Special Call Prof. Jay L. Garfield Commemorative Volume · Submissions Open
Announcements Newsletters About Us Contact
Search
MBh
Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 98

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 98

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 98

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 98 of the classical Mahābhārata with 32 verses.

Total: 32 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.98.1–32 • 250 Lexicon Terms
क्षत्रधर्मान्न पापीयान्धर्मोऽस्ति भरतर्षभ । अभियाने च युद्धे च राजा हन्ति महाजनम् ॥
English Translation
Yudhishthira said No action O king, is more sinful than that of the Kshatriyas! While marching or in battle, the king destroys the Vaishyas.
अथ स्म कर्मणा येन लोकाञ्जयति पार्थिवः । विद्वञ्जिज्ञासमानाय प्रब्रूहि भरतर्षभ ॥
English Translation
By what acts then does the king acquire blessed regions? O foremost of Bharata's race, enlighten me on this, O learned one, I am as anxious to know.
निग्रहेण च पापानां साधूनां प्रग्रहेण च । यज्ञैर्दानैश्च राजानो भवन्ति शुचयोऽमलाः ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said By punishing the wicked, by winning over and maintaining the good, by sacrifices and gifts, kings become pure and cleansed.
उपरुन्धन्ति राजानो भूतानि विजयार्थिनः । त एव विजयं प्राप्य वर्धयन्ति पुनः प्रजाः ॥
English Translation
It is true, kings, desirous of victory, torture many creatures, but after victory they secure the advancement of all,
अपविध्यन्ति पापानि दानयज्ञतपोबलैः । अनुग्रहेण भूतानां पुण्यमेषां प्रवर्धते ॥
English Translation
By the power of gifts, sacrifices, and penances, they dissipate their sins, and their merit increases so that they may be able to do good to all creatures.
यथैव क्षेत्रनिर्दाता निर्दन्वै क्षेत्रमेकदा । हिनस्ति कक्षं धान्यं च न च धान्यं विनश्यति ॥
English Translation
For reclaiming a field, the reclaimer takes up both paddy blades and weeds. His course, however, instead, of destroying the blades of paddy, he makes them grow more vigorously.
एवं शस्त्राणि मुञ्चन्तो घ्नन्ति वध्यानथैकदा । तस्यैषा निष्कृतिः कृत्स्ना भूतानां भावनं पुनः ॥
English Translation
Those, who use weapons, destroy many who deserve to be killed. Such wholesale destruction, however, helps the growth and advancement of the remnant.
यो भूतानि धनज्यानाद्वधात्क्लेशाच्च रक्षति । दस्युभ्यः प्राणदानात्स धनदः सुखदो विराट् ॥
English Translation
He who protects people from plunder, destruction, and affliction, he, for thus saving their lives from robbers, is regarded as the giver of wealth, of life, and of food.
स सर्वयज्ञैरीजानो राजाथाभयदक्षिणैः । अनुभूयेह भद्राणि प्राप्नोतीन्द्रसलोकताम् ॥
English Translation
Therefore, by thus worshipping the gods by means of a union of all sacrifices whose Dakshina is the removing of every body's fear, the king enjoys every king of happiness here and lives with Indra in heaven hereafter.
ब्राह्मणार्थे समुत्पन्ने योऽभिनिःसृत्य युध्यते । आत्मानं यूपमुच्छ्रित्य स यज्ञोऽनन्तदक्षिणः ॥
English Translation
That king, who, going out, fights his enemies in battles that have arisen for the sake of Brahmanas, and sacrifices his life, is regarded as the embodiment of a sacrifice with endless presents.
अभीतो विकिरञ्शत्रून्प्रतिगृह्णञ्शरांस्तथा । न तस्मात्त्रिदशाः श्रेयो भुवि पश्यन्ति किंचन ॥
English Translation
If a king, with his quivers full of arrows, shoots them fearlessly at his enemies, the very gods do not see any one superior to his on Earth.
तस्य यावन्ति शस्त्राणि त्वचं भिन्दन्ति संयुगे । तावतः सोऽश्नुते लोकान्सर्वकामदुहोऽक्षयान् ॥
English Translation
In such a case, regions eternal and capable of granting every desire proportionate to the number of arrows he discharges for wounding the enemies, await him.
न तस्य रुधिरं गात्रादावेधेभ्यः प्रवर्तते । स ह तेनैव रक्तेन सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते ॥
English Translation
The blood that flows from his body purges him off of all his sins along with the very pain that he feels then.
यानि दुःखानि सहते व्रणानामभितापने । न ततोऽस्ति तपो भूय इति धर्मविदो विदुः ॥
English Translation
Persons well read in the scriptures say that the pains a Kshatriya suffers in battle act as penances for increasing his merit.
पृष्ठतो भीरवः संख्ये वर्तन्तेऽधमपूरुषाः । शूराच्छरणमिच्छन्तः पर्जन्यादिव जीवनम् ॥
English Translation
Righteous persons, stricken with fear, stay in the rear, begging for life from heroes that have rushed to battle, even as men pray for rain from the clouds.
यदि शूरस्तथा क्षेमे प्रतिरक्षेत्तथा भये । प्रतिरूपं जनाः कुर्युर्न च तद्वर्तते तथा ॥
English Translation
Without allowing the solicitors to incur the dangers of battle, if those heroes place them in the rear by themselves facing those dangers and defend them at that time of fear, they acquire great merit.
यदि ते कृतमाज्ञाय नमस्कुर्युः सदैव तम् । युक्तं न्याय्यं च कुर्युस्ते न च तद्वर्तते तथा ॥
English Translation
And, if appreciating that act of bravery, those timid persons always respect those defenders, they do simply what is proper and just. By acting otherwise they cannot overcome fear.
पुरुषाणां समानानां दृश्यते महदन्तरम् । संग्रामेऽनीकवेलायामुत्क्रुष्टेऽभिपतत्सु च ॥
English Translation
There is really a great difference between men who seem outwardly equal. Some rush to battle, arnid its dreadful din, against armed enemies.
पतत्यभिमुखः शूरः परान्भीरुः पलायते । आस्थायास्वर्ग्यमध्वानं सहायान्विषमे त्यजन् ॥
English Translation
Indeed, it is the hero who only rushes against crowds of enemies, that leads him to the road to heaven. The coward, on the contrary, stricken with fear, seeks safety in flight, leaving behind his comrades in danger.
मा स्म तांस्तादृशांस्तात जनिष्ठाः पुरुषाधमान् । ये सहायान्रणे हित्वा स्वस्तिमन्तो गृहान्ययुः ॥
अस्वस्ति तेभ्यः कुर्वन्ति देवा इन्द्रपुरोगमाः । त्यागेन यः सहायानां स्वान्प्राणांस्त्रातुमिच्छति ॥
तं हन्युः काष्ठलोष्टैर्वा दहेयुर्वा कटाग्निना । पशुवन्मारयेयुर्वा क्षत्रिया ये स्युरीदृशाः ॥
अधर्मः क्षत्रियस्यैष यच्छय्यामरणं भवेत् । विसृजञ्श्लेष्मपित्तानि कृपणं परिदेवयन् ॥
English Translation
Quiet death on a bed, after throwing out phlegm and urine and uttering piteous cries, is sinful for a Kshatriya.
अविक्षतेन देहेन प्रलयं योऽधिगच्छति । क्षत्रियो नास्य तत्कर्म प्रशंसन्ति पुराविदः ॥
English Translation
Persons well-read in the scriptures do not praise the death of a Kshatriya with unwounded body.
न गृहे मरणं तात क्षत्रियाणां प्रशस्यते । शौटीराणामशौटीरमधर्म्यं कृपणं च तत् ॥
English Translation
The death of a Kshatriya at home is not praiseworthy. They are heroes. Any unheroic act on their part is sinful and censurable.
इदं दुःखमहो कष्टं पापीय इति निष्टनन् । प्रतिध्वस्तमुखः पूतिरमात्यान्बहु शोचयन् ॥
English Translation
In disease, people hear one crying,-What। sorrow! How painful! I must be a great sinner! : With face emaciated and bad smell coming out of his body and clothes, the sick man drowns his relatives into grief.
अरोगाणां स्पृहयते मुहुर्मृत्युमपीच्छति । वीरो दृप्तोऽभिमानी च नेदृशं मृत्युमर्हति ॥
English Translation
Hankering after the condition of healthy men, such a man again and again desires for death itself. A hero, having dignity and pride, does not deserve such an inglorious death.
रणेषु कदनं कृत्वा ज्ञातिभिः परिवारितः । तीक्ष्णैः शस्त्रैः सुविक्लिष्टः क्षत्रियो मृत्युमर्हति ॥
English Translation
Surrounded by kinsmen and killing his enemies in battle, a Kshatriya should die at the edge of keen weapons.
शूरो हि सत्यमन्युभ्यामाविष्टो युध्यते भृशम् । कृत्यमानानि गात्राणि परैर्नैवावबुध्यते ॥
English Translation
Actuated by lustful desire and filled with rage, a hero fights furiously and does not feel the wounds inflicted on his person by enemies.
स संख्ये निधनं प्राप्य प्रशस्तं लोकपूजितम् । स्वधर्मं विपुलं प्राप्य शक्रस्यैति सलोकताम् ॥
English Translation
Meeting with death in battle, he acquires great merit, fame and the respect of the world which belongs to his order and in the end lives with Indra in heaven.
सर्वो योधः परं त्यक्तुमाविष्टस्त्यक्तजीवितः । प्राप्नोतीन्द्रस्य सालोक्यं शूरः पृष्ठमदर्शयन् ॥
English Translation
The hero, by not retreating from battle and fighting by every means in his power, careless of life itself, at the van of battle, lives with Indra.
← Previous (Ch. 1425) Full Table of Contents Next (Ch. 1427) →