युधिष्ठिर उवाच किंशील: किंसमाचार: किंविद्यः किंपराक्रमः। प्राप्नोति ब्रह्मणः स्थानं यत्परं प्रकृतेर्बुवम्॥
Yudhisthira said By what nature, what course of duties, what knowledge, and what energy, does one succeed in attaining to Brahma which is immutable and is beyond the reach of nature.
भीष्म उवाच मोक्षधर्मेषु नियतो लध्वाहारो जितेन्द्रियः। प्राप्नोति ब्रह्मणः स्थानं तत्परं प्रकृतेर्बुवम्॥
Bhishma said One who practises the religion of renunciation, who eats sparingly, and who has his senses under complete control, can attain to Brahma which is immutable and which is above nature.
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। जैगीषव्यस्य संवादमसितस्य च भारत॥
Regarding it is cited the old discourse between Jaigishavya and Asita, O Bharata.
जैगीषव्यं महाप्रज्ञं धर्माणामागतागमम्। अक्रुध्यन्तमहष्यन्तमसितो देवलोऽब्रवीत्॥
Once on a time Asita-Devala addressed Jaigishavya who was endued with great wisdom and fully acquainted with the truths of duty and morality.
देवल उवाच न प्रीयसे वन्धमानो निन्द्यमानो न कुप्यसे। का ते प्रज्ञा कुतश्चैषा किं ते तस्याः परायणम्॥
Devala said You are not pleased when lauded, you do not give way to anger when blamed or censured. What, indeed, is your wisdom? whence have you got it? And what, indeed, is the refuge of that wisdom?
भीष्म उवाच इति तनानुयुक्तः स तमुवाच महातपाः। महद्वाक्यमसंदिग्धं पुष्कलार्थपदं शुचि॥
Bhishma said Thus accosted by Devala, the pure Jaigishavya of austere penances, said those words of great import, fraught with full faith, and deep significance.
जैगीषव्य उवाच या गतिर्या परा काष्ठा या शान्तिः पुण्यकर्मणाम्। तां तेऽहं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि महतीमृषिसत्तम॥
Jaigishavya said.. O foremost of Rishis, I shall tell you of what is the highest end, that which is the supreme goal, that which is tranquility, as regarded by all pious persons.
निन्दत्सु च समा नित्यं प्रशंसत्सु च देवल। निहुवन्ति च ये तेषां समयं सुकृतं च यत्॥ उक्ताश्च न वदिष्यन्ति वक्तारमहिते हितम्। प्रतिहन्तुं न चेच्छन्ति हन्तारं वै मनीषिणः॥
They, O Devala, who treat equally those who praise them and those who blame them, they who conceal their own vows and good acts, they who never indulge in vilifications, they who never say even what is good when it is calculated to injure (instead of producing any benefit), they who do not desire to retaliate injury are said to be wise men.
नाप्राप्तमनुशोचन्ति प्राप्तकालानि कुर्वते। न चातीतानि शोचन्ति न चैव प्रतिजानते॥
They never grieve for what is yet to come. They are concerned with only what is present and act as they should. They never grieve for the past or even recollect it.
सम्प्राप्तानां च पूज्यानां कामादर्थेषु देवला यथोपपत्तिं कुर्वन्ति शक्तिमन्तः कृतव्रताः॥
Endued with power and controlled minds, they do at their pleasure, in the way in which it should be done, what they should do, O Devala, if solicited respectfully thereto.
पक्वविद्या महाप्राज्ञा जितक्रोधा जितेन्द्रियाः। मनसा कर्मणा वाचा नापराध्यन्ति कर्हिचित्॥
Of mature knowledge, of great wisdom, with anger under complete control, and with their passions subjugated, they never commit an injury to any one in thought, word, or deed.
अनीर्षवो न चान्योन्यं विहिंसन्ति कदाचन। न च जातूपतप्यन्ते धीराः परसमृद्धिभिः॥
Shorn of envy, they never injure others, and gifted with self-control, ihey are never pained on seeing other people's prosperity.
निन्दाप्रशंसे चात्यर्थं न वदन्ति परस्य ये। न च निन्दाप्रशंसाभ्यां विक्रियन्ते कदाचन॥
Such men never indulge in exaggerated speeches, or laud others, or speak ill of them. They are again never influenced by praise and censure showered on them.
सर्वतश्च प्रशान्ता ये सर्वभूतहिते रताः। न क्रुद्ध्यन्ति न हृष्यन्ति नापराध्यन्ति कर्हिचित्॥
They are tranquil regarding all their desires, and are engaged in the well being of the creatures. They never give way to anger to indulge in joy, or injure any creature.
विमुच्य हृदयग्रन्थिं चक्रमन्ति यथासुखम्। न येषां बान्धवाः सन्ति ये चान्येषां न बान्धवाः॥
Loosening all the knots of their hearts, they pass on very happily. They have no friends nor are they the friends of others.
अमित्राश्च न सन्त्येषां ये चामित्रा न कस्यचित्। य एवं कुर्वते माः सुखं जीवन्ति सर्वदा॥
They have no enemies nor are they the enemies of other creatures. Indeed men who can live in this way can pass their days in perpetual happiness.
ये धर्म चानुरुद्ध्यन्ते धर्मज्ञा द्विजसत्तम। ये ह्यतो विच्युता मार्गात् ते हृष्यन्त्युद्विजन्ति च॥
O foremost of twice-born ones, they who acquire a knowledge of the rules of morality and righteousness, and who observe those rules in practice, acquire joy, while they who deviate from the path or righteousness are afflicted by anxieties and sorrow.
आस्थितस्तमहं मार्गमसूयिष्यामि कं कथम्। निन्द्यमानः प्रशस्तो वा हृष्येऽहं केन हेतुना॥
I now follow the path of righteousness. Decried by others, why shall I be annoyed with them, or lauded by others, why shall I be pleased?
यद् यदिच्छन्ति तत् तस्मादपि गच्छन्तु मानवाः। न मे निन्दाप्रशंसाभ्यां ह्रासवृद्धी भविष्यतः॥
Let men get whatsoever objects they please from whatsoever callings they pursue. Praise and censure cannot secure my advancement or the reverse.
अमृतस्येव संतृप्येदवमानस्य तत्त्ववित्। विषस्येवोद्विजेन्नित्यं सम्मानस्य विचक्षणः॥
He who has understood the truths of things, becomes pleased with even disregard as if it were nectar. The wise man is indeed annoyed with regard as if it were poison.
अवज्ञातः सुखं शेते इह चामुत्र चाभयम्। विमुक्तः सर्वदोषेभ्यो योऽवमन्ता स बध्यते॥
He who is freed from all shortcomings sleeps fearlessly both here and hereafter even if insulted by others, On the other hand, he who insults him, meets with destruction.
परां गतिं च ये केचित् प्रार्थयन्ति मनीषिणः। एतद् व्रतं समाश्रित्य सुखमेधन्ति ते जनाः॥
The wise men who seek to attain to the highest end, succeed in obtaining it following such a conduct.
सर्वतश्च समाहृत्य ऋतून् सर्वान् जितेन्द्रियः। प्राप्नोति ब्रह्मणः स्थानं यत्परं प्रकृतेर्बुवम्॥
The man who has controlled all his senses is considered to have performed all the sacrifices. Such a person attains to Brahma, which is eternal and which is above the reach of nature.
नास्य देवा न गन्धर्वा न पिशाचा न राक्षसाः। पदमन्ववरोहन्ति प्राप्तस्य परमां गतिम्॥
The very gods, the Gandharvas, the Pishachas, and the Rakshasas, cannot attain to the end of one who has attained to the hightest end.