Mahabharata — Volume VII (Dutt edition) — Chapter 62

MBh 7 62.1

युधिष्ठिर उवाच शिवान् सुखान् महोदर्कानहिंस्त्राल्लोकसम्मतान्। ब्रूहि धर्मान् सुखोपायान् मद्विधानां सुखावहान्॥

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca śivān sukhān mahodarkānahiṃstrāllokasammatān| brūhi dharmān sukhopāyān madvidhānāṃ sukhāvahān||

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.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 62.2

भीष्म उवाच ब्राह्मणस्य तु चत्वारस्त्वाश्रमा विहिताः प्रभो। वर्णास्तान् नानुवर्तन्ते त्रयो भारतसत्तम॥

bhīṣma uvāca brāhmaṇasya tu catvārastvāśramā vihitāḥ prabho| varṇāstān nānuvartante trayo bhāratasattama||

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.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 62.3

उक्तानि कर्माणि बहूनि राजन् स्वाणि राजन्यपरायणानि। नेमानि दृष्टान्तविधौ स्मृतानि क्षाने हि सर्वं विहितं यथावत्॥

uktāni karmāṇi bahūni rājan svāṇi rājanyaparāyaṇāni| nemāni dṛṣṭāntavidhau smṛtāni kṣāne hi sarvaṃ vihitaṃ yathāvat||

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.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 62.4

क्षात्राणि वैश्यानि च सेवमानः शौद्राणि कर्माणि च ब्राह्मणः सन्। अस्मिल्लोके निन्दितो मन्दचेताः परे च लोके निरयं प्रयाति॥

kṣātrāṇi vaiśyāni ca sevamānaḥ śaudrāṇi karmāṇi ca brāhmaṇaḥ san| asmilloke nindito mandacetāḥ pare ca loke nirayaṃ prayāti||

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.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 62.5

या संज्ञा विहिता लोके दासे शुनि वृके पशौ। विकर्मणि स्थिते विप्रे सैव संज्ञा च पाण्डव॥

yā saṃjñā vihitā loke dāse śuni vṛke paśau| vikarmaṇi sthite vipre saiva saṃjñā ca pāṇḍava||

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.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 62.6

षट्कर्मसम्प्रवृत्तस्य आश्रमेषु चतुर्ध्वपि। सर्वधर्मोपपन्नस्य संवृतस्य कृतात्मनः॥ ब्राह्मणस्य विशुद्धस्य तपस्यभिरतस्य च। निराशिषो वदान्यस्य लोका ह्यक्षरसम्मिताः॥

ṣaṭkarmasampravṛttasya āśrameṣu caturdhvapi| sarvadharmopapannasya saṃvṛtasya kṛtātmanaḥ|| brāhmaṇasya viśuddhasya tapasyabhiratasya ca| nirāśiṣo vadānyasya lokā hyakṣarasammitāḥ||

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.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 62.7

यो यस्मिन् कुरुते कर्म यादृशं येन यत्र च। तादृशं तादृशेनैव स गुणं प्रतिपद्यते॥

yo yasmin kurute karma yādṛśaṃ yena yatra ca| tādṛśaṃ tādṛśenaiva sa guṇaṃ pratipadyate||

Every one gets his own inclination from the nature of his acts regarding their circumstances, place, means and motives.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 62.8

वृद्ध्या कृषिवणिक्त्वेन जीवसंजीवनेन च। वेत्तुमर्हसि राजेन्द्र स्वाध्यायगणितं महत्॥

vṛddhyā kṛṣivaṇiktvena jīvasaṃjīvanena ca| vettumarhasi rājendra svādhyāyagaṇitaṃ mahat||

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.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 62.9

कालसंचोदितो लोकः कालपर्यायनिश्चितः। उत्तमाधममध्यानि कर्माणि कुरुतेऽवशः॥

kālasaṃcodito lokaḥ kālaparyāyaniścitaḥ| uttamādhamamadhyāni karmāṇi kurute'vaśaḥ||

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.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 62.10

अन्तवन्ति प्रधानानि पुरा श्रेयस्कराणि च। स्वकर्मनिरतो लोके ह्यक्षरः सर्वतोमुखः॥

antavanti pradhānāni purā śreyaskarāṇi ca| svakarmanirato loke hyakṣaraḥ sarvatomukhaḥ||

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.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)