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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 252

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 252

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 252

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 252 of the classical Mahābhārata with 21 verses.

Total: 21 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.252.1–21 • 250 Lexicon Terms
सूक्ष्मं साधु समादिष्टं भवता धर्मलक्षणम् । प्रतिभा त्वस्ति मे काचित्तां ब्रूयामनुमानतः ॥
English Translation
Yudhisthira said You say that virtue or duty depends upon delicate consideration, that it is marked out by the conduct of the good, that it is fraught with restraints, and that its characteristics are also contained in the Vedas. It appears to me, however, that I have a certain inward light by virtue of which I can differentiate between right and wrong by inferences.
भूयांसो हृदये ये मे प्रश्नास्ते व्याहृतास्त्वया । इममन्यं प्रवक्ष्यामि न राजन्विग्रहादिव ॥
English Translation
Numberless questions which I had wished to ask you have all been answered by you. There is one question, however, that I shall just now put. It is not prompted, O king, by desire of mere discussion.
इमानि हि प्रापयन्ति सृजन्त्युत्तारयन्ति च । न धर्मः परिपाठेन शक्यो भारत वेदितुम् ॥
English Translation
All these embodied creatures, it seems, take birth, exist, and renounce their bodies, of their own nature. Duty and its opposite, therefore, cannot be determined, O Bharata, by study of the scriptures alone.
अन्यो धर्मः समस्थस्य विषमस्थस्य चापरः । आपदस्तु कथं शक्याः परिपाठेन वेदितुम् ॥
English Translation
The duties of a rich person are of one sort. Those of a person who has fallen into distress are of another sort. How can duty in the time of poverty be determined by reading the scriptures alone?
सदाचारो मतो धर्मः सन्तस्त्वाचारलक्षणाः । साध्यासाध्यं कथं शक्यं सदाचारो ह्यलक्षणम् ॥
English Translation
The acts of the good, as you have said, form virtue. The good, however, are to be known by their acts. The definition, therefore, has at the bottom a begging of the question, and the result is that what is meant by conduct of the good remains unsettled.
दृश्यते धर्मरूपेण अधर्मं प्राकृतश्चरन् । धर्मं चाधर्मरूपेण कश्चिदप्राकृतश्चरन् ॥
English Translation
It is seen that some ordinary man commits sin while apparently achieving virtue. Some extraordinary person again may be seen who achieves virtue by committing acts which are seemingly sinful.
पुनरस्य प्रमाणं हि निर्दिष्टं शास्त्रकोविदैः । वेदवादाश्चानुयुगं ह्रसन्तीति ह नः श्रुतम् ॥
English Translation
Then, again, the proof has been given by even those who are well-conversant with the scriptures themselves, for we have heard that the ordinances of the Vedas disappear gradually in every successive cycle. The duties in the Krita age are of one sort. Those in the Treta are of another sort, and those in the Dvapara are of a different sort. The duties in the Kali age, again, are entirely of a different character. It seems, therefore, that duties have been sanctioned for the respective cycles according to the powers of human beings in the different ages.
अन्ये कृतयुगे धर्मास्त्रेतायां द्वापरेऽपरे । अन्ये कलियुगे धर्मा यथाशक्तिकृता इव ॥
English Translation
Then, again, the proof has been given by even those who are well-conversant with the scriptures themselves, for we have heard that the ordinances of the Vedas disappear gradually in every successive cycle. The duties in the Krita age are of one sort. Those in the Treta are of another sort, and those in the Dvapara are of a different sort. The duties in the Kali age, again, are entirely of a different character. It seems, therefore, that duties have been sanctioned for the respective cycles according to the powers of human beings in the different ages.
आम्नायवचनं सत्यमित्ययं लोकसंग्रहः । आम्नायेभ्यः परं वेदाः प्रसृता विश्वतोमुखाः ॥
English Translation
When, therefore, all the declarations in the Vedas do not suit equally all the ages, the saying that the Vedas are true is only a popular parlance given vent to for popular satisfaction. whose range From the Shrutis have originated the Smritis is very wide.
ते चेत्सर्वे प्रमाणं वै प्रमाणं तन्न विद्यते । प्रमाणे चाप्रमाणे च विरुद्धे शास्त्रता कुतः ॥
English Translation
The saying of the Vedas are, in the opinion of the ordinary person, contradictory. Whether on severe ! this is authoritative or that is so, when there is this conflict, how can they be considered to be spiritual.
धर्मस्य ह्रियमाणस्य बलवद्भिर्दुरात्मभिः । या या विक्रियते संस्था ततः सापि प्रणश्यति ॥
English Translation
Then, again, it is seen, that when some wicked wights of great power cause certain portions of religious acts to be stopped, these are destroyed for ever.
विद्म चैवं न वा विद्म शक्यं वा वेदितुं न वा । अणीयान्क्षुरधाराया गरीयान्पर्वतादपि ॥
English Translation
Whether we know it or not, whether we are able to determine it or not, the course of duty is sharper than the edge of a razor and grosser than even a mountain.
गन्धर्वनगराकारः प्रथमं संप्रदृश्यते । अन्वीक्ष्यमाणः कविभिः पुनर्गच्छत्यदर्शनम् ॥
English Translation
Virtue at first appears in the form of the romantic house of vapour seen in the distant sky. When, however, it is examined by the ! learned, it disappears.
निपानानीव गोभ्याशे क्षेत्रे कुल्येव भारत । स्मृतोऽपि शाश्वतो धर्मो विप्रहीणो न दृश्यते ॥
English Translation
Like the small ponds at which cattle drink or the shallow canals along cultivated fields, that dry up very soon, the eternal practices laid down in the Smrities, falling into discontinuance, at last disappear for good.
कामादन्ये क्षयादन्ये कारणैरपरैस्तथा । असन्तो हि वृथाचारं भजन्ते बहवोऽपरे ॥
English Translation
Amongst good men, some are seen to become hypocrites by allowing themselves to be moved by desire. Some become so, desiring by others. Many others tread in the same path, moved by various other motives of a similar nature.
धर्मो भवति स क्षिप्रं विलीनस्त्वेव साधुषु । अन्ये तानाहुरुन्मत्तानपि चावहसन्त्युत ॥
English Translation
It cannot be gainsaid that such acts are righteous. Fools, again, hold that virtue is an empty sound among those called good. They ridicule such persons and consider them as men bereft of reason.
महाजना ह्युपावृत्ता राजधर्मं समाश्रिताः । न हि सर्वहितः कश्चिदाचारः संप्रदृश्यते ॥
English Translation
Many great men, again, neglecting the duties of their own order, follow those of the Kshatriyas. No such conduct, therefore, is to be seen, which is for universal benevolence.
तेनैवान्यः प्रभवति सोऽपरं बाधते पुनः । दृश्यते चैव स पुनस्तुल्यरूपो यदृच्छया ॥
English Translation
By a certain action, one becomes really meritorious. The same actions prevent another from the acquisition of merit. Another, by performing those actions at his pleasure, it is seen, remains unchanged.
येनैवान्यः प्रभवति सोऽपरानपि बाधते । आचाराणामनैकाग्र्यं सर्वेषामेव लक्षयेत् ॥
English Translation
Thus that action by which one reaps merit, obstructs another in the acquisition of merit. One may thus seen that all actions are not peculiar in motive and character.
चिराभिपन्नः कविभिः पूर्वं धर्म उदाहृतः । तेनाचारेण पूर्वेण संस्था भवति शाश्वती ॥
English Translation
It seems, therefore, that only that which the learned of old denominated righteousness is righteousness to this day; and through that course of conduct the distinctions and limitations have become eternal.
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