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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 80

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 80

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 80

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 80 of the classical Mahābhārata with 21 verses.

Total: 21 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.80.1–21 • 250 Lexicon Terms
क्वसमुत्थाः कथंशीला ऋत्विजः स्युः पितामह । कथंविधाश्च राजेन्द्र तद्ब्रूहि वदतां वर ॥
English Translation
Yudhishthira said How O grandfather, should persons, employed as priests in our sacrifices, act? What sort of persons should they be, O king? Tell me all this, O foremost of orators.
प्रतिकर्म पुराचार ऋत्विजां स्म विधीयते । आदौ छन्दांसि विज्ञाय द्विजानां श्रुतमेव च ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said It is laid down for those Brahmanas who are competent to officiate as priests that they should know the Chhandas including the Samans, and all the rites laid down in the Shrutis, and that they should be able to perform all such religious acts as secure the prosperity of the king.
ये त्वेकरतयो नित्यं धीरा नाप्रियवादिनः । परस्परस्य सुहृदः संमताः समदर्शिनः ॥
English Translation
They should be devotedly loyal and utter sweet words in addressing kings. They should also be friendly towards one another, and regard all impartially.
येष्वानृशंस्यं सत्यं चाप्यहिंसा तप आर्जवम् । अद्रोहो नाभिमानश्च ह्रीस्तितिक्षा दमः शमः ॥
ह्रीमान्सत्यधृतिर्दान्तो भूतानामविहिंसकः । अकामद्वेषसंयुक्तस्त्रिभिः शुक्लैः समन्वितः ॥
अहिंसको ज्ञानतृप्तः स ब्रह्मासनमर्हति । एते महर्त्विजस्तात सर्वे मान्या यथातथम् ॥
यदिदं वेदवचनं दक्षिणासु विधीयते । इदं देयमिदं देयं न क्वचिद्व्यवतिष्ठते ॥
English Translation
Yudhishthira said There are Vedic texts relating to the gift of Dakshina in sacrifices. There is no ordinance, however, which says that so much should be given.
नेदं प्रति धनं शास्त्रमापद्धर्ममशास्त्रतः । आज्ञा शास्त्रस्य घोरेयं न शक्तिं समवेक्षते ॥
English Translation
This ordinance (about the gift of Dakshina) is not the outcome of motives connected with the distribution of wealth. The command of the ordinance, when one cannot give according to the prescription, is terrible. That commandment has altogether neglected the capacity of the sacrificer.
श्रद्धामारभ्य यष्टव्यमित्येषा वैदिकी श्रुतिः । मिथ्योपेतस्य यज्ञस्य किमु श्रद्धा करिष्यति ॥
English Translation
It occurs in the Vedas that a person should with devotion, celebrate a sacrifice. But what can devotion do when the sacrifice is sullied by false substitutes?
न वेदानां परिभवान्न शाठ्येन न मायया । कश्चिन्महदवाप्नोति मा ते भूद्बुद्धिरीदृशी ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said No man gains blessedness or merit by disregarding the Vedas or by deceitor falsehood. Never think that it is otherwise.
यज्ञाङ्गं दक्षिणास्तात वेदानां परिबृंहणम् । न मन्त्रा दक्षिणाहीनास्तारयन्ति कथंचन ॥
English Translation
Dakshina is one of the limbs of sacrifice and conduces to the nourishment of the Vedas. A sacrifice without Dakshina can never bring on salvation.
शक्तिस्तु पूर्णपात्रेण संमितानवमा भवेत् । अवश्यं तात यष्टव्यं त्रिभिर्वर्णैर्यथाविधि ॥
English Translation
The efficacy, however, of a single Purnapatra is tantamount to that of any Dakshina however rich. Therefore, O sire, every one belonging to the three castes should celebrate sacrifices.
सोमो राजा ब्राह्मणानामित्येषा वैदिकी श्रुतिः । तं च विक्रेतुमिच्छन्ति न वृथा वृत्तिरिष्यते । तेन क्रीतेन धर्मेण ततो यज्ञः प्रतायते ॥
English Translation
The Vedas have settled that Soma is the king of the Brahmanas. Yet they wish to sell it for the sake of celebrating sacrifices, though they never wish to sell it for acquiring a livelihood.
इत्येवं धर्मतः ख्यातमृषिभिर्धर्मवादिभिः । पुमान्यज्ञश्च सोमश्च न्यायवृत्तो यथा भवेत् । अन्यायवृत्तः पुरुषो न परस्य न चात्मनः ॥
English Translation
These three, viz., a person, a sacrifice, and Soma, must have good character. A person of a bad character neither enjoy this nor the other world.
शरीरं यज्ञपात्राणि इत्येषा श्रूयते श्रुतिः । तानि सम्यक्प्रणीतानि ब्राह्मणानां महात्मनाम् ॥
English Translation
We have heard this Shruti that the sacrifice which high-souled Brahmanas perform by wealth acquired by excessive physical labour, does not yield great merit.
तपो यज्ञादपि श्रेष्ठमित्येषा परमा श्रुतिः । तत्ते तपः प्रवक्ष्यामि विद्वंस्तदपि मे शृणु ॥
English Translation
There is an injunction in the Vedas that penances are higher than sacrifices. I shall now describe penances to you. O learned prince listen to me.
अहिंसा सत्यवचनमानृशंस्यं दमो घृणा । एतत्तपो विदुर्धीरा न शरीरस्य शोषणम् ॥
English Translation
Abstention from injury, truthfulness of speech, benevolence, are considered as penances by the wise and not the emaciation of the body.
अप्रामाण्यं च वेदानां शास्त्राणां चातिलङ्घनम् । अव्यवस्था च सर्वत्र तद्वै नाशनमात्मनः ॥
English Translation
Disregard of the Vedas, disobedience to the scriptural injunctions and violation of all healthy restraints, bring on self-destruction.
निबोध दशहोतॄणां विधानं पार्थ यादृशम् । चित्तिः स्रुक्चित्तमाज्यं च पवित्रं ज्ञानमुत्तमम् ॥
English Translation
Listen, O son of Pritha, to what has been laid down by those who pour ten libations upon mercy,-these the fire at ten times of the day.-For them who perform the sacrifice of penance, the Yoga they strive to bring about with Brahma is their ladle the heart is their clarified butter and high knowledge is their Pavitra (a couple of Kusha blades for pouring clarified butter).
सर्वं जिह्मं मृत्युपदमार्जवं ब्रह्मणः पदम् । एतावाञ्ज्ञानविषयः किं प्रलापः करिष्यति ॥
English Translation
All sorts of crookedness mean death and all sorts of sincerity are called Brahma. This is the subject of knowledge. The verses of philosophers cannot affect this.
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