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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 179

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 179

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 179

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 179 of the classical Mahābhārata with 16 verses.

Total: 16 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.179.1–16 • 250 Lexicon Terms
यदि प्राणायते वायुर्वायुरेव विचेष्टते । श्वसित्याभाषते चैव तस्माज्जीवो निरर्थकः ॥
English Translation
Bharadwaja said If it is the air that keeps us alive, if it is the air that makes us inove and act is if it, the air that makes us breathe and speak, then it appears that life is not worth much.
यद्यूष्मभाव आग्नेयो वह्निना पच्यते यदि । अग्निर्जरयते चैव तस्माज्जीवो निरर्थकः ॥
English Translation
If the animal heat be of the nature of fire, and if it is that fire which helps digestion by dissolving the food we take, then life is not worth much.
जन्तोः प्रमीयमाणस्य जीवो नैवोपलभ्यते । वायुरेव जहात्येनमूष्मभावश्च नश्यति ॥
English Translation
When an animal dies, that which is called its life is never seen to depart. Only the vital air relinquishes it, and the internal heat is put out.
यदि वातोपमो जीवः संश्लेषो यदि वायुना । वायुमण्डलवद्दृश्यो गच्छेत्सह मरुद्गणैः ॥
English Translation
If life were nothing else than air, or if life depended only on the air, then it could have been seen like the outward sea of air, and when passing out it would have been mixed with that air.
श्लेषो यदि च वातेन यदि तस्मात्प्रणश्यति । महार्णवविमुक्तत्वादन्यत्सलिलभाजनम् ॥
English Translation
If life depended upon air, and if it ended with the passing of that air from the body, it would then mingle with the eternal air like a portion of water passing into the great sea and thereby only changing the place of its residence. If a quantity of water be thrown into a well, or if the flame of a lamp be thrown into a burning fire, either of them, entering the original element, loses its independent existence. If life were air, it also, when the animal died, would merge in the great sea of air outside.
कूपे वा सलिलं दद्यात्प्रदीपं वा हुताशने । प्रक्षिप्तं नश्यति क्षिप्रं यथा नश्यत्यसौ तथा ॥
पञ्चसाधारणे ह्यस्मिञ्शरीरे जीवितं कुतः । येषामन्यतरत्यागाच्चतुर्णां नास्ति संग्रहः ॥
English Translation
How we can say that there is life in this animal body which is composed of the five elements? If one of those clements disappear, the dissolution of the other four is brought about.
नश्यन्त्यापो ह्यनाहाराद्वायुरुच्छ्वासनिग्रहात् । नश्यते कोष्ठभेदात्खमग्निर्नश्यत्यभोजनात् ॥
English Translation
The element of water dries up if food is not taken. The element of air disappears if the breath is controlled. The element of space disappears if the excretions cease. So also the element of fire disappears if food does not go in.
व्याधिव्रणपरिक्लेशैर्मेदिनी चैव शीर्यते । पीडितेऽन्यतरे ह्येषां संघातो याति पञ्चधा ॥
English Translation
The element of earth is shattered to pieces by disease, wounds and other sufferings. If only one of the five is spoiled, the union is dissolved and the five go away into five different directions.
तस्मिन्पञ्चत्वमापन्ने जीवः किमनुधावति । किं वेदयति वा जीवः किं शृणोति ब्रवीति वा ॥
English Translation
When the five ingredients of the body which is a compound of the five elements, are separated, where does life go? What does it then know. What does it then hear? What does it then say?
एषा गौः परलोकस्थं तारयिष्यति मामिति । यो दत्त्वा म्रियते जन्तुः सा गौः कं तारयिष्यति ॥
English Translation
The cow, it is said, will save me in the next world. The animal, however, which is given away, itself dies. Whom then will this cow save?
गौश्च प्रतिग्रहीता च दाता चैव समं यदा । इहैव विलयं यान्ति कुतस्तेषां समागमः ॥
English Translation
The taker of the cow and the giver are both equally subject to death. Both of them meet with destruction in this world. How then will they meet again?
विहगैरुपयुक्तस्य शैलाग्रात्पतितस्य वा । अग्निना चोपयुक्तस्य कुतः संजीवनं पुनः ॥
English Translation
How will the man that has been eaten up by birds, or that has been shattered to pieces by a fall from a mountain summit, or that has been consumed by fire, regain life?
छिन्नस्य यदि वृक्षस्य न मूलं प्रतिरोहति । बीजान्यस्य प्रवर्तन्ते मृतः क्व पुनरेष्यति ॥
English Translation
The root of a tree that has been cut down docs not revive. Only the seeds put forth sprouts. Where is the person who having died regains life?
बीजमात्रं पुरा सृष्टं यदेतत्परिवर्तते । मृता मृताः प्रणश्यन्ति बीजाद्बीजं प्रवर्तते ॥
English Translation
Only seeds were originally created. All this universe is the creation of seeds in succession. They that die, die for ever. Seeds come from seeds.
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