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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 132

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 132

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 132

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 132 of the classical Mahābhārata with 16 verses.

Total: 16 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.132.1–16 • 250 Lexicon Terms
अत्र कर्मान्तवचनं कीर्तयन्ति पुराविदः । प्रत्यक्षावेव धर्मार्थौ क्षत्रियस्य विजानतः । तत्र न व्यवधातव्यं परोक्षा धर्मयापना ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said 'Regarding it, persons well read in the scriptures declare this text about duty, viz., for a learned and intelligent Kshatriya, (the acquisition) of religious merit and wealth is his obvious duty. By ingenuous discussions on duty and about the future world, he should not, abstain from performing those two duties.
अधर्मो धर्म इत्येतद्यथा वृकपदं तथा । धर्माधर्मफले जातु न ददर्शेह कश्चन ॥
English Translation
As it is useless, upon seeing certain footprints on the ground, to argue, whether they are the wolf's or not, is all discussion regarding the nature of righteousness and unrighteousness. Nobody in this world ever witnesses the fruits of righteousness and unrighteousness.
बुभूषेद्बलवानेव सर्वं बलवतो वशे । श्रियं बलममात्यांश्च बलवानिह विन्दति ॥
English Translation
A Kshatriya, therefore, should try to acquire power. A powerful person is master of everything. Wealth secures the possession of an army. He, who is powerful, gets intelligent advisers.
यो ह्यनाढ्यः स पतितस्तदुच्छिष्टं यदल्पकम् । बह्वपथ्यं बलवति न किंचित्त्रायते भयात् ॥
English Translation
He is truly degraded who has no wealth. A little is considered as the filthy residue of a feast. If a strong men commits even many bed deeds, nobody, through fear, speaks ill of him. If Righteousness and Power be associated with Truth, they can save men from great dangers.
उभौ सत्याधिकारौ तौ त्रायेते महतो भयात् । अति धर्माद्बलं मन्ये बलाद्धर्मः प्रवर्तते ॥
बले प्रतिष्ठितो धर्मो धरण्यामिव जङ्गमः । धूमो वायोरिव वशं बलं धर्मोऽनुवर्तते ॥
अनीश्वरे बलं धर्मो द्रुमं वल्लीव संश्रिता । वश्यो बलवतां धर्मः सुखं भोगवतामिव । नास्त्यसाध्यं बलवतां सर्वं बलवतां शुचि ॥
English Translation
Righteousness depends on the powerful does as pleasure on the pleasure hunters. There is nothing which powerful men cannot do. Everything is pure with the powerful.
दुराचारः क्षीणबलः परिमाणं नियच्छति । अथ तस्मादुद्विजते सर्वो लोको वृकादिव ॥
English Translation
By committing evil acts, a powerless men, can never escape. Men fear his conduct even as they are alarmed on seeing a wolf.
अपध्वस्तो ह्यवमतो दुःखं जीवति जीवितम् । जीवितं यदवक्षिप्तं यथैव मरणं तथा ॥
English Translation
Laden with infamy and insult, he has to carry on a miserable existence. A life of infamy, however, is tantamount to death.
यदेनमाहुः पापेन चारित्रेण विनिक्षतम् । स भृशं तप्यतेऽनेन वाक्शल्येन परिक्षतः ॥
English Translation
The learned have said that when on account of one's sinful deeds he is forsaken by friends and companions, he is cut again and again by the wordy arrows of others and has to burn with grief on that account.
अत्रैतदाहुराचार्याः पापस्य परिमोक्षणे । त्रयीं विद्यां निषेवेत तथोपासीत स द्विजान् ॥
प्रसादयेन्मधुरया वाचाप्यथ च कर्मणा । महामनाश्चैव भवेद्विवहेच्च महाकुले ॥
इत्यस्मीति वदेदेवं परेषां कीर्तयन्गुणान् । जपेदुदकशीलः स्यात्पेशलो नातिजल्पनः ॥
ब्रह्मक्षत्रं संप्रविशेद्बहु कृत्वा सुदुष्करम् । उच्यमानोऽपि लोकेन बहु तत्तदचिन्तयन् ॥
अपापो ह्येवमाचारः क्षिप्रं बहुमतो भवेत् । सुखं वित्तं च भुञ्जीत वृत्तेनैतेन गोपयेत् । लोके च लभते पूजां परत्र च महत्फलम् ॥
English Translation
By behaving thus, one is soon purged off of all his sins and wins the esteem of the world. Indeed, one acquires great respect in this world and meed in the next, and enjoys various sorts of happiness here by behaving thus and by sharing his riches with others.'
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