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Mahābhārata • Parva 14 (Aśvamedhikaparva) • Adhyāya 17

Aśvamedhikaparva Adhyāya 17

अश्वमेधिकपर्व • अध्यायः 17

Aśvamedhikaparva Adhyāya 17 of the classical Mahābhārata with 40 verses.

Total: 40 Verses • Citations: MBh 14.17.1–40 • 250 Lexicon Terms
ततस्तस्योपसंगृह्य पादौ प्रश्नान्सुदुर्वचान् । पप्रच्छ तांश्च सर्वान्स प्राह धर्मभृतां वरः ॥
English Translation
Touching the feet of that sage Brahmana asked him some very difficult questions. That foremost of all pious persons then described those duties that were referred to.
कथं शरीरं च्यवते कथं चैवोपपद्यते । कथं कष्टाच्च संसारात्संसरन्परिमुच्यते ॥
English Translation
Kashyapa said How does the body dissolve away, and how is another is acquired? How does one become liberated after passing through a repeated round of painful re-births?
आत्मानं वा कथं युक्त्वा तच्छरीरं विमुञ्चति । शरीरतश्च निर्मुक्तः कथमन्यत्प्रपद्यते ॥
English Translation
Enjoying Nature for sometime, how does the individual Soul cast off the particular body? How does the Individual Soul, freed from the body, attain to what is different from it, (viz., Brahman)?
कथं शुभाशुभे चायं कर्मणी स्वकृते नरः । उपभुङ्क्ते क्व वा कर्म विदेहस्योपतिष्ठति ॥
English Translation
How does a human being enjoy the good and bad deeds done by him? Where do the acts exist of one that is devoid of body?
एवं संचोदितः सिद्धः प्रश्नांस्तान्प्रत्यभाषत । आनुपूर्व्येण वार्ष्णेय यथा तन्मे वचः शृणु ॥
English Translation
The Brahmana said Thus urged by Kashyapa, the Liberated Sage answered those questions one after another. Do you listen to me, O hero of the Vrishni race, as I recite to you the answers he gave.
आयुःकीर्तिकराणीह यानि कर्माणि सेवते । शरीरग्रहणेऽन्यस्मिंस्तेषु क्षीणेषु सर्वशः ॥
आयुःक्षयपरीतात्मा विपरीतानि सेवते । बुद्धिर्व्यावर्तते चास्य विनाशे प्रत्युपस्थिते ॥
English Translation
The Liberated Sage said, Upon the exhaustion of those deeds capable of prolonging life and bringing on fame which are done in a particular body that the Individual Soul assumes, the embodied Jiva, with the span of his life shortened, begins to do acts hostile to life and hcalth. On the approach of destruction, his understanding deviates from the proper course.
सत्त्वं बलं च कालं चाप्यविदित्वात्मनस्तथा । अतिवेलमुपाश्नाति तैर्विरुद्धान्यनात्मवान् ॥
English Translation
The man of inipure soul, after even a correct understanding of his constitution and strength and of the season of both his own life and of the year, begins to eat at irregular intervals and to eat such food as is hostile to him.
यदायमतिकष्टानि सर्वाण्युपनिषेवते । अत्यर्थमपि वा भुङ्क्ते न वा भुङ्क्ते कदाचन ॥
English Translation
At such a time he does practices that are greatly harmful. He sometimes eats excessively and sometimes abstains altogether from food.
दुष्टान्नं विषमान्नं च सोऽन्योन्येन विरोधि च । गुरु वापि समं भुङ्क्ते नातिजीर्णेऽपि वा पुनः ॥
English Translation
He eats bad food or bad meat or takes bad drinks, or food that has been made up of hostile ingredients. He eats food that is heavy and more than what is beneficial, or before the food previously taken, has been digested.
व्यायाममतिमात्रं वा व्यवायं चोपसेवते । सततं कर्मलोभाद्वा प्राप्तं वेगविधारणम् ॥
English Translation
He indulges in physical exercise and sexual pleasure in excess, or through avidity for work, suppresses the urgings of his corporeal organism even when they become pronounced.
रसातियुक्तमन्नं वा दिवास्वप्नं निषेवते । अपक्वानागते काले स्वयं दोषान्प्रकोपयन् ॥
English Translation
Or, he taken juicy food or indulges in sleep during daytime. Food that is not properly digested, of itself excites the faults, when the times comes.
स्वदोषकोपनाद्रोगं लभते मरणान्तिकम् । अथ चोद्बन्धनादीनि परीतानि व्यवस्यति ॥
English Translation
From such excitement of the faults in his body, he gets disease ultimately bringing on death. Sometimes the person engages in unnatural deeds like strangling.
तस्य तैः कारणैर्जन्तोः शरीराच्च्यवते यथा । जीवितं प्रोच्यमानं तद्यथावदुपधारय ॥
English Translation
Through these causes the living body of the creature dissolves away. Understand correctly the manner as I declare it to you.
ऊष्मा प्रकुपितः काये तीव्रवायुसमीरितः । शरीरमनुपर्येति सर्वान्प्राणान्रुणद्धि वै ॥
English Translation
Urged on by the Wind which becomes violent, the heat in the body, becoming excited, and reaching every part of the body one after another, restrains all the vital airs.
अत्यर्थं बलवानूष्मा शरीरे परिकोपितः । भिनत्ति जीवस्थानानि तानि मर्माणि विद्धि च ॥
English Translation
Know truly that excited all over the body, the heat becomes very strong, and pierces every vital part where life may be said to live.
ततः सवेदनः सद्यो जीवः प्रच्यवते क्षरन् । शरीरं त्यजते जन्तुश्छिद्यमानेषु मर्मसु । वेदनाभिः परीतात्मा तद्विद्धि द्विजसत्तम ॥
English Translation
On account of this, the Individual Soul, feeling great pain, quickly takes leave of the body. Know, O foremost of twice-born ones, that when the vital parts of the body become thus afflicted, Individual Soul passes away from he body, suffering from great pain. All living creatures repeatedly suffer from birth and death.
जातीमरणसंविग्नाः सततं सर्वजन्तवः । दृश्यन्ते संत्यजन्तश्च शरीराणि द्विजर्षभ ॥
गर्भसंक्रमणे चापि मर्मणामतिसर्पणे । तादृशीमेव लभते वेदनां मानवः पुनः ॥
English Translation
It is seen, O chief of Brahman's, that the pain which is felt by a person when renouncing his bodies is like to what is felt by him when first entering the womb or when coming out of it. His joints become almost dislocated and he derives much distress from the waters.
भिन्नसंधिरथ क्लेदमद्भिः स लभते नरः । यथा पञ्चसु भूतेषु संश्रितत्वं निगच्छति । शैत्यात्प्रकुपितः काये तीव्रवायुसमीरितः ॥
English Translation
Moved by (another) violent wind, the wind in the body becomes excited through cold, and dissolves away the union of matter into its five primal elements.
यः स पञ्चसु भूतेषु प्राणापाने व्यवस्थितः । स गच्छत्यूर्ध्वगो वायुः कृच्छ्रान्मुक्त्वा शरीरिणम् ॥
English Translation
That wind which lives in the vital airs called Prana and Apana occurring within this compound of the five primal elements, rushes upwards, from a situation of distress, leaving the embodied creature.
शरीरं च जहात्येव निरुच्छ्वासश्च दृश्यते । निरूष्मा स निरुच्छ्वासो निःश्रीको गतचेतनः ॥
English Translation
It is thus that the wind leaves the body. Then is seen breathlessness. The man then becomes destitute of heat, of breath, of beauty, and of consciousness.
ब्रह्मणा संपरित्यक्तो मृत इत्युच्यते नरः । स्रोतोभिर्यैर्विजानाति इन्द्रियार्थाञ्शरीरभृत् । तैरेव न विजानाति प्राणमाहारसंभवम् ॥
English Translation
Deserted by Brahma, the person is said to be dead. By those canals through which he perceives all sensuous objects, the bearer of the body no longer perceives them.
तत्रैव कुरुते काये यः स जीवः सनातनः । तेषां यद्यद्भवेद्युक्तं संनिपाते क्वचित्क्वचित् । तत्तन्मर्म विजानीहि शास्त्रदृष्टं हि तत्तथा ॥
English Translation
The elements gathered together become in certain parts firmly united. Know that those parts are called the vitals of the body. It is said so in the Shastras.
तेषु मर्मसु भिन्नेषु ततः स समुदीरयन् । आविश्य हृदयं जन्तोः सत्त्वं चाशु रुणद्धि वै । ततः स चेतनो जन्तुर्नाभिजानाति किंचन ॥
English Translation
When those vital parts are cut, the Individual Soul, rising up, enters the heat of the living creature and restrains the principle of animation forthwith.
तमसा संवृतज्ञानः संवृतेष्वथ मर्मसु । स जीवो निरधिष्ठानश्चाव्यते मातरिश्वना ॥
English Translation
The creature then, though still possessed of consciousness, fails to know anything. The vital part being all worked up, the knowledge of the living creature becomes overwhelmed by darkness.
ततः स तं महोच्छ्वासं भृशमुच्छ्वस्य दारुणम् । निष्क्रामन्कम्पयत्याशु तच्छरीरमचेतनम् ॥
English Translation
The individual Soul then, who has been deprived of everything upon which to stay, is then agitated by the wind. He then, deeply breathing a long an painful breath, goes out speedily, making the inanimate body to tremble. Separated from the body, the Individual Soul, however, is surrounded by his deeds.
स जीवः प्रच्युतः कायात्कर्मभिः स्वैः समावृतः । अङ्कितः स्वैः शुभैः पुण्यैः पापैर्वाप्युपपद्यते ॥
English Translation
The individual Soul then, who has been deprived of everything upon which to stay, is then agitated by the wind. He then, deeply breathing a long an painful breath, goes out speedily, making the inanimate body to tremble. Separated from the body, the Individual Soul, however, is surrounded by his deeds.
ब्राह्मणा ज्ञानसंपन्ना यथावच्छ्रुतनिश्चयाः । इतरं कृतपुण्यं वा तं विजानन्ति लक्षणैः ॥
यथान्धकारे खद्योतं लीयमानं ततस्ततः । चक्षुष्मन्तः प्रपश्यन्ति तथा तं ज्ञानचक्षुषः ॥
पश्यन्त्येवंविधाः सिद्धा जीवं दिव्येन चक्षुषा । च्यवन्तं जायमानं च योनिं चानुप्रवेशितम् ॥
तस्य स्थानानि दृष्टानि त्रिविधानीह शास्त्रतः । कर्मभूमिरियं भूमिर्यत्र तिष्ठन्ति जन्तवः ॥
ततः शुभाशुभं कृत्वा लभन्ते सर्वदेहिनः । इहैवोच्चावचान्भोगान्प्राप्नुवन्ति स्वकर्मभिः ॥
English Translation
This world where creatures live is called the field of action. Performing acts, good or bad, all embodied creatures attain to the fruits thereof.
इहैवाशुभकर्मा तु कर्मभिर्निरयं गतः । अवाक्स निरये पापो मानवः पच्यते भृशम् । तस्मात्सुदुर्लभो मोक्ष आत्मा रक्ष्यो भृशं ततः ॥
English Translation
On account of their own decds, creatures acquirc even here superior or inferiors enjoyments. Doers of evil deeds here, on ! account of those deeds of theirs, attain to hell.
ऊर्ध्वं तु जन्तवो गत्वा येषु स्थानेष्ववस्थिताः । कीर्त्यमानानि तानीह तत्त्वतः संनिबोध मे । तच्छ्रुत्वा नैष्ठिकीं बुद्धिं बुध्येथाः कर्मनिश्चयात् ॥
English Translation
This condition of sinking with head downwards, in which creatures are boiled is one of great misery. It is such that a rescue therefrom is highly difficult. Indeed, one should try hard for saving himself from this misery.
तारारूपाणि सर्वाणि यच्चैतच्चन्द्रमण्डलम् । यच्च विभ्राजते लोके स्वभासा सूर्यमण्डलम् । स्थानान्येतानि जानीहि नराणां पुण्यकर्मणाम् ॥
English Translation
By listening to what I say, you will acquire firmness of understanding and a clear apprehension of deeds. Know that even those are the regions of all creatures of righteous deeds, viz., the stellar worlds that shine in the sky, the lunar disc, and the solar disc as well that shines in the universe in its own light.
कर्मक्षयाच्च ते सर्वे च्यवन्ते वै पुनः पुनः । तत्रापि च विशेषोऽस्ति दिवि नीचोच्चमध्यमः ॥
English Translation
Upon the termination, again, of their merits, they fall away from those regions repeatedly. There is distinction of inferior, superior and middling happiness even in the celestial region.
न तत्राप्यस्ति संतोषो दृष्ट्वा दीप्ततरां श्रियम् । इत्येता गतयः सर्वाः पृथक्त्वे समुदीरिताः ॥
English Translation
There is discontent at sight of prosperity more burning than one's own even in the celestial region. Even these are the goals which I have mentioned in full.
उपपत्तिं तु गर्भस्य वक्ष्याम्यहमतः परम् । यथावत्तां निगदतः शृणुष्वावहितो द्विज ॥
English Translation
I shall, after this, describe to you the attainment by the Individual Soul of the condition of residence in the womb. Do you hear me, with rapt attention, O twice-born one, as I speak to you.
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