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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 63

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 63

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 63

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 63 of the classical Mahābhārata with 31 verses.

Total: 31 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.63.1–31 • 250 Lexicon Terms
ज्याकर्षणं शत्रुनिबर्हणं च; कृषिर्वणिज्या पशुपालनं च । शुश्रूषणं चापि तथार्थहेतो;रकार्यमेतत्परमं द्विजस्य ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said ‘Drawing the bowstring, destruction of enemies, agriculture, trade, tending cattle and serving others for money are not proper for a Brahmana.
सेव्यं तु ब्रह्मषट्कर्म गृहस्थेन मनीषिणा । कृतकृत्यस्य चारण्ये वासो विप्रस्य शस्यते ॥
English Translation
An intelligent Brahmana, living as a householder, should duly perform the six Vedic acts. The retirement of a Brahmana into the woods, after having duly performed all the duties of the domestic mode of life, is highly spoken of.
राजप्रैष्यं कृषिधनं जीवनं च वणिज्यया । कौटिल्यं कौलटेयं च कुसीदं च विवर्जयेत् ॥
English Translation
A Brahmana should avoid service of the king, money obtained by agriculture, sustenance derived from the trade, all kinds of wily conduct, knowing any but his married wives and usury.
शूद्रो राजन्भवति ब्रह्मबन्धु;र्दुश्चारित्र्यो यश्च धर्मादपेतः । वृषलीपतिः पिशुनो नर्तकश्च; ग्रामप्रैष्यो यश्च भवेद्विकर्मा ॥
English Translation
That wretch of a Brahmana, who neglects to satisfy his duties and whose conduct becomes wicked becomes, O king, a Shudra. The Brahmana, who marries a Shudra woman, who becomes vile in conduct or a dancer or a village servant or performs other unbecoming acts, becomes a Shudra.
जपन्वेदानजपंश्चापि राज;न्समः शूद्रैर्दासवच्चापि भोज्यः । एते सर्वे शूद्रसमा भवन्ति; राजन्नेतान्वर्जयेद्देवकृत्ये ॥
English Translation
Whether he recites the Vedas or not o king, if he does such improper acts, he is reduced to the position of a Shudra and on occasions of feeding he should be given a place amongst Shudras.
निर्मर्यादे चाशने क्रूरवृत्तौ; हिंसात्मके त्यक्तधर्मस्ववृत्ते । हव्यं कव्यं यानि चान्यानि राज;न्देयान्यदेयानि भवन्ति तस्मिन् ॥
English Translation
Such Brahmanas become equal to Shudra, O king, and should be discarded at the time of worshipping the gods.
तस्माद्धर्मो विहितो ब्राह्मणस्य; दमः शौचं चार्जवं चापि राजन् । तथा विप्रस्याश्रमाः सर्व एव; पुरा राजन्ब्रह्मणा वै निसृष्टाः ॥
English Translation
Whatever presents of food dedicated to the departed manes are made to Brahmanas, who have transgressed all restraints or become impure in conduct or addicted to wicked callings and cruel acts or who have neglected their legitimate duties, yield on merit (to the giver.) Therefore, O king, self-control, purity and simplicity have been laid down as the duties of a Brahmana. Besides these, O king, all the four modes of life were prescribed by Brahman for him.
यः स्याद्दान्तः सोमप आर्यशीलः; सानुक्रोशः सर्वसहो निराशीः । ऋजुर्मृदुरनृशंसः क्षमावा;न्स वै विप्रो नेतरः पापकर्मा ॥
English Translation
He, who is self-controlled, has drunk the Soma in sacrifices, is of good conduct, has mercy for all creatures and patience to bear everything, has no desire of improving his position by acquisition of wealth, is frank and simple, mild, shorn of cruelty, and forgiving, is truly a Brahmana, and not he who is of sinful deeds.
शूद्रं वैश्यं राजपुत्रं च राजँ;ल्लोकाः सर्वे संश्रिता धर्मकामाः । तस्माद्वर्णाञ्जातिधर्मेषु सक्ता;न्मत्वा विष्णुर्नेच्छति पाण्डुपुत्र ॥
English Translation
Men, desirous of acquiring virtue, seek the help, O king, of Sudras, Vaishyas, and Kshatriyas. If, therefore, the members of these (three) castes do not adopt peaceful duties, Vishnu, O son of Pandu, never extends his favour to them.
लोके चेदं सर्वलोकस्य न स्या;च्चातुर्वर्ण्यं वेदवादाश्च न स्युः । सर्वाश्चेज्याः सर्वलोकक्रियाश्च; सद्यः सर्वे चाश्रमस्था न वै स्युः ॥
English Translation
If Vishnu be not pleased, the happiness of all men in heaven, the merit arising from the duties prescribed by the four orders, the injunctions of the Vedas, all kinds of sacrifices, and all other religions acts of men, and all the duties of the various modes of life, become lost.
यश्च त्रयाणां वर्णानामिच्छेदाश्रमसेवनम् । कर्तुमाश्रमदृष्टांश्च धर्मांस्ताञ्शृणु पाण्डव ॥
English Translation
Listen now, O son of Pandu, to those duties which should be practised in the four modes of life. These should be known to the Kshatriya who wishes the members of the three (other) orders in his kingdom) to strictly follow the respective duties of those modes.
शुश्रूषाकृतकृत्यस्य कृतसंतानकर्मणः । अभ्यनुज्ञाप्य राजानं शूद्रस्य जगतीपते ॥
अल्पान्तरगतस्यापि दशधर्मगतस्य वा । आश्रमा विहिताः सर्वे वर्जयित्वा निराशिषम् ॥
English Translation
For a Shudra who wishes to hear (such scriptures as are not forbidden in his case), who has performed his duties, who has procreated a son, between whom and the superior orders there is not much difference for the purity of his conduct, all the modes of life have been laid down save the observance of universal peacefulness and self-control.
भैक्षचर्यां न तु प्राहुस्तस्य तद्धर्मचारिणः । तथा वैश्यस्य राजेन्द्र राजपुत्रस्य चैव हि ॥
English Translation
For a Shudra practising all these duties, as also for a Vaishya, O king, and a Kshatriya, the Bhikshu mode of life has been sanctioned.
कृतकृत्यो वयोतीतो राज्ञः कृतपरिश्रमः । वैश्यो गच्छेदनुज्ञातो नृपेणाश्रममण्डलम् ॥
English Translation
Having performed the duties of his order, and having also served the king, an aged Vaisya with the king's permission, may adopt another mode of life.
वेदानधीत्य धर्मेण राजशास्त्राणि चानघ । संतानादीनि कर्माणि कृत्वा सोमं निषेव्य च ॥
पालयित्वा प्रजाः सर्वा धर्मेण वदतां वर । राजसूयाश्वमेधादीन्मखानन्यांस्तथैव च ॥
समानीय यथापाठं विप्रेभ्यो दत्तदक्षिणः । संग्रामे विजयं प्राप्य तथाल्पं यदि वा बहु ॥
स्थापयित्वा प्रजापालं पुत्रं राज्ये च पाण्डव । अन्यगोत्रं प्रशस्तं वा क्षत्रियं क्षत्रियर्षभ ॥
अर्चयित्वा पितॄन्सम्यक्पितृयज्ञैर्यथाविधि । देवान्यज्ञैरृषीन्वेदैरर्चित्वा चैव यत्नतः ॥
अन्तकाले च संप्राप्ते य इच्छेदाश्रमान्तरम् । आनुपूर्व्याश्रमान्राजन्गत्वा सिद्धिमवाप्नुयात् ॥
राजर्षित्वेन राजेन्द्र भैक्षचर्याध्वसेवया । अपेतगृहधर्मोऽपि चरेज्जीवितकाम्यया ॥
English Translation
A Kshatriya, for leading the life of a Rishi, O king, may take the Bhikshu mode of life; but he should never do so for enjoying the pleasure of the world. Having abandoned the life of a house-holder, he may adopt the life of mendicancy by begging what would barely maintain his life.
न चैतन्नैष्ठिकं कर्म त्रयाणां भरतर्षभ । चतुर्णां राजशार्दूल प्राहुराश्रमवासिनाम् ॥
English Translation
A life of mendicancy is not compulsory for the three orders (viz., Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras), O giver of profuse presents. This mode of life, is open to all the four castes because they can adopt it if they choose.
बह्वायत्तं क्षत्रियैर्मानवानां; लोकश्रेष्ठं धर्ममासेवमानैः । सर्वे धर्माः सोपधर्मास्त्रयाणां; राज्ञो धर्मादिति वेदाच्छृणोमि ॥
English Translation
Amongst men, the highest duties are those which are practised by Kshatriyas. The whole world is subject to the power of their arms. All the duties, principal and minor of the three other castes, depend upon the duties of the Kshatriya. The Vedas declare this.
यथा राजन्हस्तिपदे पदानि; संलीयन्ते सर्वसत्त्वोद्भवानि । एवं धर्मान्राजधर्मेषु सर्वा;न्सर्वावस्थं संप्रलीनान्निबोध ॥
English Translation
As the foot-prints of all the other animals are covered by those of the elephant, so all the duties of the other castes, under every circumstances, are covered by those of the Kshatriya.
अल्पाश्रयानल्पफलान्वदन्ति; धर्मानन्यान्धर्मविदो मनुष्याः । महाश्रयं बहुकल्याणरूपं; क्षात्रं धर्मं नेतरं प्राहुरार्याः ॥
English Translation
Men, well-read in the scriptures say that the duties of the other three castes give but limited relief or protection, yield petty rewards. The learned have said that the duties of the Kshatriya afford great relief and yield great rewards.
सर्वे धर्मा राजधर्मप्रधानाः; सर्वे धर्माः पाल्यमाना भवन्ति । सर्वत्यागो राजधर्मेषु राजं;स्त्यागे चाहुर्धर्ममग्र्यं पुराणम् ॥
English Translation
The royal duties are the foremost of all duties. All the castes are protected by them. Every sort of Renunciation is included in kingly duties, o king, and Renunciation has been declared to be an eternal virtue and the foremost of all. on
मज्जेत्त्रयी दण्डनीतौ हतायां; सर्वे धर्मा न भवेयुर्विरुद्धाः । सर्वे धर्माश्चाश्रमाणां गताः स्युः; क्षात्रे त्यक्ते राजधर्मे पुराणे ॥
English Translation
If the science of punishment disappears, the Vedas will be lost. All these scriptures also describing the duties of men become lost. Indeed, if these ancient duties the Kshatriyas be abandoned, all the duties of all the modes of life, become lost.
सर्वे त्यागा राजधर्मेषु दृष्टाः; सर्वा दीक्षा राजधर्मेषु चोक्ताः । सर्वे योगा राजधर्मेषु चोक्ताः; सर्वे लोका राजधर्मान्प्रविष्टाः ॥
English Translation
All sorts of renunciation are in kingly duties; all kinds of initiation are in them; all sorts of learning are connected with them; and all sorts of worldly conduct are in them.
यथा जीवाः प्रकृतौ वध्यमाना; धर्माश्रितानामुपपीडनाय । एवं धर्मा राजधर्मैर्वियुक्ताः; सर्वावस्थं नाद्रियन्ते स्वधर्मम् ॥
English Translation
As animals, killed by the vulgar, become the instrument of destroying the virtue and the religious acts of the destroyer so all other duties, if deprived of the protection offered by kingly duties, become subject to attack and destruction, and men, full of anxiety, neglect the practices laid down for them.
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