12.279
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
ataḥ paraṃ mahābāho yacchreyastadvadasva me। na tṛpyāmyamṛtasyeva vacasaste pitāmaha ॥12-279-1॥
Therefore, O mighty-armed one, please tell me further what is best; I am not satisfied with your words, O grandsire, just as one is never satisfied with nectar.
kiṁ karma puruṣaḥ kṛtvā śubhaṁ puruṣasattama। śreyaḥ paramavāpnoti pretya ceha ca tadvad ॥12-279-2॥
O best of men, what is the action that, when performed, enables a man to attain the highest good both in this world and after death? Please tell me that.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
atra te vartayiṣyāmi yathā pūrvaṃ mahāyaśāḥ। parāśaraṃ mahātmānaṃ papraccha janako nṛpaḥ ॥12-279-3॥
Here I will tell you as it was formerly told by the greatly renowned one. King Janaka asked the great-souled Parāśara.
kiṃ śreyaḥ sarvabhūtānāmasmiṃlloke paratra ca। yadbhavetpratipattavyaṃ tadbhavānprabravītu me ॥12-279-4॥
Please tell me what is the highest good for all beings in this world and the next, which should be practiced.
tataḥ sa tapasā yuktaḥ sarvadharmavidhānavit। nṛpāyānugrahamanā munirvākyamathābravīt ॥12-279-5॥
Then the sage, who was engaged in austerity and knew all ordinances of dharma, with a mind favoring the king, spoke these words.
dharma eva kṛtaḥ śreyān iha loke paratra ca। tasmād dhi paramaṃ nāsti yathā prāhur manīṣiṇaḥ ॥12-279-6॥
The wise have said that performing righteousness is the highest both in this world and the next; therefore, nothing surpasses it.
pratipadya naro dharmaṃ svargaloke mahīyate। dharmātmakaḥ karmavidhirdehināṃ nṛpasattama ॥ tasminnāśramiṇaḥ santaḥ svakarmāṇīha kurvate ॥12-279-7॥
When a man undertakes righteousness, he is honored in heaven. O best of kings, the prescription of actions rooted in righteousness is for embodied beings. There, the virtuous who dwell in āśramas perform their own duties here.
caturvidhā hi lokasya yātrā tāta vidhīyate। martyā yatrāvatiṣṭhante sā ca kāmātpravartate ॥12-279-8॥
O dear one, the journey of the world is of four kinds. Wherever mortals stand, that too is driven by desire.
sukṛtāsukṛtaṃ karma niṣevya vividhaiḥ kramaiḥ। daśārdhapravibhaktānāṃ bhūtānāṃ bahudhā gatiḥ॥12-279-9॥
Beings, divided into ten and a half categories, follow many courses as a result of performing good and bad actions by various methods.
sauvarṇaṃ rājataṃ vāpi yathā bhāṇḍaṃ niṣicyate। tathā niṣicyate jantuḥ pūrvakarmavaśānugaḥ ॥12-279-10॥
Just as a vessel of gold or silver is filled, so too is a creature embodied according to the influence of previous actions.
nābījājjāyate kiñcinnākṛtvā sukhamedhate. sukṛtī vindati sukhaṃ prāpya dehakṣayaṃ naraḥ ॥12-279-11॥
Nothing is born from a non-seed; happiness does not increase without effort. The virtuous person attains happiness, and after the destruction of the body, the man achieves it.
daivaṃ tāta na paśyāmi nāsti daivasya sādhanam। svabhāvato hi saṃsiddhā devagandharvadānavāḥ ॥12-279-12॥
O dear one, I do not see fate; there is no means to attain fate. The gods, gandharvas, and dānavas are perfected by their very nature.
pretya jātikṛtaṃ karma na smaranti sadā janāḥ। te vai tasya phalaprāptau karma cāpi caturvidham ॥12-279-13॥
After death, people do not always remember the actions performed in their previous birth. Only when the results of those actions are attained do they recall the fourfold nature of karma.
lokayātrāśrayaś caiva śabdo vedāśrayaḥ kṛtaḥ। śāntyarthaṃ manasas tāta naitad vṛddhānuśāsanam ॥12-279-14॥
Dear one, the word is established as the basis for worldly conduct, relying on the Veda; this is intended for the peace of mind, not merely as the instruction of the elders.
cakṣuṣā manasā vācā karmaṇā ca caturvidham। kurute yādṛśaṃ karma tādṛśaṃ pratipadyate ॥12-279-15॥
Whatever actions a person performs in four ways—by the eye, mind, speech, and action—of that very kind are the results they receive.
nirantaraṃ ca miśraṃ ca phalate karma pārthiva। kalyāṇaṃ yadi vā pāpaṃ na tu nāśo'sya vidyate ॥12-279-16॥
O king, actions continuously and in mixed forms bear fruit; whether auspicious or sinful, their destruction does not occur.
kadācitsukṛtaṃ tāta kūṭasthamiva tiṣṭhati। majjamānasya saṃsāre yāvadduḥkhādvimucyate ॥12-279-17॥
Sometimes, O dear one, a good deed remains steadfast like an anvil; for one who is sinking in saṃsāra, it endures until he is freed from suffering.
tato duḥkha-kṣayaṃ kṛtvā sukṛtaṃ karma sevate। sukṛta-kṣayād duṣkṛtaṃ ca tad viddhi manujādhipa ॥12-279-18॥
After removing suffering, a person engages in good actions; but when the merit of good deeds is exhausted, he turns to bad deeds—know this, O king of men.
damaḥ kṣamā dhṛtis tejaḥ santoṣaḥ satyavāditā। hrīr ahiṃsāvyasanitā dākṣyaṃ ceti sukhāvahāḥ ॥12-279-19॥
Self-restraint, forbearance, steadfastness, energy, contentment, truthfulness, modesty, non-violence, freedom from vice, and dexterity are qualities that bring happiness.
duṣkṛte sukṛte vāpi na janturayato bhavet। nityaṃ manaḥsamādhāne prayateta vicakṣaṇaḥ ॥12-279-20॥
A creature does not become (what he is) from evil or good deeds alone. The wise should always strive for concentration of mind.
nāyaṃ parasya sukṛtaṃ duṣkṛtaṃ vāpi sevate। karoti yādṛśaṃ karma tādṛśaṃ pratipadyate ॥12-279-21॥
A person does not experience the good or bad deeds of another; whatever kind of action one does, that kind one obtains.
sukhaduḥkhe samādhāya pumān anyena gacchati। anyenaiva janaḥ sarvaḥ saṅgato yaś ca pārthiva ॥12-279-22॥
When a man composes his mind in both happiness and sorrow, he proceeds differently. Likewise, every person, all who are associated, and even the king, each go their own way.
pareṣāṃ yadasūyeta na tatkuryātsvayaṃ naraḥ। yo hyasūyustathāyuktaḥ so'vahāsaṃ niyacchati ॥12-279-23॥
One should not act in a way toward others that one would criticize in them. For a person who is envious in this way restrains ridicule.
bhīrū rājanyo brāhmaṇaḥ sarvabhakṣo; vaiśyo'nīhāvānhīnavarṇo'lasashca. vidvāṁścāśīlo vṛttahīnaḥ kulīnaḥ; satyādbhraṣṭo brāhmaṇaḥ strī ca duṣṭā ॥12-279-24॥
A kṣatriya who is cowardly, a brāhmaṇa who eats anything, a vaiśya who is lazy, of low caste, and without effort, a learned person without character or conduct though of noble family, a brāhmaṇa fallen from truth, and a wicked woman—these are all condemned.
rāgī muktaḥ pacamāno''tmaheto; rmūrkho vaktā nṛpahīnaṃ ca rāṣṭram। ete sarve śocyatāṃ yānti rāj; nyaścāyuktaḥ snehahīnaḥ prajāsu ॥12-279-25॥
Those who are attached, those who are liberated, those who cook for themselves, fools, speakers, and a kingdom without a king—all these are to be pitied; as is a king who is improper and devoid of affection for his subjects.
