13.037
pātraparīkṣā
Examination of the worthy;
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
apūrvaṃ vā bhavet pātram atha vāpi ciroṣitam। dūrād abhyāgataṃ vāpi kiṃ pātraṃ syāt pitāmaha ॥13-37-1॥
O grandsire, what may be considered worthy: something unprecedented, or one who has long resided, or one who has come from afar—what is worthy, O grandsire? (13-37-1)
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhishma said.
kriyā bhavati keṣāñcid upāṃśuvratam uttamam। yo yo yāceta yat kiñcit sarvaṃ dadyām ity uta ॥13-37-2॥
For some, the act of the highest silent vow is this: "Whatever anyone may ask for, I would give everything," thus indeed. (13-37-2)
apīḍayanbhṛtyavargamityevamanuśuśruma। pīḍayanbhṛtyavargaṃ hi ātmānamapakarṣati ॥13-37-3॥
We have heard thus: 'Not oppressing the group of servants.' For one who oppresses the group of servants indeed brings himself down. (13-37-3)
apūrvaṃ vāpi yatpātraṃ yaccāpi syācciroṣitam। dūrādabhyāgataṃ cāpi tatpātraṃ ca vidurbudhāḥ ॥13-37-4॥
The wise know as worthy that which is unprecedented, or which has long resided, or which has come from afar; they consider all these as worthy. (13-37-4)
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
apīḍayā ca bhṛtyānāṃ dharmasyāhiṃsayā tathā। pātraṃ vidyām tattvena yasmai dattaṃ na santapet ॥13-37-5॥
One should not regret knowledge truly given to a worthy person, just as one should not regret non-oppression and non-violence towards servants. (13-37-5)
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhishma said.
ṛtvikpurohitācāryāḥ śiṣyāḥ sambandhibāndhavāḥ। sarve pūjyāś ca mānyāś ca śrutavṛttopasaṃhitāḥ ॥13-37-6॥
Sacrificial priests, family priests, teachers, disciples, relatives, and kinsmen—all are to be respected and honored, and are united by their well-known conduct. (13-37-6)
ato'nyathā vartamānāḥ sarve nārhanti satkriyām। tasmānnityaṃ parīkṣeta puruṣānpraṇidhāya vai ॥13-37-7॥
Therefore, all those who exist otherwise are not worthy of proper conduct. Hence, one should always examine men carefully indeed. (13-37-7)
akrodhaḥ satyavacanamahiṃsā dama ārjavam। adroho nātimānaś ca hrīstitikṣā tapaḥ śamaḥ ॥13-37-8॥
Absence of anger, truthful speech, non-injury, self-restraint, straightforwardness, absence of malice, lack of excessive pride, modesty, forbearance, austerity, and tranquility. (13-37-8)
yasminn etāni dṛśyante na ca akāryāṇi bhārata। bhāvataḥ viniviṣṭāni tat pātraṃ mānam arhati ॥13-37-9॥
O Bhārata, that person in whom these qualities are seen and not improper acts, and in whom they are firmly established by nature, deserves honor. (13-37-9)
tathā ciroṣitaṃ cāpi sampratyāgatameva ca। apūrvaṃ caiva pūrvaṃ ca tatpātraṃ mānamarhati ॥13-37-10॥
Thus, both one who has resided long and one who has just arrived, the unprecedented and the former, all such are worthy of honor. (13-37-10)
aprāmāṇyaṃ ca vedānāṃ śāstrāṇāṃ cātilaṅghanam। sarvatra cānavasthānam etan nāśanam ātmanaḥ ॥13-37-11॥
Non-authoritativeness of the Vedas and śāstras, excessive transgression, and instability everywhere—this is the destruction of oneself. (13-37-11)
bhavet-paṇḍita-mānī yo brāhmaṇo veda-nindakāḥ। ānvīkṣikīṃ tarka-vidyām-anurakto nirarthikām ॥13-37-12॥
A brāhmaṇa who considers himself a scholar, criticizes the Veda, and is attached to the sciences of inquiry and logic, is useless. (13-37-12)
hetuvādān bruvan satsu vijetā hetuvādikaḥ। ākroṣṭā ca ativaktā ca brāhmaṇānāṃ sadaiva hi ॥13-37-13॥
He who speaks among the good, conquering those who argue logically, is skilled in reasoning; he is always, indeed, a reviler and one who speaks excessively among the brāhmaṇas. (13-37-13)
sarvābhiśaṅkī mūḍhaś ca bālaḥ kaṭukavāg api। boddhavyas tādṛśas tāta naraśvānaṃ hi taṃ viduḥ ॥13-37-14॥
Dear one, know that a person who suspects everyone, is deluded, childish, and harsh in speech, is to be regarded as a man-dog; indeed, such a person is recognized as such. (13-37-14)
yathā śvā bhaṣituṃ caiva hantuṃ caivāvasṛjyate। evaṃ sambhāṣaṇārthāya sarvaśāstravadhāya ca ॥ alpaśrutāḥ kutarkāś ca dṛṣṭāḥ spṛṣṭāḥ kupaṇḍitāḥ ॥13-37-15॥
Just as a dog is set loose to bark and bite, so too, for the sake of argument and the destruction of all śāstras, those with little learning and false logic—bad scholars—are seen and encountered. (13-37-15)
śrutismṛtītihāsādipurāṇāraṇyavedinaḥ। anurundhyādbahujñāṃśca sārajñāṃścaiva paṇḍitān ॥13-37-16॥
One should seek out those who are knowers of the Veda, tradition, epics, Purāṇas, forest texts, as well as those who are very knowledgeable, those who know the essence, and indeed, the learned ones. (13-37-16)
lokayātrā ca draṣṭavyā dharmaś cātmahitāni ca। evaṃ naro vartamānaḥ śāśvatīr edhate samāḥ ॥13-37-17॥
A man who observes worldly conduct, righteousness, and acts beneficial to himself in this way prospers for eternal years. (13-37-17)
ṛṇam-unmucya devānām ṛṣīṇāṃ ca tathaiva ca। pitṝṇām atha viprāṇām atithīnām ca pañcamam ॥13-37-18॥
Having discharged the debts to the gods, sages, ancestors, brāhmaṇas, and guests, which are the five (debts). (13-37-18)
paryāyeṇa viśuddhena sunirṇiktena karmaṇā। evaṃ gṛhasthaḥ karmāṇi kurvan dharmān na hīyate ॥13-37-19॥
Thus, when a householder performs actions in succession, with purity and thorough determination, he is not deprived of righteousness. (13-37-19)
