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Mahābhārata • Parva 14 (Aśvamedhikaparva) • Adhyāya 39

Aśvamedhikaparva Adhyāya 39

अश्वमेधिकपर्व • अध्यायः 39

Aśvamedhikaparva Adhyāya 39 of the classical Mahābhārata with 25 verses.

Total: 25 Verses • Citations: MBh 14.39.1–25 • 250 Lexicon Terms
नैव शक्या गुणा वक्तुं पृथक्त्वेनेह सर्वशः । अविच्छिन्नानि दृश्यन्ते रजः सत्त्वं तमस्तथा ॥
English Translation
The qualities are incapable of being described as completely separate from one another. Darkness and Goodness and Ignorance are seen existing in a state of union.
अन्योन्यमनुषज्जन्ते अन्योन्यं चानुजीविनः । अन्योन्यापाश्रयाः सर्वे तथान्योन्यानुवर्तिनः ॥
English Translation
They are attached to one another. They depend on one another. The have one another for their support. They likewise follow one another.
यावत्सत्त्वं तमस्तावद्वर्तते नात्र संशयः । यावत्तमश्च सत्त्वं च रजस्तावदिहोच्यते ॥
English Translation
As long as goodness exists, so long does Darkness cxist. There is no doubt in this. As long as Ignorance and Goodness exist, so long does Darkness exist.
संहत्य कुर्वते यात्रां सहिताः संघचारिणः । संघातवृत्तयो ह्येते वर्तन्ते हेत्वहेतुभिः ॥
English Translation
They travel together, in union, and moving collectively. They move in a body; when they act with cause or without cause.
उद्रेकव्यतिरेकाणां तेषामन्योन्यवर्तिनाम् । वर्तते तद्यथान्यूनं व्यतिरिक्तं च सर्वशः ॥
English Translation
Of all these which work with one another however much they may differ in their an development, the manner in which their increase and diminution take place will now be described.
व्यतिरिक्तं तमो यत्र तिर्यग्भावगतं भवेत् । अल्पं तत्र रजो ज्ञेयं सत्त्वं चाल्पतरं ततः ॥
English Translation
There where Ignorance exists in increased measure, in the lower creatures (for example), Darkness exists in a smaller measure and Goodness in a still lesser degree.
उद्रिक्तं च रजो यत्र मध्यस्रोतोगतं भवेत् । अल्पं तत्र तमो ज्ञेयं सत्त्वं चाल्पतरं ततः ॥
English Translation
There where Ignorance exists in increased measure, in the lower creatures (for example), Darkness exists in a smaller measure and Goodness in a still lesser degree.
उद्रिक्तं च यदा सत्त्वमूर्ध्वस्रोतोगतं भवेत् । अल्पं तत्र रजो ज्ञेयं तमश्चाल्पतरं ततः ॥
English Translation
These where Darkness predominates, in creatures of middle course, Ignorance exists in a smaller measure and Goodness in a still smaller quantity.
सत्त्वं वैकारिकं योनिरिन्द्रियाणां प्रकाशिका । न हि सत्त्वात्परो भावः कश्चिदन्यो विधीयते ॥
English Translation
Goodness is the spring which causes the modification of the senses. It is, again, the great enlightener. No duty has been laid down that is higher than Goodness.
ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः । जघन्यगुणसंयुक्ता यान्त्यधस्तामसा जनाः ॥
English Translation
They who abide in Goodness proceed upwards. They who abide in Darkness remain in the middle. They who abide in Ignorance being characterised by qualities that are low, sink downwards.
तमः शूद्रे रजः क्षत्रे ब्राह्मणे सत्त्वमुत्तमम् । इत्येवं त्रिषु वर्णेषु विवर्तन्ते गुणास्त्रयः ॥
English Translation
Ignorance is in the Shudra; Darkness in the Kshatriya; and Goodness, which is the highest, in the Brahmana. The three qualities exist thus in the three castes.
दूरादपि हि दृश्यन्ते सहिताः संघचारिणः । तमः सत्त्वं रजश्चैव पृथक्त्वं नानुशुश्रुम ॥
English Translation
From a distance, the three qualities of Goodness, Darkness and Ignorance, are seen to exist in a state of union and more collectively. They are never seen in a state of separation.
दृष्ट्वा चादित्यमुद्यन्तं कुचोराणां भयं भवेत् । अध्वगाः परितप्येरंस्तृष्णार्ता दुःखभागिनः ॥
English Translation
Seeing the Sun rising, men of evil deeds become filled with fear. Travellers on their way become afflicted with heat, and suffer distress.
आदित्यः सत्त्वमुद्दिष्टं कुचोरास्तु यथा तमः । परितापोऽध्वगानां च राजसो गुण उच्यते ॥
English Translation
The Sun is Goodness developed; men of evil deeds represent Ignorance; the heat which travellers on their way feel, is said to be a quality of Darkness.
प्राकाश्यं सत्त्वमादित्ये संतापो राजसो गुणः । उपप्लवस्तु विज्ञेयस्तामसस्तस्य पर्वसु ॥
English Translation
Thic Sun representing light is Goodness; the heat is the quality of Darkness; the shading (or eclipse) of the Sun on Parvan days, should be known to represent Ignorance.
एवं ज्योतिःषु सर्वेषु विवर्तन्ते गुणास्त्रयः । पर्यायेण च वर्तन्ते तत्र तत्र तथा तथा ॥
English Translation
Thus, the three qualities exist in all luminous bodies. They act by turns in various places in various ways.
स्थावरेषु च भूतेषु तिर्यग्भावगतं तमः । राजसास्तु विवर्तन्ते स्नेहभावस्तु सात्त्विकः ॥
English Translation
Among immobile objects, the quality of Ignorance predominates. The qualities belonging to Darkness are those properties of their is which suffer constant changes. Their oleaginous qualities belong to Goodness.
अहस्त्रिधा तु विज्ञेयं त्रिधा रात्रिर्विधीयते । मासार्धमासवर्षाणि ऋतवः संधयस्तथा ॥
English Translation
The Day should be understood as threefold. The Night has been ordained to be threefold. So also are fortnights, months, years, seasons, and conjunctions.
त्रिधा दानानि दीयन्ते त्रिधा यज्ञः प्रवर्तते । त्रिधा लोकास्त्रिधा वेदास्त्रिधा विद्यास्त्रिधा गतिः ॥
English Translation
The gifts are threefold. Threefold is sacrifice. Threefold are the worlds; threefold the celestials; threefold is knowledge; and threefold the path or end.
भूतं भव्यं भविष्यच्च धर्मोऽर्थः काम इत्यपि । प्राणापानावुदानश्चाप्येत एव त्रयो गुणाः ॥
English Translation
The Past, the Present, and the future, Religion, Profit and Pleasure, Prana, Apana, and Udana, these also are permeated by the three qualities.
यत्किंचिदिह वै लोके सर्वमेष्वेव तत्त्रिषु । त्रयो गुणाः प्रवर्तन्ते अव्यक्ता नित्यमेव तु । सत्त्वं रजस्तमश्चैव गुणसर्गः सनातनः ॥
English Translation
Indeed, the three qualities always act in an unmanifest form. The creation of those three, viz., Goodness, Darkness and Ignorance is eternal.
तमोऽव्यक्तं शिवं नित्यमजं योनिः सनातनः । प्रकृतिर्विकारः प्रलयः प्रधानं प्रभवाप्ययौ ॥
अनुद्रिक्तमनूनं च ह्यकम्पमचलं ध्रुवम् । सदसच्चैव तत्सर्वमव्यक्तं त्रिगुणं स्मृतम् । ज्ञेयानि नामधेयानि नरैरध्यात्मचिन्तकैः ॥
English Translation
The unmanifest, consisting of the three qualities, is said to be darkness, unperceived, holy constant, unborn, womb, eternal, Nature, change or modification, destruction, Pradhana, production, and absorption, undeveloped, not small (i.e., vast), unshaking, immovable, fixed, existent, and non-existent. All these names should be known by those who meditate on matters about the soul.
अव्यक्तनामानि गुणांश्च तत्त्वतो; यो वेद सर्वाणि गतीश्च केवलाः । विमुक्तदेहः प्रविभागतत्त्ववि;त्स मुच्यते सर्वगुणैर्निरामयः ॥
English Translation
That person who accurately knows all the names of the unmanifest, and the qualities, as also the pure actions, well conversant with the truth-about all distinctions and freed from the body, becomes emancipated from all the qualities and enjoys absolute happiness. That person who accurately knows all the names of the unmanifest, and the qualities, as also the pure actions, well conversant with the truth-about all distinctions and freed from the body, becomes emancipated from all the qualities and enjoys absolute happiness.
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