सहदेव उवाच न बाह्यं द्रव्यमुत्सृज्य सिद्धिर्भवति भारत। शारीरं द्रव्यमुत्सृज्य सिद्धिर्भवति वा न वा॥
Sahadeva said By renouncing all external objects only, O Bharata, one does not obtain success. Even in the casting off of mental attachments, the attainment of, success is doubtful.
बाह्यद्रव्यविमुक्तस्य शारीरेष्वनुगृध्यतः। यो धर्मो यत् सुखं वा स्याद् द्विषतां तत् तथास्तु नः॥२
May our enemies have that religious merit and that happiness which fall to the share of him, who has relinquished external objects, but whose mind still internally covets them.
शारीरं द्रव्यमुत्सृज्य पृथिवीमनुशासतः। यो धर्मो यत् सुखं वा स्यात् सुहृदां तत् तथास्तु नः।।३
On the other hand, inay our friends enjoy that religious merit and happiness which fall 1O cause him, who governs the Earth, having shaken off all internal attachments.
व्यक्षरस्तु भवेन्मृत्युस्त्र्यक्षरं ब्रह्म शाश्वतम्। ममेति च भवेन्मृत्युर्न ममेति च शाश्वतम्॥
The word mama (mine), consisting of two letters, is veritable Death; while the opposite word na-mama (not mine) consisting of three letters, is eternal Brahma.
ब्रह्ममृत्यू ततो राजन्नात्मन्येव समाश्रितौ। अदृश्यमानौ भूतानि योधयेतामसंशयम्॥
O king, entering invisibly into every soul, Brahma and Death, forsooth, all creatures to act.
अविनाशोऽस्य सत्त्वस्य नियतो यदि भारत। हत्वा शरीरं भूतानां न हिंसा प्रतिपत्स्यते॥
If this being, O Bharata, which is called soul, is not subject to destruction, then by destroying the bodies of creatures one cannot be guilty of murder.
अथापि च सहोत्पत्तिः सत्त्वस्य प्रलयस्तथा। नष्टे शरीरे नष्टः स्याद् वृथा च स्यात् क्रियापथः॥
If, on the other hand, the soul and the body are born or killed together, so that when the body is destroyed the soul also is destroyed, ten the religious rites and acts would be useless.
तस्मादेकान्तमुत्सृज्य पूर्वैः पूर्वतरैश्च यः। पन्था निषेवित: सद्भिः स निषेव्यो विजानता॥
Therefore, driving away all misgivings regarding the immortality of the soul, the intelligent nian should adopt the path of the righteous of old and older times.
लध्वापि पृथिवीं कृत्स्नां सहस्थावरजङ्गमाम्। न भुक्के यो नृपः सम्यङ् निष्फलं तस्य जीवितम्॥
The life of that king is certainly useless who having acquired the entire Earth with her mobile and immobile creatures, does not enjoy her.
राजन् वने वन्येन जीवतः। द्रव्येषु यस्य ममता मृत्योरास्ये स वर्तते॥ अथवा वसतो
Regarding the man again who dwells in the forest upon wild fruits and roots, but whose attachment to earthly objects has not ceased, such a one, O king, lives within the jaws of Death.
बाह्यान्तरं च भूतानां स्वभावं पश्य भारत। ये तु पश्यन्ति तद् भूतं मुच्यन्ते ते महाभयात्॥
Know, O Bharata, the hearts and the bodies of all creatures to be but manifestations of your own. They who regard all creatures as their own selves escape from the great fear of Death.
भवान् पिता भवान् माता भवान् भ्राता भवान् गुरुः। दुःखप्रलापानार्तस्य तन्मे त्वं क्षन्तुमर्हसि॥
You are my father, you are my protector, you are my brother, and you my senior and preceptor. You should, therefore, forgive these incoherent utterances in sorrow of a woestricken person.
तथ्यं वा यदि वातथ्यं यन्मयैतत् प्रभाषितम्। तद् विद्धि पृथिवीपाल भक्त्या भरतसत्तम॥
True or false, what I have said, O king, has been said from a due respect for you, O best of Bharatas!