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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 32

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 32

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 32

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 32 of the classical Mahābhārata with 25 verses.

Total: 25 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.32.1–25 • 250 Lexicon Terms
तूष्णींभूतं तु राजानं शोचमानं युधिष्ठिरम् । तपस्वी धर्मतत्त्वज्ञः कृष्णद्वैपायनोऽब्रवीत् ॥
English Translation
Vaishampayana saidDvaipayana-Vyasa, that great ascetic conversant with the truths of religion, spoke again to king Yudhishthira, who still remained silent and plunged in grief.
प्रजानां पालनं धर्मो राज्ञां राजीवलोचन । धर्मः प्रमाणं लोकस्य नित्यं धर्मानुवर्तनम् ॥
English Translation
Vyasa said 'O you having eyes like lotus petals, the protection of subjects is the duty of kings. Those men who are always observant of duty regard duty to be all powerful.
अनुतिष्ठस्व वै राजन्पितृपैतामहं पदम् । ब्राह्मणेषु च यो धर्मः स नित्यो वेदनिश्चितः ॥
English Translation
Do you, therefore, O king, follow your forefathers. The penances are the duty of the Brahmanas. This is the eternal prescription of the Vedas.
तत्प्रमाणं प्रमाणानां शाश्वतं भरतर्षभ । तस्य धर्मस्य कृत्स्नस्य क्षत्रियः परिरक्षिता ॥
English Translation
Penances, therefore, O foremost of Bharata's race, are the eternal duty of the Brahmanas. A Kshatriya's duty is to protect all persons.
तथा यः प्रतिहन्त्यस्य शासनं विषये नरः । स बाहुभ्यां विनिग्राह्यो लोकयात्राविघातकः ॥
English Translation
That man, who addicted to earthly objects, disregards wholesome restrictions, that man who transgresses at social harmony, should be punished with a strong hand.
प्रमाणमप्रमाणं यः कुर्यान्मोहवशं गतः । भृत्यो वा यदि वा पुत्रस्तपस्वी वापि कश्चन । पापान्सर्वैरुपायैस्तान्नियच्छेद्घातयेत वा ॥
English Translation
The fool who ties to transgress authority, be he an attendant, a son or even a saint-indeed all such sinful men,-should by every means be punished or even killed. That king who behaves otherwise incurs sin.
अतोऽन्यथा वर्तमानो राजा प्राप्नोति किल्बिषम् । धर्मं विनश्यमानं हि यो न रक्षेत्स धर्महा ॥
ते त्वया धर्महन्तारो निहताः सपदानुगाः । स्वधर्मे वर्तमानस्त्वं किं नु शोचसि पाण्डव । राजा हि हन्याद्दद्याच्च प्रजा रक्षेच्च धर्मतः ॥
English Translation
You have simply observed the duties of your own order. Why then, O son of Pandu, do you indulge in such grief? The king should kill those that deserve death, make gifts to persons deserving of charity, and protect his subjects according to the sacred laws.
न तेऽभिशङ्के वचनं यद्ब्रवीषि तपोधन । अपरोक्षो हि ते धर्मः सर्वधर्मभृतां वर ॥
English Translation
Yudhishthira said I do not doubt your words, O you of great ascetic merit? Everything regarding morality and duty is well known to you, O foremost of all persons, conversant with morality and duty.
मया ह्यवध्या बहवो घातिता राज्यकारणात् । तान्यकार्याणि मे ब्रह्मन्दहन्ति च तपन्ति च ॥
English Translation
I have, however, for the sake of kingdom, caused many persons to be killed. Those deeds, O Brahmana, are burning and consuming me.
ईश्वरो वा भवेत्कर्ता पुरुषो वापि भारत । हठो वा वर्तते लोके कर्मजं वा फलं स्मृतम् ॥
English Translation
Vyasa said O Bharata, is the Supreme Being the actor, or is men the doer? Is everything the outcome of Chance in the worlds, or are the fruits of our pristine deeds?
ईश्वरेण नियुक्ता हि साध्वसाधु च पार्थिव । कुर्वन्ति पुरुषाः कर्म फलमीश्वरगामि तत् ॥
English Translation
If man, O Bharata, does all acts, good or evil, being urged by the Supreme Being, then the fruits thereof should attach to the Supreme Being himself.
यथा हि पुरुषश्छिन्द्याद्वृक्षं परशुना वने । छेत्तुरेव भवेत्पापं परशोर्न कथंचन ॥
English Translation
If a person cuts down by an axe a tree in the forest, it is the person that commits the sin and not the axe.
अथ वा तदुपादानात्प्राप्नुयुः कर्मणः फलम् । दण्डशस्त्रकृतं पापं पुरुषे तन्न विद्यते ॥
English Translation
Or, if it be said that, the axe being only the material cause, the consequence of the act should attach to the animate agent, then the sin visits to the person who has made the axe. This, however, can scarcely be true.
न चैतदिष्टं कौन्तेय यदन्येन फलं कृतम् । प्राप्नुयादिति तस्माच्च ईश्वरे तन्निवेशय ॥
English Translation
If this be not reasonable, O son of Kunti, that one man should be visited by the sin of an act done by another, then guided by this, you should throw all responsibility upon the Supreme Being.
अथ वा पुरुषः कर्ता कर्मणोः शुभपापयोः । न परं विद्यते तस्मादेवमन्यच्छुभं कुरु ॥
English Translation
If, on the other hand, man is himself the agent of all his acts, good and evil, then there is no Supreme Being and, therefore, whatever you have done cannot bring evil consequences on you.
न हि कश्चित्क्वचिद्राजन्दिष्टात्प्रतिनिवर्तते । दण्डशस्त्रकृतं पापं पुरुषे तन्न विद्यते ॥
English Translation
Or, if it be said that, the axe being only the material cause, the consequence of the act should attach to the animate agent, then the sin visits to the person who has made the axe. This, however, can scarcely be true.
यदि वा मन्यसे राजन्हठे लोकं प्रतिष्ठितम् । एवमप्यशुभं कर्म न भूतं न भविष्यति ॥
English Translation
If you say it is Chance only that acts in the world, then such an act of destruction could never take place nor will ever take place.
अथाभिपत्तिर्लोकस्य कर्तव्या शुभपापयोः । अभिपन्नतमं लोके राज्ञामुद्यतदण्डनम् ॥
English Translation
If it is necessary to determine what is good and what bad in the world, attend to the scriptures. In those scriptures. In those scriptures it has been ordained that kings should stand with the rod of punishment uplifted in their hands.
अथापि लोके कर्माणि समावर्तन्त भारत । शुभाशुभफलं चेमे प्राप्नुवन्तीति मे मतिः ॥
English Translation
I think, O Bharata, that acts, good and bad, are perpetually revolving here as on a wheel, and men reap the fruits of those acts, good or bad, that they do.
एवं सत्यं शुभादेशं कर्मणस्तत्फलं ध्रुवम् । त्यज तद्राजशार्दूल मैवं शोके मनः कृथाः ॥
English Translation
One sinful act begets another. Therefore,O foremost of kings, avoid all evil acts and do not indulge in grief.
स्वधर्मे वर्तमानस्य सापवादेऽपि भारत । एवमात्मपरित्यागस्तव राजन्न शोभनः ॥
English Translation
You should follow, O Bharata, the duties, even if reproachable, of your own order. This self-destruction, o king, does not appear in you.
विहितानीह कौन्तेय प्रायश्चित्तानि कर्मिणाम् । शरीरवांस्तानि कुर्यादशरीरः पराभवेत् ॥
English Translation
Expiations, O king, have been laid down for (evil) acts. He that is alive can perform them, but he that dies cannot perform them.
तद्राजञ्जीवमानस्त्वं प्रायश्चित्तं चरिष्यसि । प्रायश्चित्तमकृत्वा तु प्रेत्य तप्तासि भारत ॥
English Translation
Therefore, O king, without laying down your life, perform those expiatory acts. If you do not perform them you may have to repent in the next world.”
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