युधिष्ठिर उवाच शोकाद् दुःखाच्च मृत्योश्च त्रसन्ते प्राणिनः सदा। उभयं नो यथा न स्यात् तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह॥
Yudhishthira said Living creatures always dread sorrow and death. Tell me, O grandfather, how the occurrence of these two may be warded off.
भीष्म उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। नारदस्य च संवादं समङ्गस्य च भारत॥
Bhishma said Regarding it, O Bharata, is cited the old discourse between Narada and Samanga.
नारद उवाच उरसेव प्रणमसे बाहुभ्यां तरसीव च। सम्प्रहृष्टमना नित्यं विशोक इव लक्ष्यसे॥
Narada said You salute your elders by prostrating yourself on the ground till your chest touches the ground. You appear to be engaged in crossing (the river of life) with your hands. You appear to be always free from sorrow and greatly cheerful.
उद्वेगं न हि ते किंचित् सुसूक्ष्ममपि लक्षये। नित्यतृप्त इव स्वस्थो बालवच्च विचेष्टसे॥
I do not see that have the least anxiety. You are always content and happy, and you appear to play happily like a child.
समङ्ग उवाच भूतं भव्यं भविष्यं च सर्वमेतत् तु मानन्। तेषां तत्त्वानि जानामि ततो न विमना ह्यहम्॥
Samanga said O giver of honours, I know the truth about the Past, the Present, and the Future. Hence I never become dispirited.
उपक्रमानहं वेद पुनरेव फलोदयान्। लोके फलानि चित्राणि ततो न विमना ह्यहम्॥
I know also what the commencement of acts is in this world, what, of their fruits and how different are those fruits. Hence I never give way to sorrow.
अगाधाचाप्रतिष्ठाश्च गतिमन्तश्च नारद। अन्धा जडाश्च जीवन्ति पश्यास्मानपि जीवतः॥
You see, O Narada, the illiterate, the destitute, the prosperous, the blind, idiots and madmen, and ourselves also, all live.
विहितेनैव जीवन्ति अरोगाङ्गा दिवौकसः। बलवन्तोऽबलाश्चैव तस्मादस्मान् सभाजय॥
These live by virtue of their pristine deeds. The very gods, who are freed from diseases, exist by virtue of their pristine deeds. The strong and the weak, all, live by virtue of their pristine deeds. It is proper, therefore, you should regard us with respect.
सहस्रिणोऽपि जीवन्ति जीवन्ति शतिनस्तथा। शाकेन चान्ये जीवन्ति पश्यास्मानपि जीवतः॥
The masters of thousands live. The master of hundreds also live. They who overwhelmed with sorrow live. See, we too are living.
यदा न शोचेमहि किं नु नः स्याद् धर्मेण वा नारद कर्मणा वा। कृतान्तवश्यानि यदा सुखानि दुःखानि वा यन्न विधर्षयन्ति॥
When we, O Narada. do not yield to grief, what can the practice of the duties or the observance of acts do to us? And since all joys and sorrows do not terminate, they are, therefore, unable to agitate us at all. are
यस्मै प्राज्ञाः कथयन्ते मनुष्याः प्रज्ञामूलं हीन्द्रियाणां प्रसादः। मुह्यन्ति शोचन्ति तथेन्द्रियाणि प्रज्ञालाभो नास्ति मूढेन्द्रियस्य॥
Indeed, the very root of wisdom, is the freedom of the senses from mistake. It is the senses which produce error and grief. One whose senses are subject to mistake can never be said to have acquired wisdom.
मूढस्य दर्पः स पुनर्मोह एव मूढस्य नायं न परोऽस्ति लोकः। न ह्येव दुःखानि सदा भवन्ति सुखस्य वा नित्यशो लाभ एव॥
That pride which a man, subject to error, entertains, is only a form of the error to which he is subject. As regards the man of error, neither this world nor the next is for him. It should be remembered that griefs do not last for ever and that happiness cannot be acquired always.
भवात्मकं सम्परिवर्तमान न मादृशः संज्वरं जातु कुर्यात्। इष्टान् भोगान् नानुरुध्येत् सुखं वा न चिन्तयेहुःखमभ्यागतं वा॥
One like me would never adopt worldly life with all its changes and painful incidents. Such a one would not care for objects of enjoyments, and would not think at all of the happiness which they yield, or, indeed, of the griefs that come on.
समाहितो न स्पृहयेत् परेषां नानागतं चाभिनन्देच्च लाभम्। न चापि हृष्येद् विपुलेऽर्थलाभे तथार्थनाशे च न वै विषीदेत्॥
One capable of depending on his own self, would never hanker after the possessions of others; would not think of unfair gains, would not feel overjoyed at the acquisition of even immense riches; and would not give way to sorrow at the loss of riches.
न बान्धवा न च वित्तं न कौल्यं न च श्रुतं न च मन्त्रा न वीर्यम्। दुःखात् त्रातुं सर्व एवोत्सहन्ते परत्र शीलेन तु यान्ति शान्तिम्॥
Neither friends, nor riches, nor high birth, nor sacred learning, nor Mantras, nor energy, can succeed in saying one from sorrow in the next world. It is only by conduct that one can acquire happiness there.
नास्ति बुद्धिरयुक्तस्य नायोगाद् विन्दते सुखम्। धृतिश्च दुःखत्यागश्चेत्युभयं तु सुखं नृप॥ प्रियं हि हर्षजननं हर्ष उत्सेकवर्धनः।
The understanding of the man who is not acquainted with Yoga can never be directed towards Liberation. One unacquainted with Yoga can never gain happiness. Patience and the determination to shake off sorrow, these two mark the setting in of happiness.
उत्सेको नरकायैव तस्मात् तान् संत्यजाम्यहम्॥
Anything agreeable brings on pleasure. Pleasure induced pride. Pride, again, produces sorrow. For these reasons, I avoid all these.
एताशोकभयोत्सेकान् मोहनान् सुखदुःखयोः। पश्यामि साक्षिवल्लोके देहस्यास्य विचेष्टनात्॥
Grief, Fear, Pride,—these that stupefy the heart, and also Pleasure and Pain, I see as witness since my body is endued with life and moves about.
अर्थकामौ परित्यज्य विशोको विगतज्वरः। तृष्णामोहौ तु संत्यज्य चरामि पृथिवीमिमाम्॥
Knowing both riches and pleasure, and thirst and mistake, I wander over the Earth, freed from grief and every sort of anxiety of heart.
न च मृत्योर्न चाधर्मान्न लोभान्न कुतश्चन) पीतामृतस्येवात्यन्तमिह वामुत्र च भयम्॥
Like one that has drunk nectar I have no fear, either in this world or in the next, of death, or sin, or cupidity, or anything of that sort.
एतद् ब्रह्मन् विजानामि महत् कृत्वा तपोऽव्ययम्। तेन नारद सम्प्राप्तो न मां शोकः प्रबाधते॥
I have gained this knowledge, O Brahmana, as the outcome of my severe and indestructible penances. Therefore, O Narada, even when it comes to me, cannot affect me.