युधिष्ठिर उवाच शिवान् सुखान् महोदर्कानहिंस्त्राल्लोकसम्मतान्। ब्रूहि धर्मान् सुखोपायान् मद्विधानां सुखावहान्॥
Yudhishthira said Tell us those duties which persons like ourselves should follow and which are auspicious, yield happiness in the future, benevolent, applauded by all, pleasant, and agreeable.
भीष्म उवाच ब्राह्मणस्य तु चत्वारस्त्वाश्रमा विहिताः प्रभो। वर्णास्तान् नानुवर्तन्ते त्रयो भारतसत्तम॥
Bhishma said ‘The four modes of life, O powerful one, have been laid down for the Brahmana. The other three orders do not adopt them, O best of the Bharatas.
उक्तानि कर्माणि बहूनि राजन् स्वाणि राजन्यपरायणानि। नेमानि दृष्टान्तविधौ स्मृतानि क्षाने हि सर्वं विहितं यथावत्॥
Many acts, O king, leading to heaven and especially fit for the Kshatriyas, have already। been mentioned. Those, however, cannot be referred to in reply to your present question for all of them have been duly laid down for such Kshatriyas who are merciless.
क्षात्राणि वैश्यानि च सेवमानः शौद्राणि कर्माणि च ब्राह्मणः सन्। अस्मिल्लोके निन्दितो मन्दचेताः परे च लोके निरयं प्रयाति॥
That Brahmana, who follows the practices of Kshatriyas and Vaishyas and Shudras, is blamed in this world as a wicked person and goes to hell in the next world.
या संज्ञा विहिता लोके दासे शुनि वृके पशौ। विकर्मणि स्थिते विप्रे सैव संज्ञा च पाण्डव॥
Those names, which are applied among men to slaves, dogs, wolves and (other) beasts, are given, O son of Pandu, to the Brahmana who does works which do not become him.
षट्कर्मसम्प्रवृत्तस्य आश्रमेषु चतुर्ध्वपि। सर्वधर्मोपपन्नस्य संवृतस्य कृतात्मनः॥ ब्राह्मणस्य विशुद्धस्य तपस्यभिरतस्य च। निराशिषो वदान्यस्य लोका ह्यक्षरसम्मिताः॥
That Brahmana, who, in all the four modes of life, performs the sixfold acts (as regulating the breath, contemplation, etc.), who performs all his duties, who is patient, who has his passions under restraint, whose heart is pure and practises penances, who has no desire of bettering his situation and who is charitable, attains to regions of bliss in the next world.
यो यस्मिन् कुरुते कर्म यादृशं येन यत्र च। तादृशं तादृशेनैव स गुणं प्रतिपद्यते॥
Every one gets his own inclination from the nature of his acts regarding their circumstances, place, means and motives.
वृद्ध्या कृषिवणिक्त्वेन जीवसंजीवनेन च। वेत्तुमर्हसि राजेन्द्र स्वाध्यायगणितं महत्॥
You should therefore, o king, consider the study of the Vedas, which is endued with such high merit, the manliness of kingly power, the pursuits of agriculture, trade, and hunting as all equal.
कालसंचोदितो लोकः कालपर्यायनिश्चितः। उत्तमाधममध्यानि कर्माणि कुरुतेऽवशः॥
The world is moved on by Time. Its works are settled by the course of Time. Man does all his acts, good, bad, and indifferent, entirely under the influence of Time.
अन्तवन्ति प्रधानानि पुरा श्रेयस्कराणि च। स्वकर्मनिरतो लोके ह्यक्षरः सर्वतोमुखः॥
Those good acts of a man's past life which exert the greatest influence on the next, are liable to be exhausted. Men, however, perform always those acts to which their inclination leads. Those propensities again, lead a living being to various directions.