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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 170

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 170

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 170

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 170 of the classical Mahābhārata with 24 verses.

Total: 24 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.170.1–24 • 250 Lexicon Terms
धनिनो वाधना ये च वर्तयन्ति स्वतन्त्रिणः । सुखदुःखागमस्तेषां कः कथं वा पितामह ॥
English Translation
Yudhishthira said Tell me, O grandfather, whence and how happiness and misery approach the rich, and the poor, but who follow different practices and rites.
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । शम्याकेन विमुक्तेन गीतं शान्तिगतेन ह ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said Regarding it is cited the old history of what was sung by Champaka who had acquired tranquility and liberation for himself.
अब्रवीन्मां पुरा कश्चिद्ब्राह्मणस्त्यागमास्थितः । क्लिश्यमानः कुदारेण कुचैलेन बुभुक्षया ॥
English Translation
In days of yore a certain Brahmana made iniserable by a bad wife, bad dress, and hunger, and practising the vow of renunciation, sang me these verses.
उत्पन्नमिह लोके वै जन्मप्रभृति मानवम् । विविधान्युपवर्तन्ते दुःखानि च सुखानि च ॥
English Translation
Various sorts of sorrow and happiness overtake, from the day of birth, the person who is born on the Earth.
तयोरेकतरे मार्गे यद्येनमभिसंनयेत् । न सुखं प्राप्य संहृष्येन्न दुःखं प्राप्य संज्वरेत् ॥
English Translation
If he could ascribe either of them to the work of Destiny, he would then be indifferent w either happiness or misery as they fall to his share,
न वै चरसि यच्छ्रेय आत्मनो वा यदीहसे । अकामात्मापि हि सदा धुरमुद्यम्य चैव हि ॥
English Translation
Though your mind is freed of desire, yet you bear a heavy burden. You do not strive to accomplish your own good. Are you not successful in subduing your mind?
अकिंचनः परिपतन्सुखमास्वादयिष्यसि । अकिंचनः सुखं शेते समुत्तिष्ठति चैव हि ॥
English Translation
Having renounced home and coveted wealth, if you go about, you shall then know what is real happiness. One who is shorn of everything, sleeps soundly and rises happily.
आकिंचन्यं सुखं लोके पथ्यं शिवमनामयम् । अनमित्रमथो ह्येतद्दुर्लभं सुलभं सताम् ॥
English Translation
Abject poverty, in this world, is the road to happiness. It is the safest way, it leads to the source of all blessings, and the path is not beset with any peril. Persons cherishing desire, cannot reach this goal (but those who have ridden over their desire, can easily do so.
अकिंचनस्य शुद्धस्य उपपन्नस्य सर्वशः । अवेक्षमाणस्त्रीँल्लोकान्न तुल्यमुपलक्षये ॥
English Translation
Stretching my eyes on every part of the three worlds, I do not find the person who can be equal to a poor man of unblemished character and who is indifferent to worldly things.
आकिंचन्यं च राज्यं च तुलया समतोलयम् । अत्यरिच्यत दारिद्र्यं राज्यादपि गुणाधिकम् ॥
English Translation
I weighed poverty and sovereignty in the balance, and found sovereignty wanting, and poverty to all appearances possessed greater merits then sovereignty.
आकिंचन्ये च राज्ये च विशेषः सुमहानयम् । नित्योद्विग्नो हि धनवान्मृत्योरास्यगतो यथा ॥
English Translation
Between poverty and sovereignty there is this great difference, viz., that the sovereign of vast possessions is always troubled with painful anxiety and seems to be an easy prey of death.
नैवास्याग्निर्न चादित्यो न मृत्युर्न च दस्यवः । प्रभवन्ति धनज्यानिनिर्मुक्तस्य निराशिषः ॥
English Translation
Regarding, however, the poor man who has no wealth to call his own, nor any hopes to entertain, and as such has emancipated himself, neither fire, nor foe, nor death, nor thieves, can override him.
तं वै सदा कामचरमनुपस्तीर्णशायिनम् । बाहूपधानं शाम्यन्तं प्रशंसन्ति दिवौकसः ॥
English Translation
The very gods praise such a man who wnders about according to his will who lies down on the naked Earth with his arm for a pillow, and who possesses a tranquil soul.
धनवान्क्रोधलोभाभ्यामाविष्टो नष्टचेतनः । तिर्यगीक्षः शुष्कमुखः पापको भ्रुकुटीमुखः ॥
English Translation
The man of wealth, affected by anger and lust, stains himself with his sinful heart. He casts sidelong glances and makes dry specches. He becomes sinful and his countenance loses its luster with his wry face.
निर्दशंश्चाधरोष्ठं च क्रुद्धो दारुणभाषिता । कस्तमिच्छेत्परिद्रष्टुं दातुमिच्छति चेन्महीम् ॥
English Translation
Biting his lips, and worked up with passion, he gives vent to harsh and cruel words. If such a man desires to make even a gift of the whole world, who is there that would like to look at him even.
श्रिया ह्यभीक्ष्णं संवासो मोहयत्यविचक्षणम् । सा तस्य चित्तं हरति शारदाभ्रमिवानिलः ॥
English Translation
Continuous Prosperity stupefies a person of weak intellect. Like the wind driving off the autumnal clouds, it drives off his judgement. Association with Prosperity induces him to think,-~-I am beautiful. I am wealthy.
अथैनं रूपमानश्च धनमानश्च विन्दति । अभिजातोऽस्मि सिद्धोऽस्मि नास्मि केवलमानुषः । इत्येभिः कारणैस्तस्य त्रिभिश्चित्तं प्रसिच्यते ॥
English Translation
I am high-born! I am successful in my undertakings! I am no ordinary individual!...For these three reasons, his heart becomes intoxicated.
स प्रसिक्तमना भोगान्विसृज्य पितृसंचितान् । परिक्षीणः परस्वानामादानं साधु मन्यते ॥
English Translation
He makes a waste of the possessions left by his ancestors by following the bent of his heart cager for worldly enjoyments. And then when reduced to want he does not regard the appropriation of other's wealth as sinful.
तमतिक्रान्तमर्यादमाददानं ततस्ततः । प्रतिषेधन्ति राजानो लुब्धा मृगमिवेषुभिः ॥
English Translation
At this stage when he outstrips all barriers and becomes reckless of conduct as regards his appropriation of other's possessions from every side the rulers of men checks and afflict him like sportsmen afflicting a deer with their sharp arrows which they espied in the woods.
एवमेतानि दुःखानि तानि तानीह मानवम् । विविधान्युपवर्तन्ते गात्रसंस्पर्शजानि च ॥
English Translation
Such a man is then overwhelmed with many other afflictions of a like nature that originate in fire and weapons.
तेषां परमदुःखानां बुद्ध्या भैषज्यमाचरेत् । लोकधर्मं समाज्ञाय ध्रुवाणामध्रुवैः सह ॥
English Translation
Therefore, becoming indifferent to all worldly attachments i.e., for children and wives) together with all fleeting phantons (as the physical body, etc.,) one should , helped by his intelligence, treat himself with proper medicine for the cure of those painful afflictions.
नात्यक्त्वा सुखमाप्नोति नात्यक्त्वा विन्दते परम् । नात्यक्त्वा चाभयः शेते त्यक्त्वा सर्वं सुखी भव ॥
English Translation
Without Renunciation one can never be happiness. Without Renunciation one never be successful in gaining what is his highest good. Without Renunciation one can never be at his ease even in sleep. Therefore, renouncing every thing, makc happiness your can Own.
इत्येतद्धास्तिनपुरे ब्राह्मणेनोपवर्णितम् । शम्याकेन पुरा मह्यं तस्मात्त्यागः परो मतः ॥
English Translation
A Brahmana, told me all this, at Hastinapur, in times gone by, about what Champaka had sung. I hold Renunciation, therefore, as the foremost of things.
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