युधिष्ठिर उवाच यदिदं कर्म लोकेऽस्मिन् शुभं वा यदि वाशुभम्। पुरुषं योजयत्येव फलयोगेन भारता॥१
Yudhisthira said In this world, O Bharata, good and bad acts attach themselves to man for the purpose of producing fruits for enjoyment or endurance.
कर्तास्ति तस्य पुरुष उताहो नेति संशयः। एतदिच्छामि तत्त्वेन त्वत्तः श्रोतुं पितामह॥
Is man, however, to be regarded as their doer or is he not to be considered so? My mind is full of doubts regarding this question. I wish to hear this fully from you, O grandfather.
भीष्म उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। प्रह्लादस्य च संवादमिन्द्रस्य च युधिष्ठिर॥
Bhishma said Regarding it, О Yudhisthira, is cited the old discourse between Prahlada and Indra.
असक्तं धूतपाप्मानं कुले जातं बहुश्रुतम्। अस्तब्धमनहङ्कारं सत्त्वस्थं समये रतम्॥ तुल्यनिन्दास्तुति दान्तं शून्यागारनिवासिनम्। चराचराणां भूतानां विदितप्रभवाप्ययम्॥ अक्रुध्यन्तमहष्यन्तमप्रियेषु प्रियेषु च। काञ्चने वाथ लोष्टे वा उभयोः समदर्शनम्॥
The king of the Daityas, viz., Prahlada, was unattached to all worldly objects. His sins had been dissipated. Of respectable parentage, he was endued with great learning. Free from stupefaction and pride, ever pervaded by the quality of goodness, and devoted to various vows, he considered praise and censure in the same light. Endued with self-control he was then passing his time in an empty room. Conversant with the origin and the destruction of all created objects mobile and immobile, he was never angry with things that displeased him and never rejoiced at the acquisition of agreeable objects. He considered equally gold and a clod of earth.
आत्मनि श्रेयसि ज्ञाने धीरं निश्चितनिश्चितम्। परावरज्ञं भूतानां सर्वज्ञं समदर्शनम्॥
Earnestly studying the Soul and acquiring Emancipation, and firm in knowledge, he had acquired firm conclusions about truth.
शक्रः प्रह्लादमासीनमेकान्ते संयतेन्द्रियम्। बुभुत्समानस्तत्प्रज्ञामभिगम्येदमब्रवीत्॥
Acquainted with what is supreme and what is not so among all things, omniscient and of universal sight, as he was seated on day in a solitary room with his senses under complete control, Shakra approached him, and desirous
यैः कश्चित् सम्मतो लोके गुणैः स्यात् पुरुषो नृषु। भवत्यनपगान् सर्वांस्तान् गुणाल्लँक्षयामहे॥
O king, I see all those qualities permanently living in you by which a person acquires the esteem of all.
अथ ते लक्ष्यते बुद्धिः समा बालजनैरिह। आत्मानं मन्यमानः सन् श्रेयेः किमिह मन्यसे॥
Your understanding seems to be like that of a child, free from attachment and aversion. You know the soul. What, do you think, is the best means by which a knowledge of the Soul may be acquired.
बद्धः पाशैश्च्युतः स्थानाद् द्विषतां वशमागतः। श्रिया विहीनः प्रह्लाद शोचितव्ये न शोचसि॥
You are now bound in fetters, fallen off from your former position, brought under the sway of your foes, and divested of prosperity. Your present circumstances are such as may well give room to grief. Yet how is it, O Prahlada, that you do not grieve.
प्रज्ञालाभात् तु दैतेय उताहो धृतिमत्तया। प्रह्लाद सुस्थरूपोऽसि पश्यन् व्यसनमात्मनः॥
Is this owing, O son of Diti, to the acquisition of wisdom or is it on account of your fortitude? Behold your calamities, O Prahlada, and yet you appear like one that is happy and tranquil.
इति संचोदितस्तेन धीरो निश्चितनिश्चयः। उवाच श्लक्ष्णया वाचा स्वां प्रज्ञामनुवर्णयन्॥
Thus urged by Indra, the king of the Daityas, endued with firinness and with fixed conclusions about truth, replied in these sweet words showing great wisdom.
प्रह्लाद उवाच प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च भूतानां यो न बुद्ध्यते। तस्य स्तम्भो भवेद् बाल्यानास्ति स्तम्भोऽनुपश्यतः।।१४।
Prahlada said “He who does not know the origin and the destruction of all created objects, is, on account of such ignorance, stupefied. He, however, who knows these two things, is never stupefied.
स्वभावात् सम्प्रवर्तन्ते निवर्तन्ते तथैव च। सर्वे भावास्तथाभावाः पुरुषार्थो न विद्यते॥ पुरुषार्थस्य चाभावे नास्ति कश्चिच्च कारकः। स्वयं न कुर्वतस्तस्य जातु मानो भवेदिह॥
All kinds of entities and non-entities come into being or cease on account of their own nature. No kind of personal exertion is necessary (for their production). In the absence of personal exertion it is clear that no personal agent exists for the production of all this that we perceive. But though the person never does anything, yet through the influence of Ignorance a consciousness regarding agency over spreads itself on it.
यस्तु कर्तारमात्मानं मन्यते साध्वसाधु वा। तस्य दोषवती प्रज्ञा अतत्त्वज्ञेति मे मतिः॥
He who regards himself as the doer of good or bad acts possesses a vile wisdom. Such a person is, in my opinion, does not know the truth.
यदि स्यात् पुरुषः कर्ता शक्रात्मश्रेयसे ध्रुवम्। आरम्भास्तस्य सिद्ध्येयुर्न तु जातु परा भवेत्॥ अनिष्टस्य हि निर्वृत्तिरनिर्वृत्तिः प्रियस्य च। लक्ष्यते यतमानानां पुरुषार्थस्ततः कुतः॥
If, O Shakra, the being known as person were really the actor, then all acts undertaken for his own benefit would certainly be successful. None of those acts would be futile. Persons struggling their utmost to avoid what is not desired and to bring about what is desired are not to be seen. What becomes then of personal exertion?
अनिष्टस्याभिनिर्वृत्तिमिष्टसंवृत्तिमेव च। अप्रयत्नेन पश्यामः केषाञ्चित् तत्स्वभावतः॥
In the case of some, we see that without any exertion on their part, what is not desired is not brought about and what is desired, is done. This then must be the result of Nature.
प्रतिरूपतराः केचिद् दृश्यन्ते बुद्धिमत्तराः। विरूपेभ्योऽल्पबुद्धिभ्यो लिप्समाना धनागमम्॥
Some extraordinary persons again are seen, for though possessed of superior intelligence they have to seek wealth from others that are vulgar in features and gifted with little intelligence.
स्वभावप्रेरिताः सर्वे निविशन्ते गुणा यदा। शुभाशुभास्तदा तत्र कस्य किं मानकारणम्॥
Indeed, when all qualities, good or bad, enter a person impelled by Nature, what is there for one to boast (of his superior possessions)?
स्वभावादेव तत्सर्वमिति मे निश्चिता मतिः। आत्मप्रतिष्ठा प्रज्ञा वा मम नास्ति ततोऽन्यथा॥
All these come from Nature. This is my seitled belief. Even Liberation and knowledge of self, in my view, originate from the same Source.
कर्मजं त्विह मन्यन्ते फलयोगं शुभाशुभम्। कर्मणां विषयं कृत्स्नमहं वक्ष्यामि तच्छृणु॥
In this world all fruits, good or bad, that attach themselves to persons, are considered as the outcome of acts. I shall now describe fully the subject of acts. Hear me.
यथा वेदयते कश्चिदोदनं वायसो ह्यदन्। एवं सर्वाणि कर्माणि स्वभावस्यैव लक्षणम्॥
As a crow, while eating some food, announces the presences of that food by its repeated cawing, similarly all our acts only proclaim the indications of Nature.
विकारानेव यो वेद न वेद प्रकृतिं पराम्। तस्य स्तम्भौ भवेद् बाल्यान्नास्ति स्तम्भोऽनुपश्यतः॥२६
He who is acquainted with only the metamorphoses of Nature but not with Nature which is supreme and exist by herself, feels stupefication on account of his ignorance. He, however, who understands the difference between Nature and her metamorphoses is never stupefied.
स्वभावभाविनो भावान् सर्वानेवेह निश्चयात्। बुद्ध्यमानस्य दर्पो वा मानो वा किं करिष्यति॥
All things originate from Nature. On account of one's certain conviction about it, he would never be affected by pride or arrogance.
वेद धर्मविधि कृत्स्नं भूतानां चाप्यनित्यताम्। तस्माच्छक न शोचामि सर्वं ह्येवेदमन्तवत्॥
When I know the origin of all the ordinances of mortality and when I ain acquainted with the instability of all objects, I can not, O Shakra, indulge in grief. All this is endued with an end.
निर्ममो निरहंकारो निराशीर्मुक्तबन्धनः। स्वस्थो व्यपेतः पश्यामि भूतानां प्रभवाप्ययौ॥
Without attachments, without pride, without desire and hope, freed from all fetters, and dissociated from everything, I am passing my time happily, seeing that appearance and disappearance of all created objects.
कृतप्रज्ञस्य दान्तस्य वितृष्णस्य निराशिषः। नायासो विद्यते शक्र पश्यतो लोकमव्ययम्॥
For one who is wise, who is self-controlled, who is contented, who is without desire and hope, and who sees all things with the light of self-knowledge, on trouble or anxiety exists, O Shakra.
प्रकृतौ च विकारे च न मे प्रीतिर्न च द्विषे। द्वेष्टारं च न पश्यामि यो मामद्य ममायते॥
I have no liking or aversion for either Nature or her changes. I do not see any one now who is my enemy nor any one who is mine own.
नोर्ध्वं नावाङ् न तिर्यक् च न क्वचिच्छक कामये। न हि ज्ञेये न विज्ञाने न ज्ञाने कर्म विद्यते॥
I do not, O Shakra, at any time seek either heaven, or this world, or the nether regions. It is not the fact that there is no happiness in understanding the Soul. But the Soul, being dissociated from everything, cannot enjoy happiness. Hence I desire nothing.
शक्र उवाच येनैषा लभ्यते प्रज्ञा येनु शान्तिरवाप्यते। प्रब्रूहि तमुपायं मे सम्यक् प्रह्लाद पृच्छतः॥
Shakra said Tell me the means, O Prahlada, by which this kind of wisdom may be acquired and by which this kind of tranquillity may be made one's own. I pray you.'
प्रह्लाद उवाच आर्जवेनाप्रमादेन प्रसादेनात्मवत्तया। वृद्धशुश्रषया शक्र पुरुषो लभते महत्॥
Prahlada said 'By simplicity, by carefulness, by purifying the soul, by controlling the passions, and by waiting upon elders, O Shakra, a person acquires liberation.
स्वभावाल्लभते प्रज्ञां शान्तिमेति स्वभावतः। स्वभावादेव तत्सर्वं यत्किचिदनुपश्यसि॥
Know this, however, that one gains wisdom from Nature, and that the acquisition of tranquillity also is owing to the same cause. Indeed, everything else that you see is due to Nature.
इत्युक्तो दैत्यपतिना शक्रो विस्मयमागमत्। प्रीतिमांश्च तदा राजस्तद्वाक्यं प्रत्यपूजयत्॥
Thus addressed by the king of the Daityas, Shakra became filled with wonder and lauded those words, O king, with a cheerful heart.
स तदाभ्यर्च्य दैत्येन्द्रं त्रैलोक्यपतिरीश्वरः। असुरेन्द्रमुपामन्त्र्य जगाम स्वं निवेशनम्॥
The king of the three worlds then, having adored the lord of the Daityas, took his leave and proceeded to his own quarter.'