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Mahābhārata • Parva 13 (Anuśāsanaparva) • Adhyāya 8

Anuśāsanaparva Adhyāya 8

अनुशासनपर्व • अध्यायः 8

Anuśāsanaparva Adhyāya 8 of the classical Mahābhārata with 29 verses.

Total: 29 Verses • Citations: MBh 13.8.1–29 • 250 Lexicon Terms
के पूज्याः के नमस्कार्याः कान्नमस्यसि भारत । एतन्मे सर्वमाचक्ष्व येषां स्पृहयसे नृप ॥
English Translation
Yudhishthira said Who are deserving of adoration? Who are they to whom one may bow? Who are they, O Bharata, to whom you would lower your head? Who, again, are they whom you like? Tell me all this, O prince.
उत्तमापद्गतस्यापि यत्र ते वर्तते मनः । मनुष्यलोके सर्वस्मिन्यदमुत्रेह चाप्युत ॥
English Translation
What is that upon which your mind turn when affliction overwhelms you. Do you describe to me what is beneficial here, that is, in this region of human beings, as also hereafter.
स्पृहयामि द्विजातीनां येषां ब्रह्म परं धनम् । येषां स्वप्रत्ययः स्वर्गस्तपःस्वाध्यायसाधनः ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said I like those twiceborn persons whose highest wealth is Brahma, whose heaven is their knowledge of the soul, and whose penances are formed by their diligent study of the Vedas.
येषां वृद्धाश्च बालाश्च पितृपैतामहीं धुरम् । उद्वहन्ति न सीदन्ति तेषां वै स्पृहयाम्यहम् ॥
English Translation
My heart longs for those in whose family persons young and old diligently bear the, ancestral burthens without languishing under them.
विद्यास्वभिविनीतानां दान्तानां मृदुभाषिणाम् । श्रुतवृत्तोपपन्नानां सदाक्षरविदां सताम् ॥
संसत्सु वदतां येषां हंसानामिव संघशः । मङ्गल्यरूपा रुचिरा दिव्यजीमूतनिःस्वनाः ॥
सम्यगुच्चारिता वाचः श्रूयन्ते हि युधिष्ठिर । शुश्रूषमाणे नृपतौ प्रेत्य चेह सुखावहाः ॥
ये चापि तेषां श्रोतारः सदा सदसि संमताः । विज्ञानगुणसंपन्नास्तेषां च स्पृहयाम्यहम् ॥
English Translation
Indeed, my heart longs after them who endued with knowledge and all desirable attributes, and honoured by others, listen to such words when uttered in assemblies or the courts of kings.
सुसंस्कृतानि प्रयताः शुचीनि गुणवन्ति च । ददत्यन्नानि तृप्त्यर्थं ब्राह्मणेभ्यो युधिष्ठिर । ये चापि सततं राजंस्तेषां च स्पृहयाम्यहम् ॥
English Translation
My heart, O king, always yearns after them who, for the satisfaction of Brahmanas, O Yudhishthira, give to them, with devotion, food that is well-cooked and clean and wholesome.
शक्यं ह्येवाहवे योद्धुं न दातुमनसूयितम् । शूरा वीराश्च शतशः सन्ति लोके युधिष्ठिर । तेषां संख्यायमानानां दानशूरो विशिष्यते ॥
English Translation
In this world, O Yudhishthira, there are hundreds of brave men and heroes. While counting them, he who is a hero in gifts should be considered as superior.
धन्यः स्यां यद्यहं भूयः सौम्य ब्राह्मणकोऽपि वा । कुले जातो धर्मगतिस्तपोविद्यापरायणः ॥
English Translation
O amiable one, if I had been even a vulgar Brahmana I would have considered myself as very great, not to speak of one born in a good family, gifted with righteousness of conduct, and given to penances and learning.
न मे त्वत्तः प्रियतरो लोकेऽस्मिन्पाण्डुनन्दन । त्वत्तश्च मे प्रियतरा ब्राह्मणा भरतर्षभ ॥
English Translation
There is no one, O son of Pandu, in this world, who is dearer to me than you, O chief of Bharats's race, but Brahmans are dearer to me than you.
यथा मम प्रियतरास्त्वत्तो विप्राः कुरूद्वह । तेन सत्येन गच्छेयं लोकान्यत्र स शंतनुः ॥
English Translation
And since, O best of the Kurus, the Brahmanas are very much dearer to me than you, it is by that truth that I expect to go to all those regions of happiness which have been gained by my father Shantanu.
न मे पिता प्रियतरो ब्राह्मणेभ्यस्तथाभवत् । न मे पितुः पिता वापि ये चान्येऽपि सुहृज्जनाः ॥
English Translation
Neither my father, nor my grandfather, nor any one else connected with me by blood, is dearer to me than the Brahmanas.
न हि मे वृजिनं किंचिद्विद्यते ब्राह्मणेष्विह । अणु वा यदि वा स्थूलं विदितं साधुकर्मभिः ॥
English Translation
I do not expect any fruit, small or great, from my adoration of the Brahmanas.
कर्मणा मनसा वापि वाचा वापि परंतप । यन्मे कृतं ब्राह्मणेषु तेनाद्य न तपाम्यहम् ॥
English Translation
On account of what I have done to the Brahmanas in thought, word, and deed, I do not feel any pain now.
ब्रह्मण्य इति मामाहुस्तया वाचास्मि तोषितः । एतदेव पवित्रेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यः परमं स्मृतम् ॥
English Translation
People used to call me as one devoted to the Brahmanas. This address always pleased me highly. To do good to the Brahmanas is the most sacred of all sacred duties.
पश्यामि लोकानमलाञ्छुचीन्ब्राह्मणयायिनः । तेषु मे तात गन्तव्यमह्नाय च चिराय च ॥
English Translation
I see many regions of beatitude waiting for me who have respectfully followed the Brahmanas. Very soon shall I go to these regions for good, O son.
यथा पत्याश्रयो धर्मः स्त्रीणां लोके युधिष्ठिर । स देवः सा गतिर्नान्या क्षत्रियस्य तथा द्विजाः ॥
English Translation
In this world, O Yudhishthira, the duties of women depend upon their husbands. To a woman, verily, the husband is the god and he is the highest end for which she should try. As the husband to wife, so are the Brahmanas to Kshatriyas.
क्षत्रियः शतवर्षी च दशवर्षी च ब्राह्मणः । पितापुत्रौ च विज्ञेयौ तयोर्हि ब्राह्मणः पिता ॥
English Translation
If there be a Kshatriya hundred years old and a good Brahmana child of only ten years, the latter should be considered as a father and the former as a son, for among the two, the Brahmana is superior.
नारी तु पत्यभावे वै देवरं कुरुते पतिम् । पृथिवी ब्राह्मणालाभे क्षत्रियं कुरुते पतिम् ॥
English Translation
A woman, in the absence of her husband, takes his younger brother for her lord; so the Earth, not having obtained Brahmana, made the Kshatriya her king.
पुत्रवच्च ततो रक्ष्या उपास्या गुरुवच्च ते । अग्निवच्चोपचर्या वै ब्राह्मणाः कुरुसत्तम ॥
English Translation
The Brahmanas should be protected like sons and adored like fathers or preceptors. Indeed, O best of the Kurus, they served reverentially as people wait with respect upon their sacrificial or Homa fires.
ऋजून्सतः सत्यशीलान्सर्वभूतहिते रतान् । आशीविषानिव क्रुद्धान्द्विजानुपचरेत्सदा ॥
English Translation
The Brahmanas are gifted with simplicity and righteousness. They are given to truth. They are always engaged in the behalf of all creatures. Yet when angry they are like snakes of dreadful venom. They should, for these reasons, be always waited upon and served with respect and humility.
तेजसस्तपसश्चैव नित्यं बिभ्येद्युधिष्ठिर । उभे चैते परित्याज्ये तेजश्चैव तपस्तथा ॥
English Translation
One should, O Yudhishthira, always fear these two, viz., Energy and Penances. Both these should be shirked or kept at a distance.
व्यवसायस्तयोः शीघ्रमुभयोरेव विद्यते । हन्युः क्रुद्धा महाराज ब्राह्मणा ये तपस्विनः ॥
English Translation
The effects of both are quick, There is this superiority, however, of Penances, viz., that Brahmanas gifted with Penances, O king, can, if angry, kill the object of their anger.
भूयः स्यादुभयं दत्तं ब्राह्मणाद्यदकोपनात् । कुर्यादुभयतःशेषं दत्तशेषं न शेषयेत् ॥
English Translation
Even greatest Energy and Penances, become neutralised if applied against a Brahmana who has conquered anger. If the two that is, Energy and Penances-be set against each other, then both of them would be destroyed. Again when Energy, is set against Penances, it is sure to be destroyed without leaving a remnant. Penances applied against Energy cannot be destroyed completely.
दण्डपाणिर्यथा गोषु पालो नित्यं स्थिरो भवेत् । ब्राह्मणान्ब्रह्म च तथा क्षत्रियः परिपालयेत् ॥
English Translation
As the herdsman, stick in hand, protects the herd, so should the Kshatriya always protect the Vedas and the Brahmanas.
पितेव पुत्रान्रक्षेथा ब्राह्मणान्ब्रह्मतेजसः । गृहे चैषामवेक्षेथाः कच्चिदस्तीह जीवनम् ॥
English Translation
The Kshatriya should protect all pious Brahmanas as a father protects his sons. He should always look after the houses of the Brahmanas for finding out that the means of subsistence may not be wanting.
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