवाच (uvāca) - said;]
(Bhīṣma said;)
Bhīṣma said.
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। गीतं विदेहराजेन माण्डव्यायानुपृच्छते ॥१२-२६८-३॥
atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam। gītaṃ videharājena māṇḍavyāyānupṛcchate ॥12-268-3॥
[अत्र (atra) - here; अपि (api) - also; उदाहरन्ति (udāharanti) - they cite; इमम् (imam) - this; इतिहासम् (itihāsam) - history; पुरातनम् (purātanam) - ancient; गीतम् (gītam) - spoken; विदेहराजेन (videharājena) - by the king of Videha; माण्डव्याय (māṇḍavyāya) - to Māṇḍavya; अनुपृच्छते (anupṛcchate) - in response to the question;]
(Here also they cite this ancient history, spoken by the king of Videha to Māṇḍavya in response to the question.)
Here too, they recount this ancient story, told by the king of Videha to Māṇḍavya when he was questioned.
सुसुखं बत जीवामि यस्य मे नास्ति किञ्चन। मिथिलायां प्रदीप्तायां न मे दह्यति किञ्चन ॥१२-२६८-४॥
susukhaṃ bata jīvāmi yasya me nāsti kiñcana। mithilāyāṃ pradīptāyāṃ na me dahyati kiñcana ॥12-268-4॥
[सुसुखं (susukham) - very happily; बत (bata) - indeed; जीवामि (jīvāmi) - I live; यस्य (yasya) - of whom; मे (me) - to me; नास्ति (nāsti) - there is not; किञ्चन (kiñcana) - anything; मिथिलायां (mithilāyām) - in Mithilā; प्रदीप्तायां (pradīptāyām) - being ablaze; न (na) - not; मे (me) - to me; दह्यति (dahyati) - is burned; किञ्चन (kiñcana) - anything;]
(Very happily indeed I live, of whom there is not anything to me. In Mithilā being ablaze, not to me is burned anything.)
"I live very happily indeed, for I possess nothing. Even when Mithilā is ablaze, nothing of mine is burned."
अर्थाः खलु समृद्धा हि बाढं दुःखं विजानताम्। असमृद्धास्त्वपि सदा मोहयन्त्यविचक्षणान् ॥१२-२६८-५॥
arthāḥ khalu samṛddhā hi bāḍhaṃ duḥkhaṃ vijānatām। asamṛddhāstvapi sadā mohayantyavicakṣaṇān ॥12-268-5॥
[अर्थाः (arthāḥ) - objects (of wealth); खलु (khalu) - indeed; समृद्धाः (samṛddhāḥ) - abundant; हि (hi) - certainly; बाढम् (bāḍham) - great; दुःखम् (duḥkham) - suffering; विजानताम् (vijānatām) - of those who know; असमृद्धाः (asamṛddhāḥ) - not abundant; तु (tu) - but; अपि (api) - also; सदा (sadā) - always; मोहयन्ति (mohayanti) - delude; अविचक्षणान् (avicakṣaṇān) - the unwise;]
(Objects (of wealth) indeed abundant certainly great suffering (cause) for those who know. Not abundant but also always delude the unwise.)
Abundant wealth indeed causes great suffering for the wise; but even lack of wealth always deludes the unwise.
यच्च कामसुखं लोके यच्च दिव्यं महत्सुखम्। तृष्णाक्षयसुखस्यैते नार्हतः षोडशीं कलाम् ॥१२-२६८-६॥
yacca kāmasukhaṃ loke yacca divyaṃ mahatsukham। tṛṣṇākṣayasukhasyaite nārhataḥ ṣoḍaśīṃ kalām ॥12-268-6॥
[यत् (yat) - whatever; च (ca) - and; कामसुखम् (kāmasukham) - pleasure of desire; लोके (loke) - in the world; यत् (yat) - whatever; च (ca) - and; दिव्यम् (divyam) - divine; महत् (mahat) - great; सुखम् (sukham) - happiness; तृष्णा (tṛṣṇā) - craving; अक्षय (akṣaya) - cessation; सुखस्य (sukhasya) - of the happiness; एते (ete) - these; न (na) - not; अर्हतः (arhataḥ) - are worthy; षोडशीम् (ṣoḍaśīm) - sixteenth part; कलाम् (kalām) - portion;]
(Whatever pleasure of desire in the world and whatever great divine happiness, these are not worthy of even a sixteenth part of the happiness of the cessation of craving.)
All the pleasures of desire in this world and even the greatest divine happiness are not equal to even a sixteenth part of the happiness that comes from the cessation of craving.
यथैव शृङ्गं गोः काले वर्धमानस्य वर्धते। तथैव तृष्णा वित्तेन वर्धमानेन वर्धते ॥१२-२६८-७॥
yathaiva śṛṅgaṃ goḥ kāle vardhamānasya vardhate। tathaiva tṛṣṇā vittena vardhamānena vardhate ॥12-268-7॥
[यथा (yathā) - just as; एव (eva) - indeed; शृङ्गम् (śṛṅgam) - horn; गोः (goḥ) - of a cow; काले (kāle) - in time; वर्धमानस्य (vardhamānasya) - growing; वर्धते (vardhate) - increases; तथा (tathā) - so; एव (eva) - indeed; तृष्णा (tṛṣṇā) - desire; वित्तेन (vittena) - by wealth; वर्धमानेन (vardhamānena) - increasing; वर्धते (vardhate) - increases;]
(Just as indeed the horn of a cow increases in time as it grows, so indeed desire increases by wealth as it increases.)
Just as the horn of a cow grows with time, so too does desire increase as wealth increases.
किञ्चिदेव ममत्वेन यदा भवति कल्पितम्। तदेव परितापाय नाशे सम्पद्यते पुनः ॥१२-२६८-८॥
kiñcideva mamatvena yadā bhavati kalpitam। tadeva paritāpāya nāśe sampadyate punaḥ ॥12-268-8॥
[किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - a little; something; एव (eva) - indeed; only; ममत्वेन (mamatvena) - with the sense of 'mineness'; यदा (yadā) - when; भवति (bhavati) - becomes; arises; कल्पितम् (kalpitam) - imagined; conceived; तत् (tat) - that; एव (eva) - indeed; only; परितापाय (paritāpāya) - for sorrow; for affliction; नाशे (nāśe) - in destruction; at the time of loss; सम्पद्यते (sampadyate) - results; becomes; पुनः (punaḥ) - again;]
(When even a little is imagined as 'mine', that alone, at the time of destruction, indeed results in sorrow again.)
Whenever even a little is conceived with a sense of 'mineness', that very thing, upon its loss, brings sorrow once more.
न कामाननुरुध्येत दुःखं कामेषु वै रतिः। प्राप्यार्थमुपयुञ्जीत धर्मे कामं विवर्जयेत् ॥१२-२६८-९॥
na kāmānanurudhyeta duḥkhaṃ kāmeṣu vai ratiḥ। prāpyārthamupayuñjīta dharme kāmaṃ vivarjayet ॥12-268-9॥
[न (na) - not; कामान् (kāmān) - desires; अनुरुध्येत (anurudhyeta) - should pursue; दुःखं (duḥkham) - suffering; कामेषु (kāmeṣu) - in desires; वै (vai) - indeed; रतिः (ratiḥ) - attachment; प्राप्यार्थम् (prāpyārtham) - for the sake of attainment; उपयुञ्जीत (upayuñjīta) - should employ; धर्मे (dharme) - in dharma; कामं (kāmam) - desire; विवर्जयेत् (vivarjayet) - should avoid;]
(Not desires should pursue; suffering in desires indeed attachment. For the sake of attainment should employ; in dharma desire should avoid.)
One should not pursue desires; suffering is indeed the result of attachment to desires. For the sake of attainment, one may employ desire, but in matters of dharma, desire should be avoided.
विद्वान्सर्वेषु भूतेषु व्याघ्रमांसोपमो भवेत्। कृतकृत्यो विशुद्धात्मा सर्वं त्यजति वै सह ॥१२-२६८-१०॥
vidvānsarveṣu bhūteṣu vyāghramāṃsopamo bhavet। kṛtakṛtyo viśuddhātmā sarvaṃ tyajati vai saha ॥12-268-10॥
[विद्वान् (vidvān) - the learned one; सर्वेषु (sarveṣu) - among all; भूतेषु (bhūteṣu) - beings; व्याघ्रमांसोपमः (vyāghramāṃsopamaḥ) - like tiger's flesh; भवेत् (bhavet) - becomes; कृतकृत्यः (kṛtakṛtyaḥ) - one who has accomplished his purpose; विशुद्धात्मा (viśuddhātmā) - with pure self; सर्वम् (sarvam) - everything; त्यजति (tyajati) - abandons; वै (vai) - indeed; सह (saha) - together;]
(The learned one among all beings becomes like tiger's flesh; one who has accomplished his purpose, with pure self, indeed abandons everything together.)
Among all beings, the learned person is like tiger's flesh; having fulfilled his purpose and with a pure mind, he indeed abandons everything together.
उभे सत्यानृते त्यक्त्वा शोकानन्दौ प्रियाप्रिये। भयाभये च सन्त्यज्य सम्प्रशान्तो निरामयः ॥१२-२६८-११॥
ubhe satyānṛte tyaktvā śokānandau priyāpriye| bhayābhaye ca santyajya sampraśānto nirāmayaḥ ॥12-268-11॥
[उभे (ubhe) - both; (dual) सत्यानृते (satyānṛte) - truth and untruth; त्यक्त्वा (tyaktvā) - having abandoned; शोकानन्दौ (śokānandau) - sorrow and joy; (dual) प्रियाप्रिये (priyāpriye) - pleasant and unpleasant; (dual) भयाभये (bhayābhaye) - fear and absence of fear; (dual) च (ca) - and; सन्त्यज्य (santyajya) - having completely abandoned; सम्प्रशान्तः (sampraśāntaḥ) - completely tranquil; निरामयः (nirāmayaḥ) - free from affliction;]
(Both truth and untruth having abandoned, sorrow and joy, pleasant and unpleasant, fear and absence of fear and having completely abandoned, completely tranquil, free from affliction.)
Having abandoned both truth and untruth, sorrow and joy, the pleasant and the unpleasant, and fear and absence of fear, one who is completely tranquil becomes free from affliction.
या दुस्त्यजा दुर्मतिभिर्या न जीर्यति जीर्यतः। योऽसौ प्राणान्तिको रोगस्तां तृष्णां त्यजतः सुखम् ॥१२-२६८-१२॥
yā dustyajā durmatibhir yā na jīryati jīryataḥ। yo'sau prāṇāntiko rogas tāṃ tṛṣṇāṃ tyajataḥ sukham ॥12-268-12॥
[या (yā) - which; (feminine singular nominative); दुस्त्यजा (dustyajā) - difficult to abandon; (feminine singular nominative); दुर्मतिभिः (durmatibhiḥ) - by those of evil mind; (instrumental plural); या (yā) - which; (feminine singular nominative); न (na) - not; जीर्यति (jīryati) - decays; (third person singular present); जीर्यतः (jīryataḥ) - of one who decays; (genitive singular); यः (yaḥ) - which; (masculine singular nominative); असौ (asau) - that; (demonstrative pronoun); प्राणान्तिकः (prāṇāntikaḥ) - fatal; (masculine singular nominative); रोगः (rogaḥ) - disease; (masculine singular nominative); ताम् (tām) - that; (accusative singular feminine); तृष्णाम् (tṛṣṇām) - craving; (accusative singular feminine); त्यजतः (tyajataḥ) - of one who abandons; (genitive singular); सुखम् (sukham) - happiness; (nominative/accusative singular neuter);]
(Which is difficult to abandon by those of evil mind, which does not decay even as one decays; that which is the fatal disease—craving—for one who abandons that, happiness (arises).)
That craving which is hard to give up by those of evil mind, which does not age even as the person ages, which is the fatal disease—for one who abandons that craving, there is happiness.
चारित्रमात्मनः पश्यंश्चन्द्रशुद्धमनामयम्। धर्मात्मा लभते कीर्तिं प्रेत्य चेह यथासुखम् ॥१२-२६८-१३॥
cāritram ātmanaḥ paśyaṃś candraśuddham anāmayam। dharmātmā labhate kīrtiṃ pretya ca iha yathā-sukham ॥12-268-13॥
[चारित्रम् (cāritram) - conduct; character; आत्मनः (ātmanaḥ) - of oneself; पश्यन् (paśyan) - seeing; observing; चन्द्रशुद्धम् (candraśuddham) - pure as the moon; अनामयम् (anāmayam) - free from disease; faultless; धर्मात्मा (dharmātmā) - righteous person; one whose soul is righteous; लभते (labhate) - obtains; gains; कीर्तिम् (kīrtim) - fame; glory; प्रेत्य (pretya) - having departed; after death; च (ca) - and; इह (iha) - here; in this world; यथा (yathā) - as; according to; सुखम् (sukham) - happiness; comfort;]
(Seeing the conduct of oneself, pure as the moon and faultless, the righteous person obtains fame, both after death and here, according to happiness.)
One who observes his own character, which is as pure and flawless as the moon, attains fame and happiness both in this world and after death.
राज्ञस्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा प्रीतिमानभवद्द्विजः। पूजयित्वा च तद्वाक्यं माण्डव्यो मोक्षमाश्रितः ॥१२-२६८-१४॥
rājñas tad vacanaṃ śrutvā prītimān abhavad dvijaḥ। pūjayitvā ca tad vākyaṃ māṇḍavyo mokṣam āśritaḥ॥12-268-14॥
[राज्ञः (rājñaḥ) - of the king; तत् (tat) - that; वचनम् (vacanam) - speech; श्रुत्वा (śrutvā) - having heard; प्रीतिमान् (prītimān) - filled with joy; अभवत् (abhavat) - became; द्विजः (dvijaḥ) - the twice-born (Brahmin); पूजयित्वा (pūjayitvā) - having honored; च (ca) - and; तत् (tat) - that; वाक्यम् (vākyam) - word; माण्डव्यः (māṇḍavyaḥ) - Māṇḍavya; मोक्षम् (mokṣam) - liberation; आश्रितः (āśritaḥ) - resorted to;]
(Having heard that speech of the king, the twice-born became filled with joy; and having honored those words, Māṇḍavya resorted to liberation.)
Hearing the king's words, the Brahmin was delighted; after honoring those words, Māṇḍavya sought liberation.
