Mahabharata — Volume VIII (Dutt edition) — Chapter 13
MBh 8 13.1
भरद्वाज उवाच यदि प्राणयते वायुर्वायुरेव विचेष्टते। श्वसित्याभाषते चैव तस्माज्जीवो निरर्थकः॥
bharadvāja uvāca yadi prāṇayate vāyurvāyureva viceṣṭate| śvasityābhāṣate caiva tasmājjīvo nirarthakaḥ||
Bharadwaja said If it is the air that keeps us alive, if it is the air that makes us inove and act is if it, the air that makes us breathe and speak, then it appears that life is not worth much.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 13.2
यष्मभाव आग्नेयो वह्निना पच्यते यदि। अग्निर्जरयते चैतत् तस्माज्जीवो निरर्थकः॥
yaṣmabhāva āgneyo vahninā pacyate yadi| agnirjarayate caitat tasmājjīvo nirarthakaḥ||
If the animal heat be of the nature of fire, and if it is that fire which helps digestion by dissolving the food we take, then life is not worth much.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 13.3
जन्तोः प्रमीयमाणस्य जीवो नैवोपलभ्यते। वायुरेव जहात्येनमूष्मभावश्च नश्यति॥
jantoḥ pramīyamāṇasya jīvo naivopalabhyate| vāyureva jahātyenamūṣmabhāvaśca naśyati||
When an animal dies, that which is called its life is never seen to depart. Only the vital air relinquishes it, and the internal heat is put out.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 13.4
यदि वायुमयो जीव: संश्लेषो यदि वायुना। वायुमण्डलवद् दृश्यो गच्छेत् सह मरुद्गणैः॥
yadi vāyumayo jīva: saṃśleṣo yadi vāyunā| vāyumaṇḍalavad dṛśyo gacchet saha marudgaṇaiḥ||
If life were nothing else than air, or if life depended only on the air, then it could have been seen like the outward sea of air, and when passing out it would have been mixed with that air.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 13.5
संश्लेषो यदि वातेन यदि तस्मात् प्रणश्यति। महार्णवविमुक्तत्वादन्यत् सलिलभाजनम्॥ कूपे वा सलिलं दद्यात् प्रदीपं वा हुताशने। क्षिप्रं प्रविश्य नश्येत यथा नश्यत्यसौ तथा॥
saṃśleṣo yadi vātena yadi tasmāt praṇaśyati| mahārṇavavimuktatvādanyat salilabhājanam|| kūpe vā salilaṃ dadyāt pradīpaṃ vā hutāśane| kṣipraṃ praviśya naśyeta yathā naśyatyasau tathā||
If life depended upon air, and if it ended with the passing of that air from the body, it would then mingle with the eternal air like a portion of water passing into the great sea and thereby only changing the place of its residence. If a quantity of water be thrown into a well, or if the flame of a lamp be thrown into a burning fire, either of them, entering the original element, loses its independent existence. If life were air, it also, when the animal died, would merge in the great sea of air outside.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 13.6
पञ्चधारणके ह्यस्मिन् शरीरे जीवितं कुतः। तेषामन्यतराभावाच्चतुर्णां नास्ति संशयः॥
pañcadhāraṇake hyasmin śarīre jīvitaṃ kutaḥ| teṣāmanyatarābhāvāccaturṇāṃ nāsti saṃśayaḥ||
How we can say that there is life in this animal body which is composed of the five elements? If one of those clements disappear, the dissolution of the other four is brought about.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 13.7
नश्यन्त्यापो ह्यनाहाराद् वायुरुच्छ्वासनिग्रहात्। नश्यते कोष्ठभेदात् खमग्निर्नश्यत्यभोजनात्॥
naśyantyāpo hyanāhārād vāyurucchvāsanigrahāt| naśyate koṣṭhabhedāt khamagnirnaśyatyabhojanāt||
The element of water dries up if food is not taken. The element of air disappears if the breath is controlled. The element of space disappears if the excretions cease. So also the element of fire disappears if food does not go in.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 13.8
व्याघ्रिवणपरिक्लेशैर्मेदिनी चैव शीर्यते। पीडितेऽन्यतरे ह्येषां सघातो याति पञ्चधा॥
vyāghrivaṇaparikleśairmedinī caiva śīryate| pīḍite'nyatare hyeṣāṃ saghāto yāti pañcadhā||
The element of earth is shattered to pieces by disease, wounds and other sufferings. If only one of the five is spoiled, the union is dissolved and the five go away into five different directions.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 13.9
तस्मिन् पञ्चत्वमापन्ने जीवः किमनुधावति। किं वेदयति वा जीवः किं शृणोति ब्रवीति च॥
tasmin pañcatvamāpanne jīvaḥ kimanudhāvati| kiṃ vedayati vā jīvaḥ kiṃ śṛṇoti bravīti ca||
When the five ingredients of the body which is a compound of the five elements, are separated, where does life go? What does it then know. What does it then hear? What does it then say?
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 13.10
एषा गौः परलोकस्थं तारयिष्यति मामिति। यो दत्त्वा म्रियते जन्तुः सा गौः कं तारयिष्यति॥
eṣā gauḥ paralokasthaṃ tārayiṣyati māmiti| yo dattvā mriyate jantuḥ sā gauḥ kaṃ tārayiṣyati||
The cow, it is said, will save me in the next world. The animal, however, which is given away, itself dies. Whom then will this cow save?
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 13.11
गौश्च प्रतिग्रहीता च दाता चैव समं यदा। इहैव विलयं यान्ति कुतस्तेषां समागमः॥
gauśca pratigrahītā ca dātā caiva samaṃ yadā| ihaiva vilayaṃ yānti kutasteṣāṃ samāgamaḥ||
The taker of the cow and the giver are both equally subject to death. Both of them meet with destruction in this world. How then will they meet again?
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 13.12
विहगैरुपभुक्तस्य शैलाग्रात् पतितस्य च। अग्निना चोपयुक्तस्य कुतः संजीवनं पुनः॥
vihagairupabhuktasya śailāgrāt patitasya ca| agninā copayuktasya kutaḥ saṃjīvanaṃ punaḥ||
How will the man that has been eaten up by birds, or that has been shattered to pieces by a fall from a mountain summit, or that has been consumed by fire, regain life?
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 13.13
छिन्नस्य यदि वृक्षस्य न मूलं प्रतिरोहति। बीजान्यस्य प्रवर्तन्ते मृतः क्व पुनरेष्यति॥
chinnasya yadi vṛkṣasya na mūlaṃ pratirohati| bījānyasya pravartante mṛtaḥ kva punareṣyati||
The root of a tree that has been cut down docs not revive. Only the seeds put forth sprouts. Where is the person who having died regains life?
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 13.14
बीजमात्रं पुरा सृष्टं यदेतत् परिवर्तते। मृतामृताः प्रणश्यन्ति बीजाद् बीजं प्रवर्तते॥
bījamātraṃ purā sṛṣṭaṃ yadetat parivartate| mṛtāmṛtāḥ praṇaśyanti bījād bījaṃ pravartate||
Only seeds were originally created. All this universe is the creation of seeds in succession. They that die, die for ever. Seeds come from seeds.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)