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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 291

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 291

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 291

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 291 of the classical Mahābhārata with 49 verses.

Total: 49 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.291.1–49 • 250 Lexicon Terms • Page 1 of 2 (Verses 30 shown)
किं तदक्षरमित्युक्तं यस्मान्नावर्तते पुनः । किं च तत्क्षरमित्युक्तं यस्मादावर्तते पुनः ॥
English Translation
What is that which is called Undecaying and by acquiring which no one has to return? What, again, is that which is called Decaying, and by acquiring which one has to return once more?
अक्षरक्षरयोर्व्यक्तिमिच्छाम्यरिनिषूदन । उपलब्धुं महाबाहो तत्त्वेन कुरुनन्दन ॥
English Translation
O destroyer of enemies, I ask you the distinction that exists, O you of mighty arms, between the Decaying and the Undecaying ones for understanding them both truly, O delighter of the Kurus.
त्वं हि ज्ञाननिधिर्विप्रैरुच्यसे वेदपारगैः । ऋषिभिश्च महाभागैर्यतिभिश्च महात्मभिः ॥
English Translation
Brahmans conversant with the Vedas, speak of you as on Ocean of knowledge. Highly blessed Rishis and Yatis of great souls do the Salme.
शेषमल्पं दिनानां ते दक्षिणायनभास्करे । आवृत्ते भगवत्यर्के गन्तासि परमां गतिम् ॥
English Translation
You have very few days to live. When the Sun turns from his southern solstice for entering into the northern, you will attain to your high end.
त्वयि प्रतिगते श्रेयः कुतः श्रोष्यामहे वयम् । कुरुवंशप्रदीपस्त्वं ज्ञानद्रव्येण दीप्यसे ॥
English Translation
When you will leave us, from whom shall we hear of all that is wholesome for us? You are the lamp of Kuru's race. Indeed, you are always shining with the light of knowledge.
तदेतच्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि त्वत्तः कुरुकुलोद्वह । न तृप्यामीह राजेन्द्र शृण्वन्नमृतमीदृशम् ॥
English Translation
O perpetuator of Kuru's race, I wish, therefore, to hear all this from you. Listening to your discourses which are always sweet like nectar, my curiosity, without being satiated, is always increasing.
अत्र ते वर्तयिष्येऽहमितिहासं पुरातनम् । वसिष्ठस्य च संवादं करालजनकस्य च ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said Regarding it I shall recite to you an old narrative, O Yudhishthira, of the discourse between the Sadhyas and a Swan.
वसिष्ठं श्रेष्ठमासीनमृषीणां भास्करद्युतिम् । पप्रच्छ जनको राजा ज्ञानं नैःश्रेयसं परम् ॥
English Translation
Once on a time when that foremost of Rishis, viz., Vashishtha, effulgent like the Sun, was seated at his ease, king Janaka asked him about that highest knowledge which is for our supreme behoof.
परमध्यात्मकुशलमध्यात्मगतिनिश्चयम् । मैत्रावरुणिमासीनमभिवाद्य कृताञ्जलिः ॥
स्वक्षरं प्रश्रितं वाक्यं मधुरं चाप्यनुल्बणम् । पप्रच्छर्षिवरं राजा करालजनकः पुरा ॥
भगवञ्श्रोतुमिच्छामि परं ब्रह्म सनातनम् । यस्मान्न पुनरावृत्तिमाप्नुवन्ति मनीषिणः ॥
यच्च तत्क्षरमित्युक्तं यत्रेदं क्षरते जगत् । यच्चाक्षरमिति प्रोक्तं शिवं क्षेम्यमनामयम् ॥
English Translation
I wish also to know that which is called Destructible and That into which this universe goes when destroyed. Indeed, what is That which is said to be indestructible. Auspicious, wholesome and free from all sorts of evil.
श्रूयतां पृथिवीपाल क्षरतीदं यथा जगत् । यन्न क्षरति पूर्वेण यावत्कालेन चाप्यथ ॥
English Translation
Hear, O king, as to how this universe is destroyed, and of That which was never destroyed and which will never be destroyed at any time.
युगं द्वादशसाहस्रं कल्पं विद्धि चतुर्गुणम् । दशकल्पशतावृत्तं तदहर्ब्राह्ममुच्यते । रात्रिश्चैतावती राजन्यस्यान्ते प्रतिबुध्यते ॥
English Translation
Twelve thousand years make a cycle. Four such cycles, taken a thousand times, make a Kalpa which measures one day of Brahman.
सृजत्यनन्तकर्माणं महान्तं भूतमग्रजम् । मूर्तिमन्तममूर्तात्मा विश्वं शंभुः स्वयंभुवः । अणिमा लघिमा प्राप्तिरीशानं ज्योतिरव्ययम् ॥
English Translation
Brahman's night also, O king, is of the same measure. When Brahman himself is destroyed, Shambhu of formless soul and to whom the Yoga attributes of lightness, heaviness, etc., naturally stick, awakes, and once more creates that First of all creatures, possessed of huge proportions, of infinite deeds, endued with form, and at one with the universe. That Shambhu is otherwise called Ishana. He is pure Effulgence, and is above all decay, having his hands and feet stretching on all sides with eyes and head and mouth cverywhere, and with ears also in every place. That Being exists, possessing the entire universe.
सर्वतःपाणिपादान्तं सर्वतोक्षिशिरोमुखम् । सर्वतःश्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति ॥
English Translation
His hands and feet extend over every part his eyes and head and face are everywhere, his reach every places, and he exists possessing all things.
हिरण्यगर्भो भगवानेष बुद्धिरिति स्मृतः । महानिति च योगेषु विरिञ्च इति चाप्युत ॥
English Translation
The eldest-born Being is called Hiranyagarbha. This holy one has been called the Understanding. In the Yoga scriptures, He is called the Great, and Virinchi, and the Unborn.
सांख्ये च पठ्यते शास्त्रे नामभिर्बहुधात्मकः । विचित्ररूपो विश्वात्मा एकाक्षर इति स्मृतः ॥
English Translation
In the Sankhya system, He is described by diverse names, and considered as having Infinity for his Soul. Of various forms and constituting the soul of the universe, He is considered as One and Indestructible.
वृतं नैकात्मकं येन कृत्स्नं त्रैलोक्यमात्मना । तथैव बहुरूपत्वाद्विश्वरूप इति स्मृतः ॥
English Translation
The three worlds of numberless ingredients have been created by Him without help from any source and have been overwhelmed by him. On account of His manifold forins, He is said to be of universal form.
एष वै विक्रियापन्नः सृजत्यात्मानमात्मना । अहंकारं महातेजाः प्रजापतिमहंकृतम् ॥
English Translation
Undergoing changes He creates Himself. Gifted with great energy, He first creates Consciousness and that Great Being called Prajapati endued with Consciousness.
अव्यक्ताद्व्यक्तमुत्पन्नं विद्यासर्गं वदन्ति तम् । महान्तं चाप्यहंकारमविद्यासर्गमेव च ॥
English Translation
The Manifest is created from the Unmanifest. This is called by the learned the Creation of Knowledge. The creation of (Virat) and Consciousness, by Hiranyagarbha, is the Creation of Ignorance.
अविधिश्च विधिश्चैव समुत्पन्नौ तथैकतः । विद्याविद्येति विख्याते श्रुतिशास्त्रार्थचिन्तकैः ॥
English Translation
Allotment of attributes and the destruction thereof, called respectively by the names of Ignorance and Knowledge by persons learned in the Shrutis, then arose, referring to this, that, or the other of the three.
भूतसर्गमहंकारात्तृतीयं विद्धि पार्थिव । अहंकारेषु भूतेषु चतुर्थं विद्धि वैकृतम् ॥
English Translation
Know, O king, that the creation of the elements from Consciousness is the third. In all the kinds of Consciousness is the fourth creation which originates from modification of the third.
वायुर्ज्योतिरथाकाशमापोऽथ पृथिवी तथा । शब्दः स्पर्शश्च रूपं च रसो गन्धस्तथैव च ॥
English Translation
This fourth creation consists of Wind and Light and Ether and Water and Earth, with their properties of sound, touch, form, taste, and scent. arose
एवं युगपदुत्पन्नं दशवर्गमसंशयम् । पञ्चमं विद्धि राजेन्द्र भौतिकं सर्गमर्थवत् ॥
English Translation
This aggregate of ten arose, forsooth, at the same time. The fifth creation, O king, is that which has originated, from combinations of the principal elements.
श्रोत्रं त्वक्चक्षुषी जिह्वा घ्राणमेव च पञ्चमम् । वाक्च हस्तौ च पादौ च पायुर्मेढ्रं तथैव च ॥
English Translation
This comprises the ear, the skin, the eyes, the tongue, and the nose forming the fifth, and speech, and the two hands, and the two legs, and the lower canal, and the organs of generation.
बुद्धीन्द्रियाणि चैतानि तथा कर्मेन्द्रियाणि च । संभूतानीह युगपन्मनसा सह पार्थिव ॥
English Translation
The first five of those form the organs of knowledge, and the last five the organs of action. All these, with mind, simultaneously, O king.
एषा तत्त्वचतुर्विंशा सर्वाकृतिषु वर्तते । यां ज्ञात्वा नाभिशोचन्ति ब्राह्मणास्तत्त्वदर्शिनः ॥
English Translation
These form the twenty-four topics that exist in the forms of all living creatures. By understanding these properly. these properly. Brahmanas endued with insight into the truth have never to give way to sorrow.
एतद्देहं समाख्यातं त्रैलोक्ये सर्वदेहिषु । वेदितव्यं नरश्रेष्ठ सदेवनरदानवे ॥
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