Mahabharata — Volume VII (Dutt edition) — Chapter 79
MBh 7 79.1
युधिष्ठिर उवाच क्व समुत्थाः कथंशीला ऋत्विजः स्युः पितामह। कथंविधाश्च राजेन्द्र तद् ब्रूहि वदतां वर॥
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca kva samutthāḥ kathaṃśīlā ṛtvijaḥ syuḥ pitāmaha| kathaṃvidhāśca rājendra tad brūhi vadatāṃ vara||
Yudhishthira said How O grandfather, should persons, employed as priests in our sacrifices, act? What sort of persons should they be, O king? Tell me all this, O foremost of orators.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 79.2
भीष्म उवाच प्रतिकर्म पराचार ऋत्विजां स्म विधीयते। छन्दः सामादि विज्ञाय द्विजानां श्रुतमेव च॥
bhīṣma uvāca pratikarma parācāra ṛtvijāṃ sma vidhīyate| chandaḥ sāmādi vijñāya dvijānāṃ śrutameva ca||
Bhishma said It is laid down for those Brahmanas who are competent to officiate as priests that they should know the Chhandas including the Samans, and all the rites laid down in the Shrutis, and that they should be able to perform all such religious acts as secure the prosperity of the king.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 79.3
ये त्वेकरतयो नित्यं धीराश्च प्रियवादिनः। परस्परस्य सुहृदः समन्तात् समदर्शिनः॥
ye tvekaratayo nityaṃ dhīrāśca priyavādinaḥ| parasparasya suhṛdaḥ samantāt samadarśinaḥ||
They should be devotedly loyal and utter sweet words in addressing kings. They should also be friendly towards one another, and regard all impartially.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 79.4
अनृशंसाः सत्यवाक्या अकुसीदा अथर्जवः। अद्रोहोऽनभिमानश्च हीस्तितिक्षा दमः शमः॥ यस्मिन्नेतानि दृश्यन्ते स पुरोहित उच्यते। धीमान् सत्यधृतिर्दान्तो भूतानामविहिंसकः। अकामद्वेषसंयुक्तस्त्रिभिः शुक्लैः समन्वितः॥ अहिंसको ज्ञानतृप्तः स ब्रह्मासनमर्हति। एते महत्विजस्तात सर्वे मान्या यथार्हतः॥
anṛśaṃsāḥ satyavākyā akusīdā atharjavaḥ| adroho'nabhimānaśca hīstitikṣā damaḥ śamaḥ|| yasminnetāni dṛśyante sa purohita ucyate| dhīmān satyadhṛtirdānto bhūtānāmavihiṃsakaḥ| akāmadveṣasaṃyuktastribhiḥ śuklaiḥ samanvitaḥ|| ahiṃsako jñānatṛptaḥ sa brahmāsanamarhati| ete mahatvijastāta sarve mānyā yathārhataḥ||
They should be shom of cruelty, and truthful. They should never lay out money on interest and should always be simple and sincere. One that is peaceful in temper, shorn of vanity, modest charitable, self-controlled, and contented, intelligent, truthful, observant of vows, and harmless to all creatures, without lust and malice, and endued with the three other excellent qualities, devoid of envy and blessed with knowledge, is worthy of the seat of Brahman himself. Persons possessing such qualities, O sire, are the best of priests and deserve every respect.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 79.5
युधिष्ठिर उवाच यदिदं वेदवचनं दक्षिणासु विधीयते। इदं देयमिदं देयं न क्व चिद् व्यवतिष्ठते॥
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca yadidaṃ vedavacanaṃ dakṣiṇāsu vidhīyate| idaṃ deyamidaṃ deyaṃ na kva cid vyavatiṣṭhate||
Yudhishthira said There are Vedic texts relating to the gift of Dakshina in sacrifices. There is no ordinance, however, which says that so much should be given.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 79.6
नेदं प्रतिधनं शास्त्रमापद्धर्मानुशास्त्रतः। आज्ञा शास्त्रस्य घोरेयं न शक्तिं समवेक्षते॥
nedaṃ pratidhanaṃ śāstramāpaddharmānuśāstrataḥ| ājñā śāstrasya ghoreyaṃ na śaktiṃ samavekṣate||
This ordinance (about the gift of Dakshina) is not the outcome of motives connected with the distribution of wealth. The command of the ordinance, when one cannot give according to the prescription, is terrible. That commandment has altogether neglected the capacity of the sacrificer.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 79.7
श्रद्धावता च यष्टव्यमित्येषा वैदिकी श्रुतिः। मिथ्योपेतस्य यज्ञस्य किमु श्रद्धा करिष्यति॥
śraddhāvatā ca yaṣṭavyamityeṣā vaidikī śrutiḥ| mithyopetasya yajñasya kimu śraddhā kariṣyati||
It occurs in the Vedas that a person should with devotion, celebrate a sacrifice. But what can devotion do when the sacrifice is sullied by false substitutes?
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 79.8
भीष्म उवाच न वेदानां परिभवान्न शान्येन न मायया। कश्चिन्महदवाप्नोति मा तेऽभूद् बुद्धिरीदृशी॥
bhīṣma uvāca na vedānāṃ paribhavānna śānyena na māyayā| kaścinmahadavāpnoti mā te'bhūd buddhirīdṛśī||
Bhishma said No man gains blessedness or merit by disregarding the Vedas or by deceitor falsehood. Never think that it is otherwise.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 79.9
यज्ञाझं दक्षिणा तात वेदानां परिबृंहणम्। न यज्ञा दक्षिणाहीनास्तारयन्ति कथंचन॥
yajñājhaṃ dakṣiṇā tāta vedānāṃ paribṛṃhaṇam| na yajñā dakṣiṇāhīnāstārayanti kathaṃcana||
Dakshina is one of the limbs of sacrifice and conduces to the nourishment of the Vedas. A sacrifice without Dakshina can never bring on salvation.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 79.10
शक्तिस्तु पूर्णपात्रेण सम्मिता न समाभवत्। अवश्यं तात यष्टव्यं त्रिभिर्वर्णर्यथाविधि॥
śaktistu pūrṇapātreṇa sammitā na samābhavat| avaśyaṃ tāta yaṣṭavyaṃ tribhirvarṇaryathāvidhi||
The efficacy, however, of a single Purnapatra is tantamount to that of any Dakshina however rich. Therefore, O sire, every one belonging to the three castes should celebrate sacrifices.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 79.11
सोमो राजा ब्राह्मणानामित्येषा वैदिकी स्थितिः। तं च विक्रेतुमिच्छन्ति न वृथा वृत्तिरिष्यते॥
somo rājā brāhmaṇānāmityeṣā vaidikī sthitiḥ| taṃ ca vikretumicchanti na vṛthā vṛttiriṣyate||
The Vedas have settled that Soma is the king of the Brahmanas. Yet they wish to sell it for the sake of celebrating sacrifices, though they never wish to sell it for acquiring a livelihood.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 79.12
तेन क्रीतेन यज्ञेन ततो यज्ञः प्रतायते। इत्येवं धर्मतो ध्यातमृषिभिर्धर्मचारिभिः॥
tena krītena yajñena tato yajñaḥ pratāyate| ityevaṃ dharmato dhyātamṛṣibhirdharmacāribhiḥ||
Pious Rishis have declared, according to the dictates of morality, that a sacrifice performed with the income of the sale of Soma serves to extend sacrifices.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 79.13
पुमान् यज्ञश्च सोमश्च न्यायवृत्तो यदा भवेत्। अन्यायवृत्तः पुरुषो न परस्य न चात्मनः॥
pumān yajñaśca somaśca nyāyavṛtto yadā bhavet| anyāyavṛttaḥ puruṣo na parasya na cātmanaḥ||
These three, viz., a person, a sacrifice, and Soma, must have good character. A person of a bad character neither enjoy this nor the other world.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 79.14
शरीरवृत्तमास्थाय इत्येषा श्रूयते श्रुतिः। नातिसम्यक् प्रणीतानि ब्राह्मणानां महात्मनाम्॥
śarīravṛttamāsthāya ityeṣā śrūyate śrutiḥ| nātisamyak praṇītāni brāhmaṇānāṃ mahātmanām||
We have heard this Shruti that the sacrifice which high-souled Brahmanas perform by wealth acquired by excessive physical labour, does not yield great merit.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 79.15
तपो यज्ञादपि श्रेष्ठमित्येषा परमा श्रुतिः। तत् ते वपः प्रवक्ष्यामि विद्वंस्तदपि मे शृणु॥
tapo yajñādapi śreṣṭhamityeṣā paramā śrutiḥ| tat te vapaḥ pravakṣyāmi vidvaṃstadapi me śṛṇu||
There is an injunction in the Vedas that penances are higher than sacrifices. I shall now describe penances to you. O learned prince listen to me.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 79.16
अहिंसा सत्यवचनमानृशंस्यं दमो घृणा एतत् तपो विदुर्धारा न शरीरस्य शोषणम्॥
ahiṃsā satyavacanamānṛśaṃsyaṃ damo ghṛṇā etat tapo vidurdhārā na śarīrasya śoṣaṇam||
Abstention from injury, truthfulness of speech, benevolence, are considered as penances by the wise and not the emaciation of the body.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 79.17
अप्रामाण्यं च वेदानां शास्त्राणां चाभिलङ्घनम्। अव्यवस्था च सर्वत्र तद् वै नाशनमात्मनः।१९।।
aprāmāṇyaṃ ca vedānāṃ śāstrāṇāṃ cābhilaṅghanam| avyavasthā ca sarvatra tad vai nāśanamātmanaḥ|19||
Disregard of the Vedas, disobedience to the scriptural injunctions and violation of all healthy restraints, bring on self-destruction.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 79.18
निबोध देवहोतृणां विधानं पार्थ यादृशम्। चित्तिः स्त्रुक् चित्तमाज्यं च पवित्रं ज्ञानमुत्तमम्॥
nibodha devahotṛṇāṃ vidhānaṃ pārtha yādṛśam| cittiḥ struk cittamājyaṃ ca pavitraṃ jñānamuttamam||
Listen, O son of Pritha, to what has been laid down by those who pour ten libations upon mercy,-these the fire at ten times of the day.-For them who perform the sacrifice of penance, the Yoga they strive to bring about with Brahma is their ladle the heart is their clarified butter and high knowledge is their Pavitra (a couple of Kusha blades for pouring clarified butter).
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 79.19
सर्वं जिह्यं मृत्युपदमार्जवं ब्रह्मणः पदम्। एतावाज्ञानविषयः किं प्रलापः करिष्यति॥
sarvaṃ jihyaṃ mṛtyupadamārjavaṃ brahmaṇaḥ padam| etāvājñānaviṣayaḥ kiṃ pralāpaḥ kariṣyati||
All sorts of crookedness mean death and all sorts of sincerity are called Brahma. This is the subject of knowledge. The verses of philosophers cannot affect this.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)