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Mahābhārata • Parva 15 (Āśramavāsikaparva) • Adhyāya 42

Āśramavāsikaparva Adhyāya 42

आश्रमवासिकपर्व • अध्यायः 42

Āśramavāsikaparva Adhyāya 42 of the classical Mahābhārata with 18 verses.

Total: 18 Verses • Citations: MBh 15.42.1–18 • 250 Lexicon Terms
एतच्छ्रुत्वा नृपो विद्वान्हृष्टोऽभूज्जनमेजयः । पितामहानां सर्वेषां गमनागमनं तदा ॥
English Translation
Santi said Hearing this story of the reappearance and departure of his forefathers, the highly intelligent king Janamejaya became greatly pleased.
अब्रवीच्च मुदा युक्तः पुनरागमनं प्रति । कथं नु त्यक्तदेहानां पुनस्तद्रूपदर्शनम् ॥
English Translation
Filled with joy, he once more asked Vaishampayana the subject of the reappearance of dead men, saying of the reappearance of dead men, saying-How is it possible for persons whose bodies have been destroyed to reappear in those very forms?
इत्युक्तः स द्विजश्रेष्ठो व्यासशिष्यः प्रतापवान् । प्रोवाच वदतां श्रेष्ठस्तं नृपं जनमेजयम् ॥
English Translation
Thus asked, that foremost of twice-born persons, viz., the disciple of Vyasa, that first of speakers, possessed of great energy, thus answered Janamejaya.
अविप्रणाशः सर्वेषां कर्मणामिति निश्चयः । कर्मजानि शरीराणि तथैवाकृतयो नृप ॥
English Translation
This is certain, viz., that acts are never destroyed. Bodies, o king, are born of acts; so also are features.
महाभूतानि नित्यानि भूताधिपतिसंश्रयात् । तेषां च नित्यसंवासो न विनाशो वियुज्यताम् ॥
English Translation
The great primal elements are eternal on account of the union with them of the Lord of all beings. They exist with what is eternal. Accordingly, they have no destruction when the non-eternal are destroyed.
अनाशाय कृतं कर्म तस्य चेष्टः फलागमः । आत्मा चैभिः समायुक्तः सुखदुःखमुपाश्नुते ॥
English Translation
Acts done without exertion are true, and foremost, and yield real fruit. The soul, united, however, with such acts as require exertion for their performance, enjoys pleasure and pain.
अविनाशी तथा नित्यं क्षेत्रज्ञ इति निश्चयः । भूतानामात्मभावो यो ध्रुवोऽसौ संविजानताम् ॥
English Translation
Though united so, yet it is a certain internee that the soul is never modified by them, like the reflection of creatures in a mirror. It is never destroyed.
यावन्न क्षीयते कर्म तावदस्य स्वरूपता । संक्षीणकर्मा पुरुषो रूपान्यत्वं नियच्छति ॥
English Translation
As long as one's deeds are not exhausted (by enjoyment or endurance of their fruits good and bad), so long does he consider the body to be his ownself. The man, however, whose acts have been exhausted, without considering body to be self, takes the self to be something otherwise.
नानाभावास्तथैकत्वं शरीरं प्राप्य संहताः । भवन्ति ते तथा नित्याः पृथग्भावं विजानताम् ॥
English Translation
Various existent objects, attaining to a body, become united as one. Those very objects become eternal to men of knowledge who understand the difference.
अश्वमेधे श्रुतिश्चेयमश्वसंज्ञपनं प्रति । लोकान्तरगता नित्यं प्राणा नित्या हि वाजिनः ॥
English Translation
In the Horse-Sacrifice, this Shruti is heard in the matter of the killing of the horse. The certain possessions of embodied creatures, viz., their vital airs (and the senses, etc.) exist eternally even when they are borne to the other world.
अहं हितं वदाम्येतत्प्रियं चेत्तव पार्थिव । देवयाना हि पन्थानः श्रुतास्ते यज्ञसंस्तरे ॥
English Translation
I shall, you what is beneficial, if it be agreeable to you, O king. You have while employed in our sacrifices, heard of the celestial paths.
सुकृतो यत्र ते यज्ञस्तत्र देवा हितास्तव । यदा समन्विता देवाः पशूनां गमनेश्वराः । गतिमन्तश्च तेनेष्ट्वा नान्ये नित्या भवन्ति ते ॥
English Translation
When preparations were made for any sacrifice of yours, the celestials became beneficially inclined to you. When, indeed, the celestials were thus disposed and came to your sacrifice, they were lords in the matter of the passage.
नित्येऽस्मिन्पञ्चके वर्गे नित्ये चात्मनि यो नरः । अस्य नानासमायोगं यः पश्यति वृथामतिः । वियोगे शोचतेऽत्यर्थं स बाल इति मे मतिः ॥
English Translation
When such is the case he who sees a creature as disposed to take various forms, is considered as having an erroneous understanding. He who indulges in too much grief at separation, is, I think, a foolish person.
वियोगे दोषदर्शी यः संयोगमिह वर्जयेत् । असङ्गे संगमो नास्ति दुःखं भुवि वियोगजम् ॥
English Translation
He who sees evil in separation should give up union. By standing aloof, no unions are formed, and sorrow is renounced, for sorrow in the worlds is born of separation.
परापरज्ञस्तु नरो नाभिमानादुदीरितः । अपरज्ञः परां बुद्धिं स्पृष्ट्वा मोहाद्विमुच्यते ॥
English Translation
Only he who understands the distinction between body and self, and not another becomes freed from the erroneous belief. He who knows the other viz., self attains to the highest understanding and becomes freed from error.
अदर्शनादापतितः पुनश्चादर्शनं गतः । नाहं तं वेद्मि नासौ मां न च मेऽस्ति विरागता ॥
English Translation
As regards creatures, they appear from an invisible state, and once more disappears into invisibleness. I do not know him. He also does not know me. As regards myself renunciation is not yet mine.
येन येन शरीरेण करोत्ययमनीश्वरः । तेन तेन शरीरेण तदवश्यमुपाश्नुते । मानसं मनसाप्नोति शारीरं च शरीरवान् ॥
English Translation
If the act be a mental one, its fruits are enjoyed or endured mentally; if it be done with the body, its results are to be enjoyed or endured in the body.
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