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yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
dhanyā dhanyā iti janāḥ sarve'smānpravadantyuta। na duḥkhitatarah kaścit pumānasmābhirasti ha ॥12-270-1॥
All people say, "Fortunate, fortunate are they," about us, but truly, there is no man more sorrowful than us.
lokasambhāvitair duḥkhaṃ yat prāptaṃ kurusattama। prāpya jātiṃ manuṣyeṣu devair api pitāmaha ॥12-270-2॥
O best of the Kurus, O grandsire, even the gods, having obtained birth among men, experience the suffering which is encountered by those honored in the world.
kadā vayaṃ kariṣyāmaḥ saṃnyāsaṃ duḥkhasaṃjñakam। duḥkham etac charīrāṇāṃ dhāraṇaṃ kurusattama ॥12-270-3॥
O best of Kurus, when shall we renounce? Bearing these bodies is suffering.
vimuktāḥ saptadaśabhir hetubhūtaiś ca pañcabhiḥ। indriyārthair guṇaiś caiva aṣṭābhiḥ prapitāmaha ॥12-270-4॥
O great-grandfather, one is liberated by seventeen causes, five (senses), the objects of the senses, qualities, and eight (other factors).
na gacchanti punarbhāvaṃ munayaḥ saṃśitavratāḥ। kadā vayaṃ bhaviṣyāmo rājyaṃ hitvā parantapa ॥12-270-5॥
The sages of firm vows do not undergo rebirth. O scorcher of foes, when shall we, having abandoned the kingdom, become like them?
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
nāsty anantaṃ mahārāja sarvaṃ saṅkhyānagocaram। punarbhāvo'pi saṅkhyāto nāsti kiñcid ihācalam ॥12-270-6॥
O great king, nothing is endless; everything can be counted. Even rebirth, being enumerated, does not exist as anything permanent here.
na cāpi gamyate rājannaiṣa doṣaḥ prasaṅgataḥ। udyogādeva dharmajña kālenaiva gamiṣyatha ॥12-270-7॥
O king, this fault is not incurred by association. Through effort alone, O knower of dharma, in due time, you will attain your goal.
īśo'yaṃ satataṃ dehī nṛpate puṇyapāpayoḥ। tata eva samutthena tamasā rudhyate'pi ca ॥12-270-8॥
O king, this embodied soul is always the lord of merit and demerit; yet, indeed, he is also obstructed by the darkness that arises from them.
yathāñjanamayo vāyuḥ punarmānaḥśilaṃ rajaḥ| anupraviśya tadvarṇo dṛśyate rañjayandiśaḥ ॥12-270-9॥
Just as wind carrying collyrium or dust of realgar, when it enters, its color is seen as it colors the directions.
tathā karmaphalair dehī rañjitas tamasāvṛtaḥ। vivarṇo varṇam āśritya deheṣu parivartate ॥12-270-10॥
Thus, the embodied soul, influenced by the results of actions and enveloped in darkness, assumes different colors and takes on various bodies.
jñānena hi yadā jantur ajñāna-prabhavaṃ tamaḥ। vyapohati tadā brahma prakāśeta sanātanam ॥12-270-11॥
When, by knowledge, a living being dispels the darkness born of ignorance, then the eternal Brahman shines forth.
ayatnasādhyaṃ munayo vadanti; ye cāpi muktāsta upāsitavyāḥ। tvayā ca lokena ca sāmareṇa; tasmānna śāmyanti maharṣisaṅghāḥ ॥12-270-12॥
Sages declare that which is attainable without effort; and those who are liberated are also to be worshipped. By you and by the world with effort; therefore, the assemblies of great sages never cease.
asminnarthe purā gītaṃ śṛṇuṣvaikamanā nṛpa। yathā daityena vṛtreṇa bhraṣṭaiśvaryeṇa ceṣṭitam ॥12-270-13॥
O king, in this matter, listen attentively to the song that was sung long ago, describing how the Daitya Vṛtra acted after losing his sovereignty.
nirjitenāsahāyena hṛtarājyena bhārata। aśocatā śatrumadhye buddhimāsthāya kevalām ॥12-270-14॥
O Bhārata, though conquered, without allies, and deprived of his kingdom, he did not grieve; in the midst of enemies, he relied solely on his intellect.
bhraṣṭaiśvaryaṃ purā vṛtram uśanā vākyam abravīt। kaccit parājitasya adya na vyathā te 'sti dānava ॥12-270-15॥
Once, when Vṛtra had lost his sovereignty, Uśanā addressed him: "O Dānava, now that you are defeated, do you not feel any pain today?"
vṛtra uvāca॥
Vṛtra said.
satyena tapasā caiva viditvā saṅkṣayaṃ hy aham। na śocāmi na hṛṣyāmi bhūtānām āgatiṃ gatim ॥12-270-16॥
By truth and austerity, having realized the destruction, I neither grieve nor rejoice at the coming or going of beings.
kālasañcoditā jīvā majjanti narake'vaśāḥ। paridṛṣṭāni sarvāṇi divyānyāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ ॥12-270-17॥
Driven by time, living beings helplessly sink into hell. The wise say that all the divine things have been seen.
kṣapayitvā tu taṃ kālaṃ gaṇitaṃ kālacoditāḥ। sāvaśeṣeṇa kālena sambhavanti punaḥ punaḥ ॥12-270-18॥
But after spending that measured time, impelled by time, with the remaining time, they come into being again and again.
tiryagyonisahasrāṇi gatvā narakameva ca। nirgacchantyavaśā jīvāḥ kālabandhanabandhanāḥ ॥12-270-19॥
Powerless living beings, bound by the bondage of time, depart after passing through thousands of animal wombs and hell.
evaṃ saṃsaramāṇāni jīvāny aham adṛṣṭavān। yathā karma tathā lābha iti śāstranidarśanam ॥12-270-20॥
In this way, I have observed living beings wandering according to their actions; as one acts, so one attains results—this is the teaching illustrated in the scriptures.
tir-yag-gacchanti narakaṃ mānuṣyaṃ daivam-eva ca। sukha-duḥkhe priya-dveṣye caritvā pūrvam-eva ca ॥12-270-21॥
They pass into hell, human, or divine states, according to their previous actions in happiness and sorrow, in what is dear and hateful.
kṛtāntavidhisaṃyuktaṃ sarvalokaḥ prapadyate। gataṃ gacchanti cādhvānaṃ sarvabhūtāni sarvadā ॥12-270-22॥
All worlds are subject to the decree of death. All beings always follow the path that has been traversed.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
kālasaṅkhyānasaṅkhyātaṃ sṛṣṭisthitiparāyaṇam। taṃ bhāṣamāṇaṃ bhagavān uśanā pratyabhāṣata ॥ bhīmānduṣṭapralāpāṃs tvaṃ tāta kasmāt prabhāṣase ॥12-270-23॥
The revered Uśanas (Śukra) replied to him, who was speaking of the enumeration of time, creation, and maintenance. "Dear one, why do you utter such terrible and evil ravings?"
vṛtra uvāca॥
Vṛtra said.
pratyakṣam etad bhavataḥ tathā anyeṣām manīṣiṇām। mayā yat jaya-lubdhena purā taptaṃ mahat tapaḥ॥12-270-24॥
This is evident to you and to other wise men; formerly, I, desirous of victory, practiced great austerity.
gandhān ādāya bhūtānāṃ rasāṃś ca vividhān api। avardhaṃ trīn samākramya lokān vai svena tejasā॥12-270-25॥
Having seized the scents and various essences of beings, I grew, having conquered the three worlds by my own splendor.
jvālāmālāparikṣipto vaihāyasacarastathā। ajeyaḥ sarvabhūtānāmāsaṃ nityamapetabhīḥ ॥12-270-26॥
He was always surrounded by a garland of flames, moving through the sky, invincible among all beings, and ever free from fear.
aiśvaryaṃ tapasā prāptaṃ bhraṣṭaṃ tac ca svakarmabhiḥ। dhṛtim āsthāya bhagavan na śocāmi tatas tv aham ॥12-270-27॥
O Lord, the sovereignty I obtained through austerity was lost due to my own actions; having resorted to steadfastness, therefore, I do not grieve, O Lord.
yuyutsatā mahendreṇa purā sārdhaṃ mahātmanā। tato me bhagavāndṛṣṭo harirnārāyaṇaḥ prabhuḥ ॥12-270-28॥
Long ago, when I wished to fight with Mahendra (Indra) together with the great-souled one, then the Lord Hari Nārāyaṇa, the master, appeared to me.
vaikuṇṭhaḥ puruṣo viṣṇuḥ śuklo'nantaḥ sanātanaḥ। muñjakeśo hariśmaśruḥ sarvabhūtapitāmahaḥ ॥12-270-29॥
Vaikuṇṭha, the person Viṣṇu, who is white, infinite, eternal, with muñja grass-like hair and tawny beard, is the grandfather of all beings.
nūnaṃ tu tasya tapasaḥ sāvaśeṣaṃ mamāsti vai। yadahaṃ praṣṭumicchāmi bhavantaṃ karmaṇaḥ phalam ॥12-270-30॥
Certainly, however, I believe some portion of his austerity remains for me; therefore, I wish to ask you about the fruit of the action.
aiśvaryaṃ vai mahad brahman kasmin varṇe pratiṣṭhitam। nivartate cāpi punaḥ katham aiśvaryam uttamam ॥12-270-31॥
O Brāhmaṇa, in which class is sovereignty established? And how does supreme sovereignty cease and arise again?
kasmādbhūtāni jīvanti pravartante'tha vā punaḥ। kiṃ vā phalaṃ paraṃ prāpya jīvastiṣṭhati śāśvataḥ ॥12-270-32॥
From what do beings live and move again? Or, having attained the supreme fruit, does the living being remain eternal?
kena vā karmaṇā śakyamatha jñānena kena vā। brahmarṣe tatphalaṃ prāptuṃ tanme vyākhyātumarhasi ॥12-270-33॥
O Brahmarshi, by what or by what action, or by what knowledge, is it possible to obtain that fruit? Please explain that to me.
itīdamuktaḥ sa munistadānīṃ; pratyāha yattacchṛṇu rājasiṃha. mayocyamānaṃ puruṣarṣabha tva; mananyacittaḥ saha sodarīyaiḥ ॥12-270-34॥
After this was said, the sage then replied: "Hear what it is, O king among lions. What I am about to say, O best of men, listen with an undistracted mind together with your brothers."
