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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 255

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 255

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 255

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 255 of the classical Mahābhārata with 42 verses.

Total: 42 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.255.1–42 • 250 Lexicon Terms • Page 1 of 2 (Verses 30 shown)
यथा प्रवर्तितो धर्मस्तुलां धारयता त्वया । स्वर्गद्वारं च वृत्तिं च भूतानामवरोत्स्यते ॥
English Translation
Jajali said This duty which you, O holder of scales, describe, shuts the door of heaven against all creatures and puts a stop to the very means of their livelihood.
कृष्या ह्यन्नं प्रभवति ततस्त्वमपि जीवसि । पशुभिश्चौषधीभिश्च मर्त्या जीवन्ति वाणिज ॥
English Translation
From agriculture comes food. That food gives maintenance even to you. With the help of animals, crops and herbs, human beings, O trader, can maintain themselves.
यतो यज्ञः प्रभवति नास्तिक्यमपि जल्पसि । न हि वर्तेदयं लोको वार्तामुत्सृज्य केवलम् ॥
English Translation
From animals and food sacrifices originate. Your doctrines are atheistical. This world will come to an end if the means by which life is upheld have to be given up.
वक्ष्यामि जाजले वृत्तिं नास्मि ब्राह्मण नास्तिकः । न च यज्ञं विनिन्दामि यज्ञवित्तु सुदुर्लभः ॥
English Translation
Tuladhara said I shall now describe the topic of the means of livelihood. I am not, O Brahmana, an atheist. I do not speak against Sacrifices. The man, however, is very rare who is truly an adept in sacrifice.
नमो ब्राह्मणयज्ञाय ये च यज्ञविदो जनाः । स्वयज्ञं ब्राह्मणा हित्वा क्षात्रं यज्ञमिहास्थिताः ॥
English Translation
I bow to that Sacrifice which is laid down for Brahmanas, I bow also to them who are adepts in that Sacrifice. Alas, having abandoned the Sacrifice that is ordained for them, the Brahmanas have begun to perform Sacrifices that are for Kashatriyas.
लुब्धैर्वित्तपरैर्ब्रह्मन्नास्तिकैः संप्रवर्तितम् । वेदवादानविज्ञाय सत्याभासमिवानृतम् ॥
English Translation
Many persons of faith, O twice-born one, who hanker after wealth, without having understood the true meaning of the sayings of the Shrutis, and proclaiming things that are in sooth false but that have the show of truth, have introduced many sorts of Sacrifices,
इदं देयमिदं देयमिति नान्तं चिकीर्षति । अतः स्तैन्यं प्रभवति विकर्माणि च जाजले । तदेव सुकृतं हव्यं येन तुष्यन्ति देवताः ॥
English Translation
This should be given away in this Sacrifice. This other thing should be given away in this other Sacrifice. The first of this is very praiseworthy.-The result, however, of all this, ( Jajali, is that theft and many evil acts originate.
नमस्कारेण हविषा स्वाध्यायैरौषधैस्तथा । पूजा स्याद्देवतानां हि यथा शास्त्रनिदर्शनम् ॥
इष्टापूर्तादसाधूनां विषमा जायते प्रजा । लुब्धेभ्यो जायते लुब्धः समेभ्यो जायते समः ॥
यजमानो यथात्मानमृत्विजश्च तथा प्रजाः । यज्ञात्प्रजा प्रभवति नभसोऽम्भ इवामलम् ॥
English Translation
If the sacrificer and the priest allow themselves to be guided by desire of fruit, their children take the stigma. If, however, they are not moved by the desire of fruit, their children become the same. From Sacrifices originate children like clear water from the sky.
अग्नौ प्रास्ताहुतिर्ब्रह्मन्नादित्यमुपतिष्ठति । आदित्याज्जायते वृष्टिर्वृष्टेरन्नं ततः प्रजाः ॥
English Translation
The libations poured on the sacrificial fire get up to the Sun. From the Sun originates rain. From rain comes food. From food are born living creatures.
तस्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्पूर्वे सर्वान्कामांश्च लेभिरे । अकृष्टपच्या पृथिवी आशीर्भिर्वीरुधोऽभवन् । न ते यज्ञेष्वात्मसु वा फलं पश्यन्ति किंचन ॥
English Translation
In days of yore inen religiously given to Sacrifices used to attain therefrom the fruition of all their wishes. The Earth gave crops without cultivation. The blessings of the Rishis produced herbs and plants.
शङ्कमानाः फलं यज्ञे ये यजेरन्कथंचन । जायन्तेऽसाधवो धूर्ता लुब्धा वित्तप्रयोजनाः ॥
स स्म पापकृतां लोकान्गच्छेदशुभकर्मणा । प्रमाणमप्रमाणेन यः कुर्यादशुभं नरः । पापात्मा सोऽकृतप्रज्ञः सदैवेह द्विजोत्तम ॥
कर्तव्यमिति कर्तव्यं वेत्ति यो ब्राह्मणोभयम् । ब्रह्मैव वर्तते लोके नैति कर्तव्यतां पुनः ॥
English Translation
That man who consider those acts as bounden which have been laid down in the Vedas and directed to be performed every day, who is filled with fear if he fails to perform them any day, who considers all the essentials of Sacrifices as identical with Brahma, and who never considers himself as the actor, is truly a Brahinana.
विगुणं च पुनः कर्म ज्याय इत्यनुशुश्रुम । सर्वभूतोपघातश्च फलभावे च संयमः ॥
English Translation
If the acts of such a person remain incomplete or if their completion is hindered by all unclean animals, even then those acts arc, as we have heard, of supreme efficacy. If, however, those acts are performed from desire of fruit then expiation would become necessary.
सत्ययज्ञा दमयज्ञा अलुब्धाश्चात्मतृप्तयः । उत्पन्नत्यागिनः सर्वे जना आसन्नमत्सराः ॥
English Translation
They, who seek the acquisition of the highest object of life, who do not hanker after carthly riches, who do not care for future provision, and who are shorn of envy, follow the course of truth and practise self-control as their Sacrifice.
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञतत्त्वज्ञाः स्वयज्ञपरिनिष्ठिताः । ब्राह्मं वेदमधीयन्तस्तोषयन्त्यमरानपि ॥
English Translation
They who know the distinction between body and soul, who are given to Yoga, and who meditate on OM, always succeed in pleasing others.
अखिलं दैवतं सर्वं ब्रह्म ब्राह्मणसंश्रितम् । तृप्यन्ति तृप्यतो देवास्तृप्तास्तृप्तस्य जाजले ॥
English Translation
The universal Brahma, which is the soul of all the gods, lives in him who is conversant with Brahma. When, therefore, such a man eats and is pleased, all the gods, O Jajali, become pleased and are contented.
यथा सर्वरसैस्तृप्तो नाभिनन्दति किंचन । तथा प्रज्ञानतृप्तस्य नित्यं तृप्तिः सुखोदया ॥
English Translation
As one who is satisfied with all sorts of taste fells no desire for any particular taste, similarly one who is pleased with knowledge has eternal gratification which to him is a source of perfect happiness.
धर्मारामा धर्मसुखाः कृत्स्नव्यवसितास्तथा । अस्ति नस्तत्त्वतो भूय इति प्रज्ञागवेषिणः ॥
English Translation
Those wise men who are the refuge of righteousness and whose joy is in righteousness, are persons who have certain knowledge of what is duty and what is otherwise. One endued with such wisdom always considers all things in the universe as emanating from his own self.
ज्ञानविज्ञानिनः केचित्परं पारं तितीर्षवः । अतीव तत्सदा पुण्यं पुण्याभिजनसंहितम् ॥
यत्र गत्वा न शोचन्ति न च्यवन्ति व्यथन्ति च । ते तु तद्ब्रह्मणः स्थानं प्राप्नुवन्तीह सात्त्विकाः ॥
English Translation
Some who are gifted with knowledge, who try to reach the other shore (of this ocean of life), and who have faith, succeed in going to the region of Brahman, which yields great blessings, is highly sacred, and inhabited by pious men,-a region which is freed from sorrow, whence no body returns, and where there is no agitation or pain.
नैव ते स्वर्गमिच्छन्ति न यजन्ति यशोधनैः । सतां वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते यथाबलमहिंसया ॥
English Translation
Such men do not hanker after heaven. They do not worship Brahma in costly Sacrifices. They trade the path of the virtuous. The Sacrifices they celebrate are performed without injury to any creature.
वनस्पतीनोषधीश्च फलमूलं च ते विदुः । न चैतानृत्विजो लुब्धा याजयन्ति धनार्थिनः ॥
English Translation
These men consider trees, herbs, fruits and roots as the only sacrificial offerings. Greedy priests who seek riches, never officiate at the sacrifices of these (poor) inen.
स्वमेव चार्थं कुर्वाणा यज्ञं चक्रुः पुनर्द्विजाः । परिनिष्ठितकर्माणः प्रजानुग्रहकाम्यया ॥
English Translation
These regenerate men, although all their acts have been done, still perform sacrifices for doing good to all creatures making their own selves as sacrificial offerings.
प्रापयेयुः प्रजाः स्वर्गं स्वधर्मचरणेन वै । इति मे वर्तते बुद्धिः समा सर्वत्र जाजले ॥
English Translation
Therefore, greedy priests officiate at the Sacrifices of only those misguided persons who, without trying to attain to Liberation, scck for heaven. Those, however, who are really good, always try, by performing their own duties, to cause others to go to heaven. LoO king at both these kinds of conduct, O Jajali, I have come to regard all creatures impartially.
प्रयुञ्जते यानि यज्ञे सदा प्राज्ञा द्विजर्षभ । तेन ते देवयानेन पथा यान्ति महामुने ॥
English Translation
Gifted with wisdom, many leading Brahmanas celebrate Sacrifices. By performing those Sacrifices, they walk, O great ascetic, along the path wended by the gods.
आवृत्तिस्तत्र चैकस्य नास्त्यावृत्तिर्मनीषिणाम् । उभौ तौ देवयानेन गच्छतो जाजले पथा ॥
English Translation
Of the class of Sacrificers there is return (from the region where they go). Of those, however, who are truly wise there is no return. Although both classes of sacrificers, O Jajali, wend the path trodden by the gods, yet such is the difference between their ultimate ends.
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