RAJADHARMANUSHASANA PARVA: Chapter 17

Yudhishthira denounces worldly enjoyments and activities. The real vision of men described.

युधिष्ठिर उवाच असंतोषः प्रमादश्च मदो रागोऽप्रशान्तता। बलं मोहोऽभिमानश्चाप्युद्वेगश्चैव सर्वशः॥ एभिः पाप्मभिराविष्टो राज्यं त्वमभिकाङ्क्षसे। निरामिषो विनिर्मुक्तः प्रशान्तः सुसुखी भव॥
Yudhishthira said Visited by the sins of discontent, heedlessness, attachment to earthly objects, the absence of tranquillity, power, folly, vanity, and anxiety, O Bhima, you covet sovereignty. Freed from desire, overcoming joy and grief and acquiring tranquillity, try to be happy.

य इमामखिलां भूमि शिष्यादेको महीपतिः। तस्याप्युदरमेकं वै किमिदं त्वं प्रशंससि॥
That matchless king who will govern this unbounded Earth, will have but one stomach. Why do you then speak highly of this course of life?

नाह्ना पूरयितुं शक्यां न मासैर्भरतर्षभ। अपूर्यां पूरयन्निच्छामायुषापि न शक्नुयात्॥
One's desires, O foremost of Bharata's race, cannot be satisfied in a day, or in many months. Desire, which cannot be satisfied, is not satisfied in one's whole life.

यथेद्धः प्रज्वलत्यग्निरसमिद्धः प्रशाम्यति।। अल्पाहारतया त्वग्निं शमयौदर्यमुत्थितम्॥
Fire, when fed with fuel, is lighted up; when not so fed, it is put out. Do you, therefore, put out with little food the fire in your stomach when it appears.

आत्मोदरकृतेऽप्राज्ञः करोति विघसं बहु। जयोदरं पृथिव्या ते श्रेयो निर्जितया जितम्॥
He who is shorn of wisdom seeks much food for his stomach. Govern your stomach first (After conquering the Death, you will acquire what is for your permanent good.

मानुषान् कामभोगांस्त्वमैश्वर्यं च प्रशंससि। अभोगिनोऽबलाश्चैव यान्ति स्थानमनुत्तमम्॥७॥
You speak highly of your worldly desires and enjoyinents and prosperity. But those who have renounced all enjoyments and reduced their bodies by penances obtain blissful regions.

योगः क्षेमश्च राष्ट्रस्य धर्माधर्मों त्वयि स्थितौ। मुच्यस्व महतो भारात् त्यागमेवाभिसंश्रय॥
The acquisition and preservation of kingdom is attended with both fair and foul of your means. The desire for them is in you. Free yourself, however, from your great burdens, and practise Renunciation.

एकोदरकृते व्याघ्रः करोति विघसं बहु। तमन्येऽप्युपजीवन्ति मन्दा लोभवशा मृगाः॥
The tiger, for filling one stomach of his, kills many animals. Other weak animals moved by covetousness live upon the tiger's prey.

विषयान् प्रतिसंगृह्य संन्यासं कुरुते यतिः। न च तुष्यन्ति राजानः पश्य बुद्ध्यन्तरं यथा॥
If kings, accepting worldly possessions, practise Renunciation, they can never acquire contentinent. Mark the Joss understanding.

पत्राहारैरश्मकुट्टैर्दन्तोलूखलिकैस्तथा। अब्भक्षैर्वायुभक्षैश्च तैरयं नरको जितः॥
They, however, who live no leaves of trees, or use two stones only at their teeth alone for husking their grain, or live upon water only or air alone, can conquer hell.

यस्त्विमां वसुधां कृत्स्ना प्रशासेदखिलां नृपः। तुल्याश्मकाञ्चनो यश्च स कृतार्थो न पार्थिवः॥
Of the two, the king who rules this wide unbounded Earth, and the person who regards gold and pebbles in the same light, the latter is said to have attained the object of his life and not the former.

संकल्पेषु निरारम्भो निराशो निर्ममो भव। अशोकं स्थानमातिष्ठ इह चामुत्र चाव्ययम्॥
Relying, therefore, upon that which is the eternal source of joy both here and hereafter, leave off all actions and attachment thereto.

निरामिषा न शोचन्ति शोचसि त्वं किमामिषम्। परित्यज्यामिषं सर्वं मृषावादात् प्रमोक्ष्यसे॥
They who have given up desire and enjoyment have never to grieve. You, however, grieve for enjoyments. Abandoning desire and enjoyment, you may succeed in freeing yourself from false specch.

पन्थानौ पितृयानश्च देवयानश्च विश्रुतौ। ईजानाः पितृयानेन देवयानेन मोक्षिणः॥
There are but two well-known roads (for : us), viz., the road of the Pitris and that of the celestials. They who celebrate sacrifices go by the Pitri-path, while they who want salvation, go by the celestial path.

तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण स्वाध्यायेन महर्षयः। विमुच्य देहांस्ते यान्ति मृत्योरविषयं गताः॥
By penances, by Brahmacharya, by study, the great Rishis, casting off their bodies, go to regions which are above the power of Death.

आमिषं बन्धनं लोके कर्मेहोक्तं तथामिषम्। ताभ्यां विमुक्तः पापाभ्यां पदमाप्नोति तत् परम्॥
Worldly enjoyments are called fetters. They have also been called Action Freed from the sinful fetters of action, one attains to the highest end.

अपि गाथां पुरा गीतां जनकेन वदन्त्युत। निर्द्वन्द्वेन विमुक्तेन मोक्षं समनुपश्यता॥
A verse was sung (of old) by Janaka who was liberated from the pairs of opposites, from desire and enjoyments, and observed the religion of Moksha.

अनन्तं बत मे वित्तं यस्य मे नास्ति किञ्चन। मिथिलायां प्रदीप्तायां न मे दह्यति किञ्चन॥
The verse is,-My wealth is boundless, yet I have nothing. If the whole of Mithila were burnt to ashes, nothing of mine will be burnt.

प्रज्ञाप्रासादमारुह्य अशोचशोचतो जनान्। जगतीस्थानिवाद्रिस्थो मन्दबुद्धीनवेक्षते॥
As a person from the summit of a hill looks down upon men on the plain below, so he that has got up on the top of the edifice of knowledge, sees people grieving for things which are not worth mourning for. He, however, who is of foolish understanding, does not mark this.

दृश्यं पश्यति यः पश्यन् स चक्षुष्मान् स बुद्धिमान्। अज्ञातानां च विज्ञानात् सम्बोधाद् बुद्धिरुच्यते।।२शा
He who, really sees all visible things, is said to have eyes and understanding. The faculty of understanding is known as such, because of the knowledge and comprehension it gives of unknown and incomprehensible things.

यस्तु वाचं विजानाति बहुमानमियात् स वै। ब्रह्मभावप्रपन्नानां वैद्यानां भावितात्मनाम्॥
He who understands the sayings of persons who are learned, who are of purified souls, and who have attained to a state of Brahma, secures great honours.

यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति। तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा॥
When a person regards creatures of innumerable varieties to be all of one and the same and to be but various emanations of the same essence, he is then said to have attained Brahma.

ते जनास्तां गतिं यान्ति नाविद्वांसोऽल्पचेतसः। नाबुद्धयो नातपसः सर्वं बुद्धौ प्रतिष्ठितम्॥
Those who have acquired this high state of culture attain to that supreme and blissful end, and not they who have not acquired knowledge, or they who are of weak understanding, or they who are bereft of understanding, or they who do not practise penances. Indeed, everything rest on the understanding.