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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 246

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 246

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 246

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 246 of the classical Mahābhārata with 16 verses.

Total: 16 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.246.1–16 • 250 Lexicon Terms
हृदि कामद्रुमश्चित्रो मोहसंचयसंभवः । क्रोधमानमहास्कन्धो विवित्सापरिमोचनः ॥
English Translation
Vyasa said There is a wonderful tree in the heart of man, called Desire. It is born of the seed called Error. Anger and Pride from its large trunk. The desire for work is the hollow ground around its foot.
तस्य चाज्ञानमाधारः प्रमादः परिषेचनम् । सोऽभ्यसूयापलाशो हि पुरादुष्कृतसारवान् ॥
English Translation
Ignorance is the root of that tree, and carelessness is the water which nourishes it. Envy forms its leaves. The evil acts of pristine lives supply it with vigour.
संमोहचिन्ताविटपः शोकशाखो भयंकरः । मोहनीभिः पिपासाभिर्लताभिः परिवेष्टितः ॥
English Translation
Loss of judgement and anxiety are its twigs; grief forms its huge branches; and fear it is sprout. Thirst which seems agreeable, forms the creepers which twine round it on all sides.
उपासते महावृक्षं सुलुब्धास्तं फलेप्सवः । आयासैः संयतः पाशैः फलानि परिवेष्टयन् ॥
English Translation
Avaricious men, fettered in chains of iron, sitting around that fruit-producing tree, worship it, in expectation of its fruit.
यस्तान्पाशान्वशे कृत्वा तं वृक्षमपकर्षति । गतः स दुःखयोरन्तं यतमानस्तयोर्द्वयोः ॥
English Translation
He who, subduing those chains, cuts down that tree and seeks to renounce both sorrow and joy, succeeds in attaining to the end of both.
संरोहत्यकृतप्रज्ञः संतापेन हि पादपम् । स तमेव ततो हन्ति विषं ग्रस्तमिवातुरम् ॥
English Translation
That foolish wight who nourishes this tree by enjoying the objects of the senses is destroyed by those very objects like a poisonous pill destroying the patient to whom it is given.
तस्यानुशयमूलस्य मूलमुद्ध्रियते बलात् । त्यागाप्रमादाकृतिना साम्येन परमासिना ॥
English Translation
However, by the help of Yoga, a clever man forcibly cuts off with the sword of concentration, the far-reaching root of this tree.
एवं यो वेद कामस्य केवलं परिकर्षणम् । वधं वै कामशास्त्रस्य स दुःखान्यतिवर्तते ॥
English Translation
One who understands that the end of all acts performed from the desire of fruit is rebirth or chains that bind, succeeds in getting over all sorrow.
शरीरं पुरमित्याहुः स्वामिनी बुद्धिरिष्यते । तत्र बुद्धेः शरीरस्थं मनो नामार्थचिन्तकम् ॥
English Translation
The body is compared to a city. The understanding is its mistress. The mind living within the body is the minister of that mistress whose chief duty is to decide.
इन्द्रियाणि जनाः पौरास्तदर्थं तु परा कृतिः । तत्र द्वौ दारुणौ दोषौ तमो नाम रजस्तथा ॥
English Translation
The senses are the citizens who are employed by the mind. For maintaining those citizens the mind shows a strong inclination for various sorts of acts. Two great faults are seen in those acts, namely, Darkness and ignorance.
यदर्थमुपजीवन्ति पौराः सहपुरेश्वराः । अद्वारेण तमेवार्थं द्वौ दोषावुपजीवतः ॥
English Translation
Upon the fruits of those acts depend those citizens along with the chiefs of the city. The two faults live upon the fruits of those acts which are done by forbidden means.
तत्र बुद्धिर्हि दुर्धर्षा मनः साधर्म्यमुच्यते । पौराश्चापि मनस्त्रस्तास्तेषामपि चला स्थितिः ॥
English Translation
Such being the case, the understanding, which of itself is unconquerable, goes down to a state of equality with the mind. Then again the senses, moved by the stained mind, lose their own firmness.
यदर्थं बुद्धिरध्यास्ते न सोऽर्थः परिषीदति । यदर्थं पृथगध्यास्ते मनस्तत्परिषीदति ॥
English Translation
Those objects again to acquire which the understanding tries, tries, produce grief and ultimately meet with destruction. Those objects, after destruction, are remembered by the mind, and accordingly they afflict the mind even after they are lost.
पृथग्भूतं यदा बुद्ध्या मनो भवति केवलम् । तत्रैनं विवृतं शून्यं रजः पर्यवतिष्ठते ॥
English Translation
The understanding is also afflicted, for the mind is said to be different from the understanding only when the mind is viewed regarding its chief function of getting impressions about whose certainty it is no judge. In sooth, however, the mind is identical with the understanding. The quality of Darkness which is in the understanding then overwhelms the Soul itself that lies over that understanding sullied by Darkness like an image upon a mirror.
तन्मनः कुरुते सख्यं रजसा सह संगतम् । तं चादाय जनं पौरं रजसे संप्रयच्छति ॥
English Translation
It is the mind that first becomes united with darkness. Having united itself, it attacks the soul, the understanding, and the senses, and surrenders them to Rajas."
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