Mahabharata — Volume VIII (Dutt edition) — Chapter 120

MBh 8 120.1

पराशर उवाच वृत्तिः सकाशाद् वर्णेभ्यस्त्रिभ्यो हीनस्य शोभना। प्रीत्योपनीता निर्दिष्टा धर्मिष्ठान् कुरुते सदा॥

parāśara uvāca vṛttiḥ sakāśād varṇebhyastribhyo hīnasya śobhanā| prītyopanītā nirdiṣṭā dharmiṣṭhān kurute sadā||

Parashara said The lowest order, it is proper, should derive their maintenance from the three other orders. Such service, rendered with love and respect, makes them pious.

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

MBh 8 120.2

वृत्तिश्चेन्नास्ति शूद्रस्य पितृपैतामही ध्रुवा। न वृत्तिं परतो मार्गेच्छुश्रूषां तु प्रयोजयेत्॥

vṛttiścennāsti śūdrasya pitṛpaitāmahī dhruvā| na vṛttiṃ parato mārgecchuśrūṣāṃ tu prayojayet||

If the ancestors of any Shudra were not engaged in service, he should not still engage himself in any other occupation. Truly, he should take up service as his occupation.

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

MBh 8 120.3

सद्भिस्तु सह संसर्गः शोभते धर्मदर्शिभिः। नित्यं सर्वास्ववस्थासु नासद्भिरिति मे मतिः॥

sadbhistu saha saṃsargaḥ śobhate dharmadarśibhiḥ| nityaṃ sarvāsvavasthāsu nāsadbhiriti me matiḥ||

In my opinion, it is proper for them to mix under all circumstances, with good men devoted to virtue, but never with the wicked.

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

MBh 8 120.4

यथोदयगिरौ द्रव्यं संनिकर्षेण दीप्यते। तथा सत्संनिकर्षेण हीनवर्णोऽपि दीप्यते॥

yathodayagirau dravyaṃ saṃnikarṣeṇa dīpyate| tathā satsaṃnikarṣeṇa hīnavarṇo'pi dīpyate||

As in the Eastern hills, jewels and metals blaze with greater effulgence on account of their nearness to the Sun, so the lowest order shines on account of their association with the good.

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

MBh 8 120.5

यादृशेन हि वर्णेन भाव्यते शुक्लमम्बरम्। तादृशं कुरुते रुपमेतदेवमवेहि मे॥

yādṛśena hi varṇena bhāvyate śuklamambaram| tādṛśaṃ kurute rupametadevamavehi me||

A piece of white cloth assumes that colour with which it is dyed. Such is the case with Shudras.

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

MBh 8 120.6

तस्माद् गुणेषु रज्येथा मा दोषेषु कदाचन। अनित्यमिह मानां जीवितं हि चलाचलम्॥

tasmād guṇeṣu rajyethā mā doṣeṣu kadācana| anityamiha mānāṃ jīvitaṃ hi calācalam||

Therefore, one should also attach him to all good qualities but never to bad qualities. The life of human beings in this world is fickle and transitory.

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

MBh 8 120.7

सुखे वा यदि वा दुःखे वर्तमानो विचक्षणः। यश्चिनोति शुभान्येव स तन्त्राणीह पश्यति॥

sukhe vā yadi vā duḥkhe vartamāno vicakṣaṇaḥ| yaścinoti śubhānyeva sa tantrāṇīha paśyati||

That wise man who, in happiness as also in misery, acquire only what is good, is considered as a true observer of the scriptures.

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

MBh 8 120.8

धर्मादपेतं यत् कर्म यद्यपि स्यान्महाफलम्। न तत् सेवेत मेधावी न तद्धितमिहोच्यते॥

dharmādapetaṃ yat karma yadyapi syānmahāphalam| na tat seveta medhāvī na taddhitamihocyate||

That man who is gifted with intelligence would never do an act which is alienated from virtue, however great may that advantages be of that act. Indeed, such an act is not considered as truly wholesome.

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

MBh 8 120.9

यो हत्वा गोसहस्राणि नृपो दद्यादरक्षिता। स शब्दमात्रफलभाग् राजा भवति तस्करः॥

yo hatvā gosahasrāṇi nṛpo dadyādarakṣitā| sa śabdamātraphalabhāg rājā bhavati taskaraḥ||

That lawless king who, taking thousands of kine from their lawful owners, gives them away acquires on fruit save an empty sound. On the other hand, he cominits the sin of theft.

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

MBh 8 120.10

स्वयम्भूरसृजच्चाग्रे धातारं लोकसत्कृतम्। धातासृजत् पुत्रमेकं लोकानां धारणे रतम्॥

svayambhūrasṛjaccāgre dhātāraṃ lokasatkṛtam| dhātāsṛjat putramekaṃ lokānāṃ dhāraṇe ratam||

The Self-create at first created the Being called Dhatri held in universal esteem. Dhatri created a son who was engaged in maintaining all the worlds.

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

MBh 8 120.11

तमर्चयित्वा वैश्यस्तु कुर्यादत्यर्थमृद्धिमत्। रक्षितव्यं तु राजन्यैरुपयोज्यं द्विजातिभिः॥

tamarcayitvā vaiśyastu kuryādatyarthamṛddhimat| rakṣitavyaṃ tu rājanyairupayojyaṃ dvijātibhiḥ||

Adoring that God, the Vaishya engages for the means of his support, in agriculture and the tending of cattle. The Kshatriyas should undertake the task of protecting all the other classes. The Brahmanas should only enjoy.

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

MBh 8 120.12

अजिौरशठक्रोधैर्हव्यकव्यप्रयोक्तृभिः। शूद्रनिर्मार्जनं कार्यमेवं धर्मो न नश्यति॥

ajiauraśaṭhakrodhairhavyakavyaprayoktṛbhiḥ| śūdranirmārjanaṃ kāryamevaṃ dharmo na naśyati||

As regards the Shudras, they should take up the task of humbly and honestly collecting together the articles that are to be offered in sacrifices, and in cleaning altars and other places where sacrifices are to be celebrated. If each order acts in this way, virtue would not suffer any decrease.

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

MBh 8 120.13

अप्रणष्टे ततो धर्मे भवन्ति सुखिताः प्रजाः। सुखेन तासां राजेन्द्र मोदन्ते दिवि देवताः॥

apraṇaṣṭe tato dharme bhavanti sukhitāḥ prajāḥ| sukhena tāsāṃ rājendra modante divi devatāḥ||

If virtue is preserved in its full, all creatures inhabiting the Earth would be happy, Seeing the happiness of all creatures on Earth, the gods in heaven become filled with gladness.

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

MBh 8 120.14

तस्माद् यो रक्षति नृपः स धर्मेणेति पूज्यते। अधीते चापि यो विप्रो वैश्यो यश्चार्जने रतः॥ यश्च शुश्रूषते शूद्रः सततं नियतेन्द्रियः। अतोऽन्यथा मनुष्येन्द्र स्वधर्मात् परिहीयते॥

tasmād yo rakṣati nṛpaḥ sa dharmeṇeti pūjyate| adhīte cāpi yo vipro vaiśyo yaścārjane rataḥ|| yaśca śuśrūṣate śūdraḥ satataṃ niyatendriyaḥ| ato'nyathā manuṣyendra svadharmāt parihīyate||

Hence, that king, who, according to the duties laid down for his order, protects the other classes, becomes worthy of respect. similarly, the Brahmana who is employed in studying the scriptures, the Vaishya who is engaged in acquiring riches, and the Shudra who is always engaged in serving the three other classes with rapt attention, become objects of reverence. By acting in other ways, O king, each order is said to deviate from virtue.

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

MBh 8 120.15

प्राणसंतापनिर्दिष्टाः काकिण्योऽपि महाफलाः। न्यायेनोपार्जिता दत्ता: किमुतान्याः सहस्रशः॥

prāṇasaṃtāpanirdiṣṭāḥ kākiṇyo'pi mahāphalāḥ| nyāyenopārjitā dattā: kimutānyāḥ sahasraśaḥ||

Keeping aside gifts by thousands, even twenty cowries that one may give painfully, having acquired them righteously, will yield great benefit.

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

MBh 8 120.16

सत्कृत्य हि द्विजातिभ्यो यो ददाति नराधिपः। यादृशं तादृशं नित्यमश्नाति फलमूर्जितम्॥

satkṛtya hi dvijātibhyo yo dadāti narādhipaḥ| yādṛśaṃ tādṛśaṃ nityamaśnāti phalamūrjitam||

Those persons, O king, who make gifts to Brahmanas after respecting them duly, reap excellent fruits proportionate to those gifts.

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

MBh 8 120.17

अभिगम्य च तत् तुष्ट्या दत्तमाहुरभिष्टुतम्। याचितेन तु तद् दत्तं तदाहुर्मध्यमं बुधाः॥

abhigamya ca tat tuṣṭyā dattamāhurabhiṣṭutam| yācitena tu tad dattaṃ tadāhurmadhyamaṃ budhāḥ||

The gift is highly valued which the donor inakes after seeking out the done and respecting him properly. That gift is middling which the donor makes upon being prayed for it.

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

MBh 8 120.18

अवज्ञया दीयते यत् तथैवाश्रद्धयापि वा। तमाहुरधमं दानं मुनयः सत्यवादिनः॥

avajñayā dīyate yat tathaivāśraddhayāpi vā| tamāhuradhamaṃ dānaṃ munayaḥ satyavādinaḥ||

That gift, however, which is made contemptuously and without any respect, is said to be very inferior. This is what the truthful sages say.

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

MBh 8 120.19

अतिक्रामेन्मज्जमानो विविधेन नरः सदा। तथा प्रयत्नं कुर्वीत यथा मुच्येत संश्रयात्॥

atikrāmenmajjamāno vividhena naraḥ sadā| tathā prayatnaṃ kurvīta yathā mucyeta saṃśrayāt||

While sinking in this ocean of life, man should always try to cross that ocean by various means. Indeed, he should so exert himself that he might be released from the fetters of this world.

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

MBh 8 120.20

दमेन शोभते विप्रः क्षत्रियो विजयेन तु। धनेन वैश्यः शूद्रस्तु नित्यं दाक्ष्येण शोभते॥

damena śobhate vipraḥ kṣatriyo vijayena tu| dhanena vaiśyaḥ śūdrastu nityaṃ dākṣyeṇa śobhate||

The Brahmana shines by self-control; the Kshatriya by victory; the Vaishya by riches; while the Shudra always shines in glory through clever serving.

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