Special Call Prof. Jay L. Garfield Commemorative Volume · Submissions Open
Announcements Newsletters About Us Contact
Search
MBh
Mahābhārata • Parva 14 (Aśvamedhikaparva) • Adhyāya 94

Aśvamedhikaparva Adhyāya 94

अश्वमेधिकपर्व • अध्यायः 94

Aśvamedhikaparva Adhyāya 94 of the classical Mahābhārata with 35 verses.

Total: 35 Verses • Citations: MBh 14.94.1–35 • 250 Lexicon Terms
यज्ञे सक्ता नृपतयस्तपःसक्ता महर्षयः । शान्तिव्यवसिता विप्राः शमो दम इति प्रभो ॥
English Translation
Janamejaya said O powerful Rishi, kings are attached to sacrifices. The great Rishis are attached to penances. Learned Brahmanas observe tranquillity of mind, peacefulness of conduct and self-control.
तस्माद्यज्ञफलैस्तुल्यं न किंचिदिह विद्यते । इति मे वर्तते बुद्धिस्तथा चैतदसंशयम् ॥
English Translation
Hence it appears that nothing can be seen in this world which can compare with the fruits of sacrifices. This is my conviction. That conviction, again scems to be surely correct.
यज्ञैरिष्ट्वा हि बहवो राजानो द्विजसत्तम । इह कीर्तिं परां प्राप्य प्रेत्य स्वर्गमितो गताः ॥
English Translation
Numberless kings, O best of twice-born persons, having adored the celestials in sacrifices, acquired high fame here and obtained the celestial region hercafter.
देवराजः सहस्राक्षः क्रतुभिर्भूरिदक्षिणैः । देवराज्यं महातेजाः प्राप्तवानखिलं विभुः ॥
English Translation
Gifted with great energy, the powerful king of the deities, viz., Indra of a thousand eyes, obtained the sovereignty over the deities through the many sacrifices he performed with gifts in profusion and attained to the fruition of all his desires.
यथा युधिष्ठिरो राजा भीमार्जुनपुरःसरः । सदृशो देवराजेन समृद्ध्या विक्रमेण च ॥
English Translation
When king Yudhishthira, with Bhima and Arjuna by him, resembled the king of the deities himself in prosperity and prowess, why then did that mungoose depreciate that great Horse-Sacrifice of the great monarch.
अथ कस्मात्स नकुलो गर्हयामास तं क्रतुम् । अश्वमेधं महायज्ञं राज्ञस्तस्य महात्मनः ॥
English Translation
When king Yudhishthira, with Bhima and Arjuna by him, resembled the king of the deities himself in prosperity and prowess, why then did that mungoose depreciate that great Horse-Sacrifice of the great monarch.
यज्ञस्य विधिमग्र्यं वै फलं चैव नरर्षभ । गदतः शृणु मे राजन्यथावदिह भारत ॥
English Translation
Vaishampayana said Do you listen to me, O king, as I describe to you duly, O Bharata, the excellent ordinances about sacrifice and the fruits also, O king, that sacrifice yields.
पुरा शक्रस्य यजतः सर्व ऊचुर्महर्षयः । ऋत्विक्षु कर्मव्यग्रेषु वितते यज्ञकर्मणि ॥
English Translation
Formerly, occasion Shakra celebrated a particular sacrifice. While the limbs of the sacrifice were spread out, the Ritvijas became busy in performing the various rites ordained in the scriptures.
हूयमाने तथा वह्नौ होत्रे बहुगुणान्विते । देवेष्वाहूयमानेषु स्थितेषु परमर्षिषु ॥
सुप्रतीतैस्तदा विप्रैः स्वागमैः सुस्वनैर्नृप । अश्रान्तैश्चापि लघुभिरध्वर्युवृषभैस्तथा ॥
English Translation
The pourer of libations, possessed of every qualification, becaine engaged in pouring libations of clarified butter. The great Rishis were seated around. The celestials were summoned by one by contented Brahmanas of great learning uttering scriptural Mantras in sweet voices. Those foremost of Adhvaryyus, not fatigued with what they did, recited the Mantras of the Yajurveda in soft account. on one one
आलम्भसमये तस्मिन्गृहीतेषु पशुष्वथ । महर्षयो महाराज संबभूवुः कृपान्विताः ॥
English Translation
The time came for killing the animals. When the animals selected for sacrifice were seized, the great Rishis, O king, felt mercy for them.
ततो दीनान्पशून्दृष्ट्वा ऋषयस्ते तपोधनाः । ऊचुः शक्रं समागम्य नायं यज्ञविधिः शुभः ॥
English Translation
Seeing that the animals had all become dispirited, those Rishis, gifted with wealth of penances, approached Shakra and said to him, “This method of sacrifice is not auspicious.'
अपविज्ञानमेतत्ते महान्तं धर्ममिच्छतः । न हि यज्ञे पशुगणा विधिदृष्टाः पुरंदर ॥
English Translation
Desirous of winning great merit as you are, this is, indeed, a mark of your ignorance of the rites of sacrifice. O Purandara, animals have not been ordained to be killed in sacrifices,
धर्मोपघातकस्त्वेष समारम्भस्तव प्रभो । नायं धर्मकृतो धर्मो न हिंसा धर्म उच्यते ॥
English Translation
O powerful one, these preparations of yours are destructive of merit! This sacrifice is not consistent with virtue. The destruction of creatures can never be said to be an act of virtue!
आगमेनैव ते यज्ञं कुर्वन्तु यदि हेच्छसि । विधिदृष्टेन यज्ञेन धर्मस्ते सुमहान्भवेत् ॥
English Translation
If you wish it, let your priests perform your sacrifice according to the Agama. By performing a sacrifice according to the scriptural ordinance, great will be the merit acquired by you.
यज बीजैः सहस्राक्ष त्रिवर्षपरमोषितैः । एष धर्मो महाञ्शक्र चिन्त्यमानोऽधिगम्यते ॥
English Translation
you of a hundred eyes do you perform the sacrifice with seeds of grain which have been kept for three years. This, O Shakra, would be fraught with great virtue and productive of fruits of high efficacy.
शतक्रतुस्तु तद्वाक्यमृषिभिस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः । उक्तं न प्रतिजग्राह मानमोहवशानुगः ॥
English Translation
were The deity of a hundred sacrifices, however, moved by pride and overwhelmed by stupefaction, did not accept these words uttered by the Rishis.
तेषां विवादः सुमहाञ्जज्ञे शक्रमहर्षिणाम् । जङ्गमैः स्थावरैर्वापि यष्टव्यमिति भारत ॥
English Translation
Then, O Bharata, a great dispute arose in that sacrifice of Shakra between the ascetics as to how sacrifices should be performed, that is, should they be performed, with mobile creatures or with immobile objects.
ते तु खिन्ना विवादेन ऋषयस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः । ततः संधाय शक्रेण पप्रच्छुर्नृपतिं वसुम् ॥
महाभाग कथं यज्ञेष्वागमो नृपते स्मृतः । यष्टव्यं पशुभिर्मेध्यैरथो बीजैरजैरपि ॥
English Translation
O highly blessed one, what is the Vedic declaration about sacrifices? Is it preferable to perform sacrifices with animals or with seeds and juices.
तच्छ्रुत्वा तु वचस्तेषामविचार्य बलाबलम् । यथोपनीतैर्यष्टव्यमिति प्रोवाच पार्थिवः ॥
English Translation
Hearing the question, king Vasu, without at all judging the merits of the arguments advanced on both sides, at once answered, saying, 'Sacrifices may be performed with any of the two kinds of objects ready.'
एवमुक्त्वा स नृपतिः प्रविवेश रसातलम् । उक्त्वेह वितथं राजंश्चेदीनामीश्वरः प्रभुः ॥
English Translation
Having answered the question thus, he had to enter the nether regions. Indeed, the powerful king of the Chedis had to undergo that misery for having answered falsely.
अन्यायोपगतं द्रव्यमतीतं यो ह्यपण्डितः । धर्माभिकाङ्क्षी यजते न धर्मफलमश्नुते ॥
English Translation
That person of little intelligence, who, from desire of acquiring merit, celebrates sacrifices with wealth acquired by unfair means, never succeeds in acquiring merit.
धर्मवैतंसिको यस्तु पापात्मा पुरुषस्तथा । ददाति दानं विप्रेभ्यो लोकविश्वासकारकम् ॥
English Translation
That low wretch of sin who hypocritically assuming a garb of virtue makes gifts to Brahmanas, only created the conviction in men about his own virtue.
पापेन कर्मणा विप्रो धनं लब्ध्वा निरङ्कुशः । रागमोहान्वितः सोऽन्ते कलुषां गतिमाप्नुते ॥
English Translation
That Brahmana of uncontrolled conduct, who acquires wealth by sinful deeds, overwhelmed by passion and stupefaction, attains at last to the goal of the sinful.
तेन दत्तानि दानानि पापेन हतबुद्धिना । तानि सत्त्वमनासाद्य नश्यन्ति विपुलान्यपि ॥
English Translation
Gifts made by a sinner with an impure heart, for this, when very large, become lost. Such gifts go for nothing.
तस्याधर्मप्रवृत्तस्य हिंसकस्य दुरात्मनः । दाने न कीर्तिर्भवति प्रेत्य चेह च दुर्मतेः ॥
English Translation
By the gifts made by a person of unrighteous conduct, one, that is, who is of sinful soul and who is a destroyer, just fame never acquired either in this world or in the next.
अपि संचयबुद्धिर्हि लोभमोहवशंगतः । उद्वेजयति भूतानि हिंसया पापचेतनः ॥
English Translation
Some one, overwhelmed by cupidity and stupefaction, becomes bent on storing riches. He is seen to persecute all creatures, urged by a sinful and impure understanding.
एवं लब्ध्वा धनं लोभाद्यजते यो ददाति च । स कृत्वा कर्मणा तेन न सिध्यति दुरागमात् ॥
उञ्छं मूलं फलं शाकमुदपात्रं तपोधनाः । दानं विभवतो दत्त्वा नराः स्वर्यान्ति धर्मिणः ॥
English Translation
Men having wealth of penances, by giving away, to the best of their power, grains of corn picked up from the fields or roots or fruits or potherbs or water or leaves, acquire great merit and proceed to the celestial region.
एष धर्मो महांस्त्यागो दानं भूतदया तथा । ब्रह्मचर्यं तथा सत्यमनुक्रोशो धृतिः क्षमा । सनातनस्य धर्मस्य मूलमेतत्सनातनम् ॥
English Translation
Such gifts are fraught with virtue and equal to high austerities. Such gifts, as also mercy to all creatures, and Brahmacharya, truthfulness of speech, and kindness, and fortitude, and forgiveness, form the eternal foundations of virtue which itself is eternal. We hear of Vishvamitra and other kings of ancient times.
श्रूयन्ते हि पुरा विप्रा विश्वामित्रादयो नृपाः । विश्वामित्रोऽसितश्चैव जनकश्च महीपतिः । कक्षसेनार्ष्टिषेणौ च सिन्धुद्वीपश्च पार्थिवः ॥
एते चान्ये च बहवः सिद्धिं परमिकां गताः । नृपाः सत्यैश्च दानैश्च न्यायलब्धैस्तपोधनाः ॥
English Translation
Indeed, Vishmvamitra, and Asita, and king Janaka, and Kakshasena and Arshtisena and king Sindhudvipa, these and many other kings, gifted with wealth of penances, having made gifts of articles acquired by fairness, having attained to high success.
ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया वैश्याः शूद्रा ये चाश्रितास्तपः । दानधर्माग्निना शुद्धास्ते स्वर्गं यान्ति भारत ॥
English Translation
Those amongst Brahmanas and Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras, who perforin penances, O Bharata, and who purify themselves, by gifts and other deeds of righteousness, proceed to the celestial region.
← Previous (Ch. 1928) Full Table of Contents Next (Ch. 1930) →