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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 59

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 59

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 59

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 59 of the classical Mahābhārata with 142 verses.

Total: 142 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.59.1–142 • 250 Lexicon Terms • Page 1 of 5 (Verses 30 shown)
ततः काल्यं समुत्थाय कृतपौर्वाह्णिकक्रियाः । ययुस्ते नगराकारै रथैः पाण्डवयादवाः ॥
English Translation
Rising from their beds the next day and performing morning rites laid down in the scriptures, the Pandavas and the Yadavas started on their cars resembling fortified towns.
प्रपद्य च कुरुक्षेत्रं भीष्ममासाद्य चानघम् । सुखां च रजनीं पृष्ट्वा गाङ्गेयं रथिनां वरम् ॥
English Translation
Proceeding to the field of Kuru and approaching the sinless Bhishma, they enquired of that best of car-warriors if he had spent the night happily.
व्यासादीनभिवाद्यर्षीन्सर्वैस्तैश्चाभिनन्दिताः । निषेदुरभितो भीष्मं परिवार्य समन्ततः ॥
English Translation
Saluting all the Rishis, and having been blessed by them in return, the princes sat around Bhishma.
ततो राजा महातेजा धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः । अब्रवीत्प्राञ्जलिर्भीष्मं प्रतिपूज्याभिवाद्य च ॥
English Translation
Then having adored Bhishma, king Yudhishthira, said these words with joined hands.
य एष राजा-राजेति शब्दश्चरति भारत । कथमेष समुत्पन्नस्तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥
English Translation
Yudhishthira said Whence came the word Rajan, O king, that is used, O Bharata, on Earth? Tell me this, O scorcher of foes.
तुल्यपाणिशिरोग्रीवस्तुल्यबुद्धीन्द्रियात्मकः । तुल्यदुःखसुखात्मा च तुल्यपृष्ठभुजोदरः ॥
तुल्यशुक्रास्थिमज्जश्च तुल्यमांसासृगेव च । निःश्वासोच्छ्वासतुल्यश्च तुल्यप्राणशरीरवान् ॥
समानजन्ममरणः समः सर्वगुणैर्नृणाम् । विशिष्टबुद्धीञ्शूरांश्च कथमेकोऽधितिष्ठति ॥
कथमेको महीं कृत्स्नां वीरशूरार्यसंकुलाम् । रक्षत्यपि च लोकोऽस्य प्रसादमभिवाञ्छति ॥
English Translation
Whence is it that one man governs the vast universe consisting of brave, energetic, wellborn and well-behaved men? Why do all men try to get his favour?
एकस्य च प्रसादेन कृत्स्नो लोकः प्रसीदति । व्याकुलेनाकुलः सर्वो भवतीति विनिश्चयः ॥
English Translation
Why is it that one man becomes cheerful, the whole world is cheerful and if that one man is sorry the whole world is sorry?
एतदिच्छाम्यहं सर्वं तत्त्वेन भरतर्षभ । श्रोतुं तन्मे यथातत्त्वं प्रब्रूहि वदतां वर ॥
English Translation
I wish to hear this in detail, O foremost of Bharata's race. O foremost of speakers, describe to me this fully.
नैतत्कारणमल्पं हि भविष्यति विशां पते । यदेकस्मिञ्जगत्सर्वं देववद्याति संनतिम् ॥
English Translation
O king, there must be some mighty reason for all this because it is seen that the whole world bows down to one man as to a god.'
नियतस्त्वं नरश्रेष्ठ शृणु सर्वमशेषतः । यथा राज्यं समुत्पन्नमादौ कृतयुगेऽभवत् ॥
English Translation
'With rapt attentical, O foremost of kings, listen to it fully as to how in the golden cycle sovereignty was first instituted.
नैव राज्यं न राजासीन्न दण्डो न च दाण्डिकः । धर्मेणैव प्रजाः सर्वा रक्षन्ति च परस्परम् ॥
English Translation
At first there was no sovereignty, no king, no punishment, and no punisher. All men used to protect one another piously.
पालयानास्तथान्योन्यं नरा धर्मेण भारत । खेदं परममाजग्मुस्ततस्तान्मोह आविशत् ॥
English Translation
As they thus lived, O Bharata, righteously protecting one another, they found the task (in time), to be painful. Error then possessed their hearts.
ते मोहवशमापन्ना मानवा मनुजर्षभ । प्रतिपत्तिविमोहाच्च धर्मस्तेषामनीनशत् ॥
English Translation
Having become subject to error, the perceptions of men, O prince, became clouded, and thence their virtue began to wane.
नष्टायां प्रतिपत्तौ तु मोहवश्या नरास्तदा । लोभस्य वशमापन्नाः सर्वे भारतसत्तम ॥
English Translation
When their perceptions were clouded and when men became subject to error all of them became covetous, O chief of the Bharatas.
अप्राप्तस्याभिमर्शं तु कुर्वन्तो मनुजास्ततः । कामो नामापरस्तत्र समपद्यत वै प्रभो ॥
English Translation
And because men tried to secure objects which were not their own, another passion called lust seized them.
तांस्तु कामवशं प्राप्तान्रागो नाम समस्पृशत् । रक्ताश्च नाभ्यजानन्त कार्याकार्यं युधिष्ठिर ॥
English Translation
When they became subject to lust, another passion, named anger, soon attacked them. Once subject to anger, they lost all considerations of what should be done and what should not be.
अगम्यागमनं चैव वाच्यावाच्यं तथैव च । भक्ष्याभक्ष्यं च राजेन्द्र दोषादोषं च नात्यजन् ॥
English Translation
Unrestrained sexual indulgence began. Men began to say what they liked. All distinctions between clean and unclean food and between virtue and vice disappeared.
विप्लुते नरलोकेऽस्मिंस्ततो ब्रह्म ननाश ह । नाशाच्च ब्रह्मणो राजन्धर्मो नाशमथागमत् ॥
English Translation
When this confusion set in amongst men, the Vedas disappeared. Upon the disappearance of the Vedas, the righteousness also was gone.
नष्टे ब्रह्मणि धर्मे च देवास्त्रासमथागमन् । ते त्रस्ता नरशार्दूल ब्रह्माणं शरणं ययुः ॥
English Translation
When both the Vedas and righteousness were lost, the gods, were overcome by fear. Overcome with fear. O foremost of men, they sought the help of Brahman.
प्रपद्य भगवन्तं ते देवा लोकपितामहम् । ऊचुः प्राञ्जलयः सर्वे दुःखशोकभयार्दिताः ॥
भगवन्नरलोकस्थं नष्टं ब्रह्म सनातनम् । लोभमोहादिभिर्भावैस्ततो नो भयमाविशत् ॥
ब्रह्मणश्च प्रणाशेन धर्मोऽप्यनशदीश्वर । ततः स्म समतां याता मर्त्यैस्त्रिभुवनेश्वर ॥
English Translation
With the loss of the Vedas, o Supreme Lord, righteousness also has been lost. For this, O Supreme Lord of the three worlds, we are about to be reduced to the status of human beings.
अधो हि वर्षमस्माकं मर्त्यास्तूर्ध्वप्रवर्षिणः । क्रियाव्युपरमात्तेषां ततोऽगच्छाम संशयम् ॥
English Translation
Men used to pour upwards while we used to pour downwards. For the stoppage of all religious rites among men we will suffer great distress.
अत्र निःश्रेयसं यन्नस्तद्ध्यायस्व पितामह । त्वत्प्रभावसमुत्थोऽसौ प्रभावो नो विनश्यति ॥
तानुवाच सुरान्सर्वान्स्वयंभूर्भगवांस्ततः । श्रेयोऽहं चिन्तयिष्यामि व्येतु वो भीः सुरर्षभाः ॥
ततोऽध्यायसहस्राणां शतं चक्रे स्वबुद्धिजम् । यत्र धर्मस्तथैवार्थः कामश्चैवानुवर्णितः ॥
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