Mahabharata — Volume VIII (Dutt edition) — Chapter 121

MBh 8 121.1

पराशर उवाच प्रतिग्रहागता विप्रे क्षत्रिये युधि निर्जिताः। वैश्य न्यायार्जिताश्चैव शूद्रे शुश्रूषयार्जिताः॥ स्वल्पाप्यर्थाः प्रशस्यन्ते धर्मस्यार्थे महाफलाः। नित्यं त्रयाणां वर्णानां शुश्रूषुः शूद्र उच्यते॥

parāśara uvāca pratigrahāgatā vipre kṣatriye yudhi nirjitāḥ| vaiśya nyāyārjitāścaiva śūdre śuśrūṣayārjitāḥ|| svalpāpyarthāḥ praśasyante dharmasyārthe mahāphalāḥ| nityaṃ trayāṇāṃ varṇānāṃ śuśrūṣuḥ śūdra ucyate||

Parashara said In the Brahmana, wealth gained by acceptance of gifts, in the Kshatriya that acquired by victory in battle, in the Vaishya that acquired by performing the duties laid down for his order, and in the Shudra that acquired by serving the three other orders, however small it may be, is worthy of praise, and when spent for the acquisition of virtue yields great benefits. The Shudra is said to be the constant servitor of the three other orders.

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

MBh 8 121.2

क्षत्रधर्मा वैश्यधर्मा नावृत्तिः पतते द्विजः। शूद्रधर्मा यदा तु स्यात् तदा पतति वै द्विजः॥

kṣatradharmā vaiśyadharmā nāvṛttiḥ patate dvijaḥ| śūdradharmā yadā tu syāt tadā patati vai dvijaḥ||

If the Brahmana, when hard-pressed for a living, performs the duties of either the Kshatriya or the Vaishya, he does not fall off from virtue. When, however, the Brahmana performs the duties of the lowest order, then does he certainly fall off.

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

MBh 8 121.3

वाणिज्यं पाशुपाल्यं च तथा शिल्पोपजीवनम्। शूद्रस्यापि विधीयन्ते यदा वृत्तिर्न जायते॥

vāṇijyaṃ pāśupālyaṃ ca tathā śilpopajīvanam| śūdrasyāpi vidhīyante yadā vṛttirna jāyate||

When the Shudra is unable to secure his living by service of the three other orders, then it is lawful for him to follow trade, tending of cattle, and the practice of the mechanical arts.

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

MBh 8 121.4

रङ्गावतरणं चैव तथा रूपोपजीवनम्। मद्यमांसोपजीव्यं च विक्रयं लोहचर्मणोः॥ अपूर्विणा न कर्तव्यं कर्म लोके विगर्हितम्। त्यजतो धर्म इति श्रुतिः॥

raṅgāvataraṇaṃ caiva tathā rūpopajīvanam| madyamāṃsopajīvyaṃ ca vikrayaṃ lohacarmaṇoḥ|| apūrviṇā na kartavyaṃ karma loke vigarhitam| tyajato dharma iti śrutiḥ||

Appearance on the stage and disguising oneself in various forms, exhibition of puppets, the sale of spirits and meat, and trading in iron and leather, should never be adopted for purposes of a living by one who had never before been engaged in those callings every one of which is regarded as censurable in the world. We have heard that if one engaged in them can renounce them, he acquires great merit.

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

MBh 8 121.5

संसिद्धः पुरुषो लोके यदाचरति पापकम्। मदेनाभिप्लुतमनास्तच्च न ग्राह्यमुच्यते॥

saṃsiddhaḥ puruṣo loke yadācarati pāpakam| madenābhiplutamanāstacca na grāhyamucyate||

When one who has become successful in life acts sinfully on account of his mind being filled with pride, his acts under such circumstances can never pass for authority.

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

MBh 8 121.6

कृतपूर्वं तु महान् श्रूयन्ते हि पुराणेषु प्रजा धिग्दण्डशासनाः। दान्ता धर्मप्रधानाश्च न्यायधर्मानुवृत्तिकाः॥

kṛtapūrvaṃ tu mahān śrūyante hi purāṇeṣu prajā dhigdaṇḍaśāsanāḥ| dāntā dharmapradhānāśca nyāyadharmānuvṛttikāḥ||

It is heard in the Puranas that formerly mankind were self-controlled, that they valued virtue greatly, that the practices they followed for livelihood were all agreeable to propriety and the injunctions laid down in the scriptures; and that the only punishment that was necessary for chastising them when they did wrong was merely the deprecation of their deeds.

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

MBh 8 121.7

धर्म एव सदा नृणामिह राजन् प्रशस्यते। धर्मवृद्धा गुणानेव सेवन्ते हि नरा भुवि॥

dharma eva sadā nṛṇāmiha rājan praśasyate| dharmavṛddhā guṇāneva sevante hi narā bhuvi||

At the time of which we speak, O king, Virtue, and nothing else, was much praised among men. Having achieved great progress in virtue, men in those days adored only all good qualities that they saw.

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

MBh 8 121.8

तं धर्ममसुरास्तात नामृष्यन्त जनाधिप। विवर्धमानाः क्रमशस्तत्र तेऽन्वाविशन् प्रजाः॥

taṃ dharmamasurāstāta nāmṛṣyanta janādhipa| vivardhamānāḥ kramaśastatra te'nvāviśan prajāḥ||

The Asuras, however, O child, could not bear that virtue, which prevailed in the world. Multiplying the Asuras entered the bodies of inen.

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

MBh 8 121.9

तासां दर्पः समभवत् प्रजानां धर्मनाशनः। दर्पात्मनां ततः पश्चात् क्रोधस्तासामजायत।॥

tāsāṃ darpaḥ samabhavat prajānāṃ dharmanāśanaḥ| darpātmanāṃ tataḥ paścāt krodhastāsāmajāyata|||

Then was pride generated in men which is so destructive of virtue. From pride originated arrogance, and from arrogance originated anger.

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

MBh 8 121.10

ततः क्रोधाभिभूतानां वृत्तं लज्जासमन्वितम्। ह्रीश्चैवाप्यनशद् राजंस्ततो मोहो व्यजायत॥

tataḥ krodhābhibhūtānāṃ vṛttaṃ lajjāsamanvitam| hrīścaivāpyanaśad rājaṃstato moho vyajāyata||

When men thus became overwhelmed with anger, modesty and shame disappeared from them, and then they were possessed by carelessness.

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

MBh 8 121.11

ततो मोहपरीतास्ता नापश्यन्त यथा पुरा। परस्परावमर्दैन वर्धयन्त्यो यथासुखम्॥

tato mohaparītāstā nāpaśyanta yathā purā| parasparāvamardaina vardhayantyo yathāsukham||

Afflicted by carelessness, they could no longer see as before, and as the consequence thereof they began to assail one another and thereby gain riches without any compunction.

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

MBh 8 121.12

ताः प्राप्य तु स धिग्दण्डो न कारणमतोऽभवत्। ततोऽभ्यगच्छन् देवांश्च ब्राह्मणांश्चावमन्य ह॥

tāḥ prāpya tu sa dhigdaṇḍo na kāraṇamato'bhavat| tato'bhyagacchan devāṃśca brāhmaṇāṃścāvamanya ha||

When men became such, the punishment of mere depreciation on transgressors could produce no effect. Men, showing no respect of either the gods or Brahmanas, began to indulge their senses to their fill.

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

MBh 8 121.13

एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु देवा देववरं शिवम्। अगच्छन् शरणं धीरं बहुरूपं गुणाधिकम्॥

etasminneva kāle tu devā devavaraṃ śivam| agacchan śaraṇaṃ dhīraṃ bahurūpaṃ guṇādhikam||

At that time the gods repaired to that foremost of god, viz., Shiva, possessed of patience of multiform aspect and endued with the foremost of qualities and sought his protection.

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

MBh 8 121.14

तेन स्म ते गगनगाः सपुराः पातिताः क्षितौ। विधाप्येकेन बाणेन देवाप्यायिततेजसा॥

tena sma te gaganagāḥ sapurāḥ pātitāḥ kṣitau| vidhāpyekena bāṇena devāpyāyitatejasā||

The gods gave him their conjoined energy, and thereupon the great god, with a single arrow killed on the Earth those three Asuras, viz., Desire, Anger, and Cupidity, who were staying in the sky, along with their very dwellers.

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

MBh 8 121.15

तेषामधिपतिस्त्वासीद् भीमो भीमपराक्रमः। देवतानां भयकरः स हतः शूलपाणिना॥

teṣāmadhipatistvāsīd bhīmo bhīmaparākramaḥ| devatānāṃ bhayakaraḥ sa hataḥ śūlapāṇinā||

The dreadful king those Asuras, endued with terrific prowess, who had struck the gods with terror, was also killed by Mahadeva armed with the lance.

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

MBh 8 121.16

तस्मिन् हतेऽथ स्वं भावं प्रत्यपद्यन्त मानवाः। प्रापद्यन्त च वेदान् वै शास्त्राणि च यथा पुरा॥

tasmin hate'tha svaṃ bhāvaṃ pratyapadyanta mānavāḥ| prāpadyanta ca vedān vai śāstrāṇi ca yathā purā||

When this king of the Asuras was killed men once more gained their proper natures, and once more began to study the Vedas and the other scriptures as in days of yore.

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

MBh 8 121.17

ततोऽभिषिच्य राज्येन देवानां दिवि वासवम्। सप्तर्षयश्चान्वयुञ्जन् नराणां दण्डधारणे॥

tato'bhiṣicya rājyena devānāṃ divi vāsavam| saptarṣayaścānvayuñjan narāṇāṃ daṇḍadhāraṇe||

Then the seven ancient Rishis came forward and installed Vasava as the king of the gods and the ruler of heaven. And they took upon themselves the task of holding the rod of punishment over mankind.

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

MBh 8 121.18

सप्तर्षीणामथोर्ध्वं च विपृथु म पार्थिवः। राजानः क्षत्रियाश्चैव मण्डलेषु पृथक् पृथक्॥

saptarṣīṇāmathordhvaṃ ca vipṛthu ma pārthivaḥ| rājānaḥ kṣatriyāścaiva maṇḍaleṣu pṛthak pṛthak||

After the seven Rishis came king Viprithu and many other kings, all belonging to the Kshatriya order for separately ruling separate classes of human beings.

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

MBh 8 121.19

महाकुलेषु ये जाता वृद्धाः पूर्वतराश्च ये। तेषामप्यासुरो भावो हृदयान्नापसर्पति॥

mahākuleṣu ye jātā vṛddhāḥ pūrvatarāśca ye| teṣāmapyāsuro bhāvo hṛdayānnāpasarpati||

There were, in those ancient times, certain clderly men from whose minds all wicked feelings did not disappear.

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

MBh 8 121.20

तस्मात् तेनैव भावेन सानुषङ्गेण पार्थिवाः। आसुराण्येव कर्माणि न्यसेवन भीमविक्रमाः॥

tasmāt tenaiva bhāvena sānuṣaṅgeṇa pārthivāḥ| āsurāṇyeva karmāṇi nyasevana bhīmavikramāḥ||

Hence, on account of that wicked state of their minds and of those incidents connected with it, there appeared many kings of dreadful prowess who began to perform only such acts as were fit for Asuras.

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

MBh 8 121.21

प्रत्यतिष्ठंश्च तेष्वेव तान्येव स्थापयन्त्यपि। भजन्ते तानि चाद्यापि ये बालिशतरा नराः॥

pratyatiṣṭhaṃśca teṣveva tānyeva sthāpayantyapi| bhajante tāni cādyāpi ye bāliśatarā narāḥ||

Those human beings, who are very foolish follow those wicked acts, establish them as authorities, and practise them to this day.

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

MBh 8 121.22

तस्मादहं ब्रवीमि त्वां राजन् संचिन्त्य शास्त्रतः। संसिद्धाधिगमं कुर्यात् कर्म हिंसात्मकं त्यजेत्॥

tasmādahaṃ bravīmi tvāṃ rājan saṃcintya śāstrataḥ| saṃsiddhādhigamaṃ kuryāt karma hiṃsātmakaṃ tyajet||

Therefore, O king, I say, you, have reflected properly with the help of the scriptures, that one should avoid all acts that are fraught with injury or malice and try to acquire a knowledge of the Soul.

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

MBh 8 121.23

न संकरेण द्रविणं प्रचिन्वीयाद् विचक्षणः। धर्मार्थं न्यायमुत्सृज्य न तत् कल्याणमुच्यते॥

na saṃkareṇa draviṇaṃ pracinvīyād vicakṣaṇaḥ| dharmārthaṃ nyāyamutsṛjya na tat kalyāṇamucyate||

The man endued with wisdom would not seek riches for the performance of religions rites by unfair and immoral ways. Wealth aquired by such means can never yield benefits.

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

MBh 8 121.24

स त्वमेवंविधो दान्तः क्षत्रिय: प्रियबान्धवः। प्रजा भृत्यांश्च पुत्रांश्च स्वधर्मेणानुपालय॥

sa tvamevaṃvidho dāntaḥ kṣatriya: priyabāndhavaḥ| prajā bhṛtyāṃśca putrāṃśca svadharmeṇānupālaya||

Do you, then, become a Kshatriya of this kind! Do you restrain your senses, be kind to your friends, and cherish, according to the duties of your order, your subjects, servants, and children.

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

MBh 8 121.25

इष्टानिष्टसमायोगे वैरं सौहार्दमेव च। अथ जातिसहस्राणि बहूनि परिवर्तते॥

iṣṭāniṣṭasamāyoge vairaṃ sauhārdameva ca| atha jātisahasrāṇi bahūni parivartate||

Through the union of both prosperity and adversity, there arise friendships and enmities. Thousands and thousands of existences are continually revolving, and in every mode of individual Soul's existence these must take place.

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

MBh 8 121.26

तस्माद् गुणेषु रज्येथा मा दोषेषु कथंचन। निर्गुणोऽपि हि दुर्बुद्धिरात्मन: सोऽतिरज्यते॥

tasmād guṇeṣu rajyethā mā doṣeṣu kathaṃcana| nirguṇo'pi hi durbuddhirātmana: so'tirajyate||

Therefore, be attached to good qualities of every sort, but never to faults. Such is the nature of good qualities that if the most foolish person, shorn of every virtue, hears himself praised for any good quality, he becomes filled with joy.

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

MBh 8 121.27

मानुषेषु महाराज धर्माधर्मो प्रवर्ततः। न तथान्येषु भूतेषु मनुष्यरहितेष्विह॥

mānuṣeṣu mahārāja dharmādharmo pravartataḥ| na tathānyeṣu bhūteṣu manuṣyarahiteṣviha||

Virtue and sin exist, O king, only among men. These do not exist among other creatures.

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

MBh 8 121.28

धर्मशीलो नरो विद्वानीहकोऽनीहकोऽपि वा। आत्मभूतः सदा लोके चरेद् भूतान्यहिंसया॥

dharmaśīlo naro vidvānīhako'nīhako'pi vā| ātmabhūtaḥ sadā loke cared bhūtānyahiṃsayā||

One should, therefore, whether in need of food and other necessaries of life or above such need, be of virtuous disposition, acquire knowledge, always consider all creatures as his own self, and abstain totally from inflicting any kind of injury.

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

MBh 8 121.29

यदा व्यपेतहल्लेखं मनो भवति तस्य वै। नानृतं चैव भवत तदा कल्याणपृच्छति॥

yadā vyapetahallekhaṃ mano bhavati tasya vai| nānṛtaṃ caiva bhavata tadā kalyāṇapṛcchati||

When one's mind becomes shorn of desire, and when all Darkness is removed from it, it is then that one acquires what is auspicious.

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