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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 280

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 280

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 280

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 280 of the classical Mahābhārata with 24 verses.

Total: 24 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.280.1–24 • 250 Lexicon Terms
मनोरथरथं प्राप्य इन्द्रियार्थहयं नरः । रश्मिभिर्ज्ञानसंभूतैर्यो गच्छति स बुद्धिमान् ॥
English Translation
Parashara said That man, who, having got this car, viz., his body endued with mind, goes on, restraining with the reins of knowledge the horses of the objects of the senses, should certainly be considered as an intelligent one.
सेवाश्रितेन मनसा वृत्तिहीनस्य शस्यते । द्विजातिहस्तान्निर्वृत्ता न तु तुल्यात्परस्परम् ॥
English Translation
The homage by a person whose mind depends on itself and who has renounced the means of livelihood, is worthy of high praise, that homage, namely, O twice born one, from one who has succeeded in getting over acts, but not acquired from the mutual discussion of men in the same state of progress.
आयुर्नसुलभं लब्ध्वा नावकर्षेद्विशां पते । उत्कर्षार्थं प्रयतते नरः पुण्येन कर्मणा ॥
English Translation
Having got the allotted period of life, O king, with such difficulty, one should not diminish it. On other hand, man should always try, by righteous deeds, for his gradual advancement.
वर्णेभ्योऽपि परिभ्रष्टः स वै संमानमर्हति । न तु यः सत्क्रियां प्राप्य राजसं कर्म सेवते ॥
English Translation
Among the six different colours that individual Soul attains at different periods of his existence, he who falls away from a superior colour deserves blame and censure. Hence, one who has acquired the result of good decds should act in such a way as to avoid all acts sullied by the quality of Darkness.
वर्णोत्कर्षमवाप्नोति नरः पुण्येन कर्मणा । दुर्लभं तमलब्धा हि हन्यात्पापेन कर्मणा ॥
English Translation
Man attains to a superior colour by pious deeds. Unable to acquire a superior colour for such acquisition is highly difficult, a person, by doing sinful deeds only kills himself.
अज्ञानाद्धि कृतं पापं तपसैवाभिनिर्णुदेत् । पापं हि कर्म फलति पापमेव स्वयं कृतम् । तस्मात्पापं न सेवेत कर्म दुःखफलोदयम् ॥
English Translation
All sinful deeds that are perpetrated unconsciously or in ignorance are destroyed by penances. A sinful deed, however, that is committed knowingly, yields much sorrow.
पापानुबन्धं यत्कर्म यद्यपि स्यान्महाफलम् । न तत्सेवेत मेधावी शुचिः कुसलिलं यथा ॥
English Translation
The intelligent man would never do a sinful act even if it produce the greatest advantage, just as a person who is pure would never touch a Chandala.
किंकष्टमनुपश्यामि फलं पापस्य कर्मणः । प्रत्यापन्नस्य हि सतो नात्मा तावद्विरोचते ॥
English Translation
How miserable is the fruit I behold of sinful deeds. Through sin the very vision of the sinner become perverse, and he mistakes his body and its unstable accompaniments for the soul.
प्रत्यापत्तिश्च यस्येह बालिशस्य न जायते । तस्यापि सुमहांस्तापः प्रस्थितस्योपजायते ॥
English Translation
That foolish man who does not succeed in following Renunciation in this world becomes stricken with great grief when he goes to the next world.
विरक्तं शोध्यते वस्त्रं न तु कृष्णोपसंहितम् । प्रयत्नेन मनुष्येन्द्र पापमेवं निबोध मे ॥
English Translation
An uncoloured cloth, when dirty, can be purified, but not a piece of cloth which is dyed with black; so, O king, listen to me with care, is it the case with sin.
स्वयं कृत्वा तु यः पापं शुभमेवानुतिष्ठति । प्रायश्चित्तं नरः कर्तुमुभयं सोऽश्नुते पृथक् ॥
English Translation
That man who, having knowingly perpetrated a sin, acts righteously for expiating that sin, has to enjoy and endure the fruits of his good and bad deeds separately.
अज्ञानात्तु कृतां हिंसामहिंसा व्यपकर्षति । ब्राह्मणाः शास्त्रनिर्देशादित्याहुर्ब्रह्मवादिनः ॥
English Translation
The Brahmavadins hold, under the authority of what has been sanctioned in the Vedas, that all acts of injury committed in ignorance are made good by virtuous acts.
तथा कामकृतं चास्य विहिंसैवापकर्षति । इत्याहुर्धर्मशास्त्रज्ञा ब्राह्मणा वेदपारगाः ॥
English Translation
A sin, however, however, that is committed knowingly is never repaired by righteousness. Thus the twice-born Brahmavadins who are conversant with the scriptures of Brahman.
अहं तु तावत्पश्यामि कर्म यद्वर्तते कृतम् । गुणयुक्तं प्रकाशं च पापेनानुपसंहितम् ॥
English Translation
But I hold that whatever acts are done, be they righteous or sinful, be they done knowingly or otherwise, they remain till their fruits are enjoyed or endured.
यथा सूक्ष्माणि कर्माणि फलन्तीह यथातथम् । बुद्धियुक्तानि तानीह कृतानि मनसा सह ॥
English Translation
Whatever acts are done by the mind with full deliberation, yield, according to their grossness or subtility, fruits which are gross or subtile.
भवत्यल्पफलं कर्म सेवितं नित्यमुल्बणम् । अबुद्धिपूर्वं धर्मज्ञ कृतमुग्रेण कर्मणा ॥
English Translation
Those acts, however, O you of righteous soul, which are fraught with great injury, if done in ignorance do, forsooth, produce consequences which lead to hell, with this difference that are disproportionate in point of gravity to the acts that produce them.
कृतानि यानि कर्माणि दैवतैर्मुनिभिस्तथा । नाचरेत्तानि धर्मात्मा श्रुत्वा चापि न कुत्सयेत् ॥
English Translation
As to those acts of the gods or repeated ascctics, a pious man should never do their like or, informed to them, should never censure them.
संचिन्त्य मनसा राजन्विदित्वा शक्तिमात्मनः । करोति यः शुभं कर्म स वै भद्राणि पश्यति ॥
English Translation
That man, who, reflecting with his mind, O king, and ascertaining his own ability, performs pious deeds, forsooth, acquires what is for his well-being.
नवे कपाले सलिलं संन्यस्तं हीयते यथा । नवेतरे तथाभावं प्राप्नोति सुखभावितम् ॥
सतोयेऽन्यत्तु यत्तोयं तस्मिन्नेव प्रसिच्यते । वृद्धे वृद्धिमवाप्नोति सलिले सलिलं यथा ॥
एवं कर्माणि यानीह बुद्धियुक्तानि भूपते । नसमानीह हीनानि तानि पुण्यतमान्यपि ॥
राज्ञा जेतव्याः सायुधाश्चोन्नताश्च; सम्यक्कर्तव्यं पालनं च प्रजानाम् । अग्निश्चेयो बहुभिश्चापि यज्ञै;रन्ते मध्ये वा वनमाश्रित्य स्थेयम् ॥
English Translation
A king should subjugate his enemies and all who seek to assert their superiority, and he should properly rule and protect his subjects. One should ignite his sacred fires and pour libations on them in various sacrifices, and retiring into the woods in either his middle or old age, should live there.
दमान्वितः पुरुषो धर्मशीलो; भूतानि चात्मानमिवानुपश्येत् । गरीयसः पूजयेदात्मशक्त्या; सत्येन शीलेन सुखं नरेन्द्र ॥
English Translation
Gifted with self-control, and possessed of righteous conduct, one should regard all creatures as his ownself. One should again respect his superiors. By the practice of truth and of good conduct, O king one is sure to acquire happiness.
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