Special Call Prof. Jay L. Garfield Commemorative Volume · Submissions Open
Announcements Newsletters About Us Contact
Search
MBh
Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 307

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 307

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 307

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 307 of the classical Mahābhārata with 15 verses.

Total: 15 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.307.1–15 • 250 Lexicon Terms
ऐश्वर्यं वा महत्प्राप्य धनं वा भरतर्षभ । दीर्घमायुरवाप्याथ कथं मृत्युमतिक्रमेत् ॥
English Translation
Yudhishthira said Having acquired great power and great riches, and having obtained a long period of life, how many one succeed in shunning death?
तपसा वा सुमहता कर्मणा वा श्रुतेन वा । रसायनप्रयोगैर्वा कैर्नोपैति जरान्तकौ ॥
English Translation
By which of these means viz., penances, or the performance of the various acts, or by knowledge of the Shrutis, or the application of medicines, can one succeed in avoiding decrepitude and death.
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । भिक्षोः पञ्चशिखस्येह संवादं जनकस्य च ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said Regarding it is cited the old narrative of Panchashikha who was a Bhikshu in his practices and Janaka.
वैदेहो जनको राजा महर्षिं वेदवित्तमम् । पर्यपृच्छत्पञ्चशिखं छिन्नधर्मार्थसंशयम् ॥
English Translation
Once on a time, Janaka, the king of Videhas, questioned the great Rishi Panchashikha, who was the foremost of all persons conversant with the Vedas and who had all his doubts removed about the object and meaning of all duties.
केन वृत्तेन भगवन्नतिक्रामेज्जरान्तकौ । तपसा वाथ बुद्ध्या वा कर्मणा वा श्रुतेन वा ॥
English Translation
The King said By what conduct, O holy one, may one get over Decrepitude and Death? Is it by penances, or by the understanding, or by religious practices, or by study and knowledge of the scriptures.
एवमुक्तः स वैदेहं प्रत्युवाच परोक्षवित् । निवृत्तिर्नैतयोरस्ति नानिवृत्तिः कथंचन ॥
English Translation
Thus addressed by the king of the Videhas the learned Panchashikha, conversant with all invisible things, answered saying, Nothing can prevent two (viz., decrepitude and death); nor is it true that these cannot be prevented under any circumstances.
न ह्यहानि निवर्तन्ते न मासा न पुनः क्षपाः । सोऽयं प्रपद्यतेऽध्वानं चिराय ध्रुवमध्रुवः ॥
English Translation
Neither days, nor nights, nor months, cease to go on. Only that man who, though transitory, follows the eternal path succeeds in avoiding birth and death.
सर्वभूतसमुच्छेदः स्रोतसेवोह्यते सदा । उह्यमानं निमज्जन्तमप्लवे कालसागरे । जरामृत्युमहाग्राहे न कश्चिदभिपद्यते ॥
English Translation
Destruction overtakes all creatures. All creatures seem to be ceaselessly borne along the endless current of time. Those that are borne along the endless current of time which is without a vessel and which in infested by those two powerful alligators, viz., decrepitude and death, sink down without anybody coming to their help.
नैवास्य भविता कश्चिन्नासौ भवति कस्यचित् । पथि संगतमेवेदं दारैरन्यैश्च बन्धुभिः । नायमत्यन्तसंवासो लब्धपूर्वो हि केनचित् ॥
English Translation
One meets with wives and other friends only on his road. One had never before enjoyed this sort of companionship with any one for any length of time.
क्षिप्यन्ते तेन तेनैव निष्टनन्तः पुनः पुनः । कालेन जाता जाता हि वायुनेवाभ्रसंचयाः ॥
English Translation
Creatures, as they are carried along the current to time, become again and again are drawn towards one another like clouds moved by the wind meeting one another with loud noise.
जरामृत्यू हि भूतानां खादितारौ वृकाविव । बलिनां दुर्बलानां च ह्रस्वानां महतामपि ॥
English Translation
Like wolves, descrepitude and death are devourers of all creatures. Indeed, they devour the strong and the weak, the short and the tall.
एवंभूतेषु भूतेषु नित्यभूताध्रुवेषु च । कथं हृष्येत जातेषु मृतेषु च कथं ज्वरेत् ॥
English Translation
Among creatures, therefore, which are all so fickle only the Soul exists eternally. Why should he, then, rejoice when creatures are born and why should he grieve when the die.
कुतोऽहमागतः कोऽस्मि क्व गमिष्यामि कस्य वा । कस्मिन्स्थितः क्व भविता कस्मात्किमनुशोचसि ॥
English Translation
Whence have I come? Who am I? Where shall I go? Whose am I? Before what do I rest? What shall I be? Why then do you grieve for what?
द्रष्टा स्वर्गस्य न ह्यस्ति तथैव नरकस्य च । आगमांस्त्वनतिक्रम्य दद्याच्चैव यजेत च ॥
English Translation
Who else than you will see heaven or hell? Hence, without throwing aside the scriptures, one should make gifts and celebrate sacrifices.
← Previous (Ch. 1634) Full Table of Contents Next (Ch. 1636) →