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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 277

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 277

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 277

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 277 of the classical Mahābhārata with 48 verses.

Total: 48 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.277.1–48 • 250 Lexicon Terms • Page 1 of 2 (Verses 30 shown)
कथं नु मुक्तः पृथिवीं चरेदस्मद्विधो नृपः । नित्यं कैश्च गुणैर्युक्तः सङ्गपाशाद्विमुच्यते ॥
English Translation
Yudhishthira said How, O grandfather, should a king like us act in this world, keeping in view the great object of acquisition? What attributes, again, should he always possess so that he may be liberated from attachments.
अत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि इतिहासं पुरातनम् । अरिष्टनेमिना प्रोक्तं सगरायानुपृच्छते ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said-I shall in this connection recite to you the old narrative that was uttered by Arishtanemi to Sagara who had sought his advice.
किं श्रेयः परमं ब्रह्मन्कृत्वेह सुखमश्नुते । कथं न शोचेन्न क्षुभ्येदेतदिच्छामि वेदितुम् ॥
English Translation
Sagara said What is that good, O Brahmana, by doing which one may enjoy happiness here? How, indeed, may one avoid grief and agitation? I wish to know all this.
एवमुक्तस्तदा तार्क्ष्यः सर्वशास्त्रविशारदः । विबुध्य संपदं चाग्र्यां सद्वाक्यमिदमब्रवीत् ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said Thus addressed by Sagara, Arishtanemi of Tarkshya's race, conversant with all the scriptures, considering the enquiries ad deserving fully of his instructions, said these words:सुखं मोक्षसुखं लोके न च मूढोऽवगच्छति।
सुखं मोक्षसुखं लोके न च लोकोऽवगच्छति । प्रसक्तः पुत्रपशुषु धनधान्यसमाकुलः ॥
English Translation
The happiness of Liberation is true happiness in the world. The ignorant man knows is not, attached, as he is, to children and animals and possessed of riches and corn.
सक्तबुद्धिरशान्तात्मा न स शक्यश्चिकित्सितुम् । स्नेहपाशसितो मूढो न स मोक्षाय कल्पते ॥
English Translation
The understanding that is attached to worldly objects and the longing mind baffle all skilful treatment. The ignorant man who is bound is the fetters of affection cannot acquire Liberation.
स्नेहजानिह ते पाशान्वक्ष्यामि शृणु तान्मम । सकर्णकेन शिरसा शक्याश्छेत्तुं विजानता ॥
English Translation
I shall now describe to you all the fetters which originate from the affections. Hear them with attention. Indeed, they can be heard with profit by one who is endued with knowledge.
संभाव्य पुत्रान्कालेन यौवनस्थान्निवेश्य च । समर्थाञ्जीवने ज्ञात्वा मुक्तश्चर यथासुखम् ॥
English Translation
Having procreated children in due time and married them when they become young men, and having found them to be competent for earning their livelihood, do you free youself from all attachments and rove about happily.
भार्यां पुत्रवतीं वृद्धां लालितां पुत्रवत्सलाम् । ज्ञात्वा प्रजहि काले त्वं परार्थमनुदृश्य च ॥
English Translation
When you find you dear consort grown old in years and attached to the son she has given birth to, do you leave her in time, keeping in view the highest object of acquisition.
सापत्यो निरपत्यो वा मुक्तश्चर यथासुखम् । इन्द्रियैरिन्द्रियार्थांस्त्वमनुभूय यथाविधि ॥
English Translation
Whether you get a son or not, having, during the first years of your life, duly enjoyed with your senses the objects thereof, liberate yourself from attachments and rove about in happiness.
कृतकौतूहलस्तेषु मुक्तश्चर यथासुखम् । उपपत्त्योपलब्धेषु लाभेषु च समो भव ॥
English Translation
Having satisfied the senses with their objects, you should suppress the desire of further indulging them. Liberating yourself from attachments, you should rove in happiness, contenting yourself with what is got without exertion and previous calculation, and loO king impartially towards all creatures and objects.
एष तावत्समासेन तव संकीर्तितो मया । मोक्षार्थो विस्तरेणापि भूयो वक्ष्यामि तच्छृणु ॥
English Translation
Thus, O son, have I told you briefly. Hear me now, for I shall tell you fully, the desirability of the acquisition of Liberation.
मुक्ता वीतभया लोके चरन्ति सुखिनो नराः । सक्तभावा विनश्यन्ति नरास्तत्र न संशयः ॥
English Translation
Those persons who live in this world shorn of attachments and fear, succeed in acquiring happiness. Those persons, however, who are attached to worldly objects, forsooth, meet with destruction,
आहारसंचयाश्चैव तथा कीटपिपीलिकाः । असक्ताः सुखिनो लोके सक्ताश्चैव विनाशिनः ॥
English Translation
Worms and ants are engaged in the acquisition of food and are seen to die in the search. They who are shorn or attachments are happy, while they who are attached to worldly objects meet with destruction.
स्वजने न च ते चिन्ता कर्तव्या मोक्षबुद्धिना । इमे मया विनाभूता भविष्यन्ति कथं त्विति ॥
English Translation
If you wish to acquire Liberation you should never place your thoughts on your relatives, thinking, How shall these live without me?
स्वयमुत्पद्यते जन्तुः स्वयमेव विवर्धते । सुखदुःखे तथा मृत्युं स्वयमेवाधिगच्छति ॥
English Translation
A living creature takes birth by himself, and, grow by himself, and acquires happiness and misery, and death by himself.
भोजनाच्छादने चैव मात्रा पित्रा च संग्रहम् । स्वकृतेनाधिगच्छन्ति लोके नास्त्यकृतं पुरा ॥
English Translation
In this world people enjoy and obtain good and cloth and other acquisitions acquired by either their parents or themselves. This is the result of the acts of pristine lives, for nothing can be had in this life which is not the result of the past.
धात्रा विहितभक्ष्याणि सर्वभूतानि मेदिनीम् । लोके विपरिधावन्ति रक्षितानि स्वकर्मभिः ॥
English Translation
All creatures live on the Earth, protected by their own acts, and acquiring their food as the result of what is ordained by Him who allots the fruits of acts.
स्वयं मृत्पिण्डभूतस्य परतन्त्रस्य सर्वदा । को हेतुः स्वजनं पोष्टुं रक्षितुं वादृढात्मनः ॥
English Translation
A man is but a lump of clay, and always depends completely on their forces. A man, being thus so weak, what rational motive can one have for protecting and feeding his relatives?
स्वजनं हि यदा मृत्युर्हन्त्येव तव पश्यतः । कृतेऽपि यत्ने महति तत्र बोद्धव्यमात्मना ॥
English Translation
When your relatives are carried away by Death in your very presence and despite you utmost efforts to save them, that circumstance alone should awaken you.
जीवन्तमपि चैवैनं भरणे रक्षणे तथा । असमाप्ते परित्यज्य पश्चादपि मरिष्यसि ॥
English Translation
In the very life-time of your relatives and before own duty is completed of feeding and protecting them, you may yourself die and leave them.
यदा मृतश्च स्वजनं न ज्ञास्यसि कथंचन । सुखितं दुःखितं वापि ननु बोद्धव्यमात्मना ॥
English Translation
After your relatives have been carried away from this world by death, you cannot know what becomes of them there,—that is, whether they are happy or miserable. This fact ought to awaken you.
मृते वा त्वयि जीवे वा यदि भोक्ष्यति वै जनः । स्वकृतं ननु बुद्ध्वैवं कर्तव्यं हितमात्मनः ॥
English Translation
When on account of the fruits of their own acts your relatives can maintain themselves in this world whether you live or die, thinking of this you should do what is for your own wellbeing.
एवं विजानँल्लोकेऽस्मिन्कः कस्येत्यभिनिश्चितः । मोक्षे निवेशय मनो भूयश्चाप्युपधारय ॥
English Translation
When such is the case, who is the world is to be considered as whose? Do you, therefore, think of acquiring Liberation. Hear now what more I shall say to you.
क्षुत्पिपासादयो भावा जिता यस्येह देहिनः । क्रोधो लोभस्तथा मोहः सत्त्ववान्मुक्त एव सः ॥
English Translation
That man of firm Soul, forsooth, liberated who has conquered hunger and thirst and such other states of the body, as also anger and cupidity and error.
द्यूते पाने तथा स्त्रीषु मृगयायां च यो नरः । न प्रमाद्यति संमोहात्सततं मुक्त एव सः ॥
English Translation
That man is always liberated who does not forget himself, through folly, by indulging in gambling and drinking and concubinage and the chase.
दिवसे दिवसे नाम रात्रौ रात्रौ सदा सदा । भोक्तव्यमिति यः खिन्नो दोषबुद्धिः स उच्यते ॥
English Translation
That man who is really affected by sorrow for being compelled to eat every day and every night for maintaining life, is said to be congnisant of the faults of life.
आत्मभावं तथा स्त्रीषु मुक्तमेव पुनः पुनः । यः पश्यति सदा युक्तो यथावन्मुक्त एव सः ॥
English Translation
Once who, as the outcome of careful reflection, considers his repeated births as due to sexual congress with women, is held to be freed from attachments.
संभवं च विनाशं च भूतानां चेष्टितं तथा । यस्तत्त्वतो विजानाति लोकेऽस्मिन्मुक्त एव सः ॥
English Translation
That man is certainly Liberated who knows truly the nature of the birth, the destruction, and the acts of living creatures.
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