युधिष्ठिर उवाच अतिक्रामति कालेऽस्मिन् सर्वभूतक्षयावहे। किं श्रेयः प्रतिपद्येत तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह॥
Yudhishthira said Time, which destroys every created thing, is rolling on. Tell me, O grandfather, what is that good thing which one should seek.
भीष्म उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। पितुः पुत्रेण संवादं तं निबोध युधिष्ठिर॥
Bhishma said Regarding it, O king, an old discourse between father and son, O Yudhishthira, is mentioned.
द्विजाते: कस्यचित् पार्थ स्वाध्यायनिरतस्य वै। बभूव पुत्रो मेधावी मेधावी नाम नामतः॥
A certain Brahmana, O Partha, who was given to the study of the Vedas, got a very intelligent son who was called Medhavin.
सोऽब्रवीत् पितरं पुत्रः स्वाध्यायकरणे रतम्। मोक्षधर्मार्थकुशलो लोकतत्त्वविचक्षणः॥
One day, the son, who was cognisant of the truths of the religion of liberation, and acquainted also with worldly affairs, addressed his father given to the study of the Vedas.
पुत्र उवाच धीरः किंस्वित्तात कुर्यात्प्रजानन् क्षिप्रं ह्यायुर्धश्यते मानवानाम्। पितस्तदाचक्ष्व यथार्थयोगं मामनुपूव्यां येन धर्मं चरेयम्॥
The son said — Seeing that the lease of human life is passing away so very speedily, what should a wise man do? O father, tell me the duties which one should perform, without failing to mention the fruits. Having heard you, I wish to practise those duties.
पितोवाच वेदानधीत्य ब्रह्मचर्येण पुत्र पुत्रानिच्छेत् पावनार्थं पितृणाम्। अग्नीनाधाय विविवच्चेश्यज्ञो वनं प्रविश्याथ मुनिळूभूषेत्॥
The sire said O son, following the life of celibacy, one should first read the Vedas. He should then wish for children for saving his departed ancestors. Kindling his fire next, he should try to celebrate the (prescribed) sacrifices according to due rites. At last, he should enter into woods for practising contemplation.
पुत्र उवाच एवमभ्याहते लोके समन्तात् परिवारिते। अमोघासु पतन्तीषु किं धीर इव भाषसे॥
The son said-When the world is thus encircled on all sides and is thus attacked, and when such irresistible things of dreadful consequences fall upon it, how can you say these words so calmly.
पितोवाच कथमभ्याहतो लोकः केन वा परिवारितः। अमोघा: काः पतन्तीह किं नु भीषयसीव माम्॥
The sire said How is the world attacked? What is that by which it is encircled? What again, are those irresistible things of dreadful consequences that fall upon it? Why do you terrify me thus?
पुत्र उवाच मृत्युनाभ्याहतो लोको जरया परिवारितः। अहोरात्राः पतन्त्येते ननु कस्मान्न बुध्यसे॥
The son said Death is what assails the world. Decrepitude brings it about. Those irresistible objects which come and go away are the nights.
अमोघा रात्रयश्चापि नित्यमायान्ति यान्ति च। यदाहमेतज्जानामि न मृत्युस्तिष्ठतीति ह।
When I know that Death waits for none, how can I pass my days without covering myself with the raiment of knowledge.
सोऽहं कथं प्रतीक्षिष्ये जालेनापिहितश्चरन्॥ राज्यां रात्र्यां व्यतीतायामायुरल्पतरं यदा।
When passing away, each succeed-night lessens the lease of human life, the wise man should consider the day to be fruitless.
गाधोदके मत्स्य इव सुखं विन्देत कस्तदा॥ तदैव वन्ध्यं दिवसमिति विद्याद् विचक्षणः।
What man is there who would, like a fish in a shallow water, feel happy? Death approaches a man before all his desires have been fulfilled.
अनवाप्तेषु कामेषु मृत्युरभ्येति मानवम्॥ शष्पाणीव विचिन्वन्तमन्यत्रगतमानसम्।
Death takes away a person when he is engaged in plucking flowers and when his heart is otherwise busy, like a tigress carrying away a ram.
वृकीवोरणमासाद्य मृत्युरादाय गच्छति॥ अद्यैव कुरु यच्छ्रेयो मा त्वां कालोऽत्यगादयम्।
Do you, this very day, do what is for your well-being. Let not this death approach. Death drags its victims before their acts are done.
अकृतेष्वेव कार्येषु मृत्युबै सम्प्रकर्षति॥ श्वः कार्यमद्य कुर्वीत पूर्वाह्ने चापराह्निकम्।
What should be done tomorrow should be done to-day, and the deeds of the afternoon in the forenoon. Death does not wait to see whether the acts of its victim have all been done or not.
न हि प्रतीक्षते मृत्युः कृतमस्य न वा कृतम्॥ को हि नाजाति कस्याद्य मृत्युकालो भविष्यति। युवैव धर्मशीलः स्यादनित्यं खलु जीवितम्। कृते धर्मे भवेत् कीर्तिरिह प्रेत्य च वै सुखम्॥
Who knows that Death will not approach him even to-day? In prime of life one should begin the practice of virtue. Life is fickle. If virtue be practised, one will meet fame in this, and happiness in the other, world.
मोहेन हि समाविष्टः पुत्रदारार्थमुद्यतः। कृत्वा कार्यमकार्यं वा पुष्टिमेषां प्रयच्छति॥
Possessed by ignorance, one is ready to work hard for sons and wives. Doing good or evil deeds, one brings them up and advances their interest.
तं पुत्रपशुसम्पन्नं व्यासक्तमनसं नरम्। सुप्तं व्याघ्रो मृगमिव मृत्युरादाय गच्छति॥
Like a tiger carrying away a sleeping deer, Death takes away the man addicted to the gratification of desire and the enjoyment of sons and animals.
संचिन्वानकमेवैनं कामानामवितृप्तकम्। व्याघ्रः पशुमिवादाय मृत्युरादाय गच्छति॥
Before he has been able to pluck the flowers which he seeks, before he has been satiated with the acquisition of the objects of desire, Death carries him away like a tiger carrying away its prey.
इदं कृतमिदं कार्यमिदमन्यत् कृताकृतम्। एवमीहासुखासक्तं कृतान्तः कुरुते वशे॥
Death attacks a man while he enjoys the happiness arising from the gratification of desire, and while he still thinks,-this has been done; this is be done; this has been half-done.
कृतानां फलमप्राप्तं कर्मणां कर्मसंज्ञितम्। क्षेत्रापणगृहासक्तं मृत्युरादाय गच्छति॥
Death carries away the man, whatever he is called according to his calling, attached to his field, his shop, or his home, before he has acquired the fruit of his acts.
दुर्बलं बलवन्तं च शूरं भीरूं जडं कविम्। अप्राप्तं सर्वकामार्थान् मृत्युरादाय गच्छति॥
Death carries away the weak, the strong, the brave, the timid, the idiotic, and the learned, before any of these acquires the fruits of his acts.
मृत्युर्जरा च व्याधिश्च दुःखं चानेककारणम्। अनुषक्तं यदा देहे किं स्वस्थ इव तिष्ठसि॥
When death, decrepitude, disease, and grief originating from various causes, are all living in your body, how is it that you live as if you are perfectly hale.
जातमेवान्तकोऽन्ताय जरा चान्वेति देहिनम्। अनुषक्ता द्वयेनैते भावाः स्थावरजङ्गमाः॥
As soon as an embodied creature is born, Decrepitude and Death follow him to bring about his destruction. All things, mobile and immobile, are affected by these two.
मृत्योर्वा मुखमेतद् वै या ग्रामे वसतो रतिः। देवानामेष वै गोठो यदरण्यमिति श्रुतिः॥
The attachment which one feels for living in villages and towns is considered as the very mouth of Death. The forest, on the other hand, is considered as the fold within which the senses may be penned up. This is the injunction of the Shrutis.
निबन्धनी रज्जुरेषा या ग्रामे वसतो रतिः। छित्त्वैतां सुकृतो यान्ति नैनां छिन्दन्ति दुष्कृतः॥
The attachment a person feels for living in a village or town is like a cord which fetters him strongly. Those that are good break that cord and acquire liberation, while they the wicked cannot break them.
न हिंसयति यो जन्तून् मनोवाक्कायहेतुभिः। जीवितार्थापनयनैः प्राणिभिर्न स हिंस्यते॥
He who never injures living creatures by thought, word, or deed, is never injured by such agencies as wild beasts and lawless men always destroying life and property.
न मृत्युसेनामायान्तीं जातु कश्चित् प्रबाधते। ऋते सत्यमसत् त्याज्यं सत्ये ह्यमृतमाश्रितम्॥
Nothing can resist the emissaries of Death when they advance except Truth which devours Untruth. Immortality, lives in Truth.
तस्मात् सत्यव्रताचारः सत्ययोगपरायणः। सत्यागमः सदा दान्तः सत्येनैवान्तकं जयेत्॥
For these reasons, one should practise the vow of Truth; one should devote himself too Truth; one should accept Truth for one's Veda; and controlling is senses, one should defcat the Death by Truth.
अमृतं चैव मृत्युश्च द्वयं देहे प्रतिष्ठितम्। मृत्युमापद्यते मोहात् सत्येनापद्यतेऽमृतम्॥
Both immortality and Death are in the body. One meets with Death through ignorance and loss of judgement; while Immortality is gained by Truth.
सोऽहं ह्यहिस्रः सत्यार्थी कामक्रोधबहिष्कृतः। समदुःखसुखः क्षेमी मृत्यु हास्याम्यमर्त्यवत्॥
I shall, therefore, injure no one and try to acquire Truth, and transgressing the control of desire and anger, consider pleasure and pain impartially, and gaining tranquility, avoid Death like an immortal.
शान्तियज्ञरतो दान्तो ब्रह्मयज्ञे स्थितो मुनिः। वामनः कर्मयज्ञश्च भविष्याम्युदगायने॥
When with the coming of the season the Sun will march towards the north, I shall, controlling my senses, engage in the practice of self-denial in the reflection of Vedantic truths, in the recitation of the mystic syllable OM, and in the contemplation of the Supreme Self.
पशुयज्ञैः कथं हिंस्रैर्मादृशो यष्टुमर्हति। अन्तवद्भिरिव प्राज्ञः क्षेत्रयज्ञैः पिशाचवत्॥
How can one like me adore his Maker with animal-sacrifices involving cruelty, or sacrifices of the body such as Pishachas only can perform and such as yield transitory fruits.
यस्य वाङ्मनसी स्यातां सम्यक् प्रणिहिते सदा। तपस्त्यागश्च सत्यं च स वै सर्वमवाप्नुयात्॥
That person person whose whose words, thoughts penances, renunciation, and Yoga meditation, all depend on Brahma, acquires the highest good.
नास्ति विद्यासमं चक्षुर्नास्ति सत्यसमं तपः। नास्ति रागसमं दुःखं नास्ति त्यागसमं सुखम्॥
There is no eye which is equal to that of knowledge. There is no penance like Truth. There is no sorrow like Attachment. There is no happiness like Renunciation.
आत्मन्येवात्मना जात आत्मनिष्ठोऽप्रजोऽपि वा। आत्मन्येव भविष्यामि न मां तारयति प्रजा॥
I have sprung from Brahma through Brahma. I shall devote myself to Brahma, though I have no child. I shall return to Brahma. I do not require a son for rescuing me.
नैतादृशं ब्राह्मणस्यास्ति वित्तं यथैकता समता सत्यता च। शीलं स्थितिर्दण्डनिधानमार्जवं ततस्ततश्चोपरमः क्रियाभ्यः॥
A Brahmana can have no wealth which is the state of being alone, the state by virtue of which he can look upon everything impartially, the practice of truthfulness, good conduct, patience, abstention from injury, simplicity and avoidance of all rites and sacrifices,
किं ते धनैर्बान्धवैर्वापि किं ते किं ते दारैर्ब्राह्मण यो मरिष्यसि। आत्मानमन्विच्छ गुहां प्रविष्टं पितामहास्ते क्व गताः पिता च॥
Why do you, O Brahmana, care for wealth or kinsmen and relatives and wives, when you shall have to die? Seek yourself which is concealed in a cave. Where are your grandfathers and where is your sire.
भीष्म उवाच पुत्रस्यैतद् वचः श्रुत्वा यथाकार्षीत् पिता नृप। तथा त्वमपि वर्तस्व सत्यधर्मपरायणः॥
Bhishma said Do you also, O king, act yourself like the father (in this story), behaved himself devoted to the religion of Truth, after having heard the words of his son.