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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 64

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 64

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 64

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 64 of the classical Mahābhārata with 30 verses.

Total: 30 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.64.1–30 • 250 Lexicon Terms
चातुराश्रम्यधर्माश्च जातिधर्माश्च पाण्डव । लोकपालोत्तराश्चैव क्षात्रे धर्मे व्यवस्थिताः ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said The duties of all the four modes of life, those of Yatis, O son of Pandu and the customs followed by men in general, are all comprised in kingly duties.
सर्वाण्येतानि धर्माणि क्षात्रे भरतसत्तम । निराशिषो जीवलोके क्षात्रे धर्मे व्यवस्थिताः ॥
English Translation
All these acts, O chief of Bharatas are in Kshatriya duties. If the functions of royalty are disturbed, all creatures meet with evil.
अप्रत्यक्षं बहुद्वारं धर्ममाश्रमवासिनाम् । प्ररूपयन्ति तद्भावमागमैरेव शाश्वतम् ॥
English Translation
The duties of men are not clear. They have, again, many exceptions. Guided by many (false) systems, their true nature is sometimes spoiled.
अपरे वचनैः पुण्यैर्वादिनो लोकनिश्चयम् । अनिश्चयज्ञा धर्माणामदृष्टान्ते परे रताः ॥
English Translation
Others, who implicitly believe the decisions of men, without really knowing anything about the true nature of duties (as described in the scriptures), are at last constrained to believe in faiths whose ultimate ends are unknown.
प्रत्यक्षसुखभूयिष्ठमात्मसाक्षिकमच्छलम् । सर्वलोकहितं धर्मं क्षत्रियेषु प्रतिष्ठितम् ॥
English Translation
The duties of the Kshatriyas are plain, conducive to great happiness, evident in their results, free from deceit, and beneficial to the whole world.
धर्माश्रमव्यवसिनां ब्राह्मणानां युधिष्ठिर । यथा त्रयाणां वर्णानां संख्यातोपश्रुतिः पुरा । राजधर्मेष्वनुपमा लोक्या सुचरितैरिह ॥
English Translation
As the duties of the orders, as also of Brahmanas and of those that have retired from the world, O Yudhishthira, have before this been described as being included within those of that sacred mode of life viz., that of a householder so, the whole world, with all actions, is subject to kingly duties.
उदाहृतं ते राजेन्द्र यथा विष्णुं महौजसम् । सर्वभूतेश्वरं देवं प्रभुं नारायणं पुरा । जग्मुः सुबहवः शूरा राजानो दण्डनीतये ॥
एकैकमात्मनः कर्म तुलयित्वाश्रमे पुरा । राजानः पर्युपातिष्ठन्दृष्टान्तवचने स्थिताः ॥
English Translation
Those kings, always observant of the injunctions of the scriptures enforced by examples, waited in days of yore, upon Narayana, after having compared their acts with the duties of each of the modes of life.
साध्या देवा वसवश्चाश्विनौ च; रुद्राश्च विश्वे मरुतां गणाश्च । सृष्टाः पुरा आदिदेवेन देवा; क्षात्रे धर्मे वर्तयन्ते च सिद्धाः ॥
English Translation
Those deities, viz., the Saddhyas, the Vasus, the Ashvins, the Rudras, the Vishvas, the Maruts, and the Siddhas, created in days of yore by the first of gods, always practise Kshatriya duties.
अत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि धर्ममर्थविनिश्चयम् । निर्मर्यादे वर्तमाने दानवैकायने कृते । बभूव राजा राजेन्द्र मान्धाता नाम वीर्यवान् ॥
पुरा वसुमतीपालो यज्ञं चक्रे दिदृक्षया । अनादिमध्यनिधनं देवं नारायणं प्रति ॥
स राजा राजशार्दूल मान्धाता परमेष्ठिनः । जग्राह शिरसा पादौ यज्ञे विष्णोर्महात्मनः ॥
दर्शयामास तं विष्णू रूपमास्थाय वासवम् । स पार्थिवैर्वृतः सद्भिरर्चयामास तं प्रभुम् ॥
तस्य पार्थिवसंघस्य तस्य चैव महात्मनः । संवादोऽयं महानासीद्विष्णुं प्रति महाद्युते ॥
English Translation
Accompanied by Many good kings he offered his adorations to that powerful god. This high discourse took place between that foremost of kings and that illustrious god in the form of Indra, regarding the highly effulgent Vishnu.
किमिष्यते धर्मभृतां वरिष्ठ; यद्द्रष्टुकामोऽसि तमप्रमेयम् । अनन्तमायामितसत्त्ववीर्यं; नारायणं ह्यादिदेवं पुराणम् ॥
English Translation
Indra said What is your object, О foremost of virtuous persons, in thus trying to see that Ancient and First of gods, viz., Narayana, of inconceivable power, and numberless illusions.
नासौ देवो विश्वरूपो मयापि; शक्यो द्रष्टुं ब्रह्मणा वापि साक्षात् । येऽन्ये कामास्तव राजन्हृदिस्था; दास्यामि तांस्त्वं हि मर्त्येषु राजा ॥
English Translation
Neither myself, nor Brahman himself, can acquired a view of that god of universal from. I shall grant you what other objects you may desire to have for you are the foremost of mortals.
सत्ये स्थितो धर्मपरो जितेन्द्रियः; शूरो दृढं प्रीतिरतः सुराणाम् । बुद्ध्या भक्त्या चोत्तमश्रद्धया च; ततस्तेऽहं दद्मि वरं यथेष्टम् ॥
English Translation
Your soul rests on peace; you are devoted to righteousness; you have your senses under control; and you are heroic. You always try your best to do what is agreeable to the gods. For the sake also of your intelligence, devotion, and great faith, I shall grant you whatsoever boons you may with to have.
असंशयं भगवन्नादिदेवं; द्रक्ष्याम्यहं शिरसाहं प्रसाद्य । त्यक्त्वा भोगान्धर्मकामो ह्यरण्य;मिच्छे गन्तुं सत्पथं लोकजुष्टम् ॥
English Translation
Mandhatri said I bend my head for pleasing you; forsooth however, I wish to see the first of gods, O divine lord. Renouncing all (earthly) desires, I wish to acquire religious merit, and to lead the foremost mode of life, that path of the good held in highest esteem by all.
क्षात्राद्धर्माद्विपुलादप्रमेया;ल्लोकाः प्राप्ताः स्थापितं स्वं यशश्च । धर्मो योऽसावादिदेवात्प्रवृत्तो; लोकज्येष्ठस्तं न जानामि कर्तुम् ॥
English Translation
By performing the great duties of a Kshatriya, I have acquired many regions of endless merit in the other world, and I have also, through those duties, spread my fame. I do not, however, know how to satisfy those duties the highest in the world emanating from the first of gods.
असैनिकोऽधर्मपरश्चरेथाः; परां गतिं लप्स्यसे चाप्रमत्तः । क्षात्रो धर्मो ह्यादिदेवात्प्रवृत्तः; पश्चादन्ये शेषभूताश्च धर्माः ॥
English Translation
Indra said Those who are not kings, even if then satisfy their duties, cannot easily attain the highest meed of duty. Kingly duties first emanated from the original god. Other duties sprang afterwards from his body.
शेषाः सृष्टा ह्यन्तवन्तो ह्यनन्ताः; सुप्रस्थानाः क्षत्रधर्माविशिष्टाः । अस्मिन्धर्मे सर्वधर्माः प्रविष्टा;स्तस्माद्धर्मं श्रेष्ठमिमं वदन्ति ॥
English Translation
Numberless other duties, with those of the Vanaprastha mode of life, were created afterwards. The fruits of all those are endless. Kingly duties however, are superior to them. They include all other duties. Therefore Kshatriya duties are described to be the foremost of all.
कर्मणा वै पुरा देवा ऋषयश्चामितौजसः । त्राताः सर्वे प्रमथ्यारीन्क्षत्रधर्मेण विष्णुना ॥
English Translation
In days of yore Vishnu, by acting according to Kshatriya duties, forcibly suppressed and killed his enemies. Accordingly he have relief to the gods and the Rishis of immeasurable power.
यदि ह्यसौ भगवान्नाहनिष्य;द्रिपून्सर्वान्वसुमानप्रमेयः । न ब्राह्मणा न च लोकादिकर्ता; न सद्धर्मा नादिधर्मा भवेयुः ॥
English Translation
If the divine Vishnu of inconceivable energy had not killed all his enemies among the Asuras, then the Brahmanas, and (Brahman) the Creator of the worlds and Kshatriya duties, and the duties that first originated from the Supreme deity, would all have been lost.
इमामुर्वीं न जयेद्विक्रमेण; देवश्रेष्ठोऽसौ पुरा चेदमेयः । चातुर्वर्ण्यं चातुराश्रम्यधर्माः; सर्वे न स्युर्ब्रह्मणो वै विनाशात् ॥
English Translation
If that first and foremost of gods had not, by displaying his prowess, subjugated the Earth with all her Asuras, then all the duties of the four orders and all the duties of the four modes of life would all have been destroyed owing to the destruction of Brahmanas.
दृष्टा धर्माः शतधा शाश्वतेन; क्षात्रेण धर्मेण पुनः प्रवृत्ताः । युगे युगे ह्यादिधर्माः प्रवृत्ता; लोकज्येष्ठं क्षत्रधर्मं वदन्ति ॥
English Translation
The eternal duties (of men) had all been destroyed but by the exercise of Kshatriya duties they were revived. In every cycle of duties of Brahmanas regarding the atainment to Brahma first set in. These however, are all protected by kingly duties. The later, on this account, are regarded as highest.
आत्मत्यागः सर्वभूतानुकम्पा; लोकज्ञानं मोक्षणं पालनं च । विषण्णानां मोक्षणं पीडितानां; क्षात्रे धर्मे विद्यते पार्थिवानाम् ॥
निर्मर्यादाः काममन्युप्रवृत्ता; भीता राज्ञो नाधिगच्छन्ति पापम् । शिष्टाश्चान्ये सर्वधर्मोपपन्नाः; साध्वाचाराः साधु धर्मं चरन्ति ॥
पुत्रवत्परिपाल्यानि लिङ्गधर्मेण पार्थिवैः । लोके भूतानि सर्वाणि विचरन्ति न संशयः ॥
English Translation
Forsooth, all creatures live happily in the world, protected by kings exercising Kshatriya duties like children protected by their parents.
सर्वधर्मपरं क्षत्रं लोकज्येष्ठं सनातनम् । शश्वदक्षरपर्यन्तमक्षरं सर्वतोमुखम् ॥
English Translation
Kshatriya duties are the highest of all duties. Those eternal duties, regarded as the first in the world, include the protection of every creature. Themselves eternal, they bring on liberation.
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