12.268
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
bhrātaraḥ pitaraḥ putrā jñātayaḥ suhṛdas tathā। arthahetor hatāḥ krūrair asmābhiḥ pāpabuddhibhiḥ ॥12-268-1॥
Brothers, fathers, sons, kinsmen, and friends alike have been killed for the sake of wealth by us, the cruel ones with sinful minds.
yeyam arthodbhavā tṛṣṇā katham etāṃ pitāmaha। nivartayema pāpaṃ hi tṛṣṇayā kāritā vayam ॥12-268-2॥
O grandsire, how can we turn away from this desire that arises from wealth? Indeed, we have been caused to sin by desire.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam। gītaṃ videharājena māṇḍavyāyānupṛcchate ॥12-268-3॥
Here too, they recount this ancient story, told by the king of Videha to Māṇḍavya when he was questioned.
susukhaṃ bata jīvāmi yasya me nāsti kiñcana। mithilāyāṃ pradīptāyāṃ na me dahyati kiñcana ॥12-268-4॥
"I live very happily indeed, for I possess nothing. Even when Mithilā is ablaze, nothing of mine is burned."
arthāḥ khalu samṛddhā hi bāḍhaṃ duḥkhaṃ vijānatām। asamṛddhāstvapi sadā mohayantyavicakṣaṇān ॥12-268-5॥
Abundant wealth indeed causes great suffering for the wise; but even lack of wealth always deludes the unwise.
yacca kāmasukhaṃ loke yacca divyaṃ mahatsukham। tṛṣṇākṣayasukhasyaite nārhataḥ ṣoḍaśīṃ kalām ॥12-268-6॥
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.
yathaiva śṛṅgaṃ goḥ kāle vardhamānasya vardhate। tathaiva tṛṣṇā vittena vardhamānena vardhate ॥12-268-7॥
Just as the horn of a cow grows with time, so too does desire increase as wealth increases.
kiñcideva mamatvena yadā bhavati kalpitam। tadeva paritāpāya nāśe sampadyate punaḥ ॥12-268-8॥
Whenever even a little is conceived with a sense of 'mineness', that very thing, upon its loss, brings sorrow once more.
na kāmānanurudhyeta duḥkhaṃ kāmeṣu vai ratiḥ। prāpyārthamupayuñjīta dharme kāmaṃ vivarjayet ॥12-268-9॥
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.
vidvānsarveṣu bhūteṣu vyāghramāṃsopamo bhavet। kṛtakṛtyo viśuddhātmā sarvaṃ tyajati vai saha ॥12-268-10॥
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.
ubhe satyānṛte tyaktvā śokānandau priyāpriye| bhayābhaye ca santyajya sampraśānto nirāmayaḥ ॥12-268-11॥
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.
yā dustyajā durmatibhir yā na jīryati jīryataḥ। yo'sau prāṇāntiko rogas tāṃ tṛṣṇāṃ tyajataḥ sukham ॥12-268-12॥
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.
cāritram ātmanaḥ paśyaṃś candraśuddham anāmayam। dharmātmā labhate kīrtiṃ pretya ca iha yathā-sukham ॥12-268-13॥
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.
rājñas tad vacanaṃ śrutvā prītimān abhavad dvijaḥ। pūjayitvā ca tad vākyaṃ māṇḍavyo mokṣam āśritaḥ॥12-268-14॥
Hearing the king's words, the Brahmin was delighted; after honoring those words, Māṇḍavya sought liberation.
