Mahabharata — Volume VIII (Dutt edition) — Chapter 146
MBh 8 146.1
युधिष्ठिर उवाच ऐश्वर्यं वा महत् प्राप्य धनं वा भरतर्षभ। दीर्घमायुरवाप्याथ कथं मृत्युमतिक्रमेत्॥
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca aiśvaryaṃ vā mahat prāpya dhanaṃ vā bharatarṣabha| dīrghamāyuravāpyātha kathaṃ mṛtyumatikramet||
Yudhishthira said Having acquired great power and great riches, and having obtained a long period of life, how many one succeed in shunning death?
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 146.2
तपसा वा सुमहता कर्मणा वा श्रुतेन वा। रसायनप्रयोगैर्वा कैर्नाप्नोति जरान्तकौ॥
tapasā vā sumahatā karmaṇā vā śrutena vā| rasāyanaprayogairvā kairnāpnoti jarāntakau||
By which of these means viz., penances, or the performance of the various acts, or by knowledge of the Shrutis, or the application of medicines, can one succeed in avoiding decrepitude and death.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 146.3
भीष्म उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। भिक्षोः पञ्चशिखस्येह संवादं जनकस्य च॥
bhīṣma uvāca atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam| bhikṣoḥ pañcaśikhasyeha saṃvādaṃ janakasya ca||
Bhishma said Regarding it is cited the old narrative of Panchashikha who was a Bhikshu in his practices and Janaka.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 146.4
वैदेहो जनको राजा महर्षि वेदवित्तमम्। पर्यपृच्छत् पञ्चशिखं छिन्नधर्मार्थसंशयम्॥
vaideho janako rājā maharṣi vedavittamam| paryapṛcchat pañcaśikhaṃ chinnadharmārthasaṃśayam||
Once on a time, Janaka, the king of Videhas, questioned the great Rishi Panchashikha, who was the foremost of all persons conversant with the Vedas and who had all his doubts removed about the object and meaning of all duties.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 146.5
केन वृत्तेन भगवन्नतिकामेज्जरन्तकौ। तपसा वाथ बुद्ध्या वा कर्मणा वा श्रुतेन वा॥
kena vṛttena bhagavannatikāmejjarantakau| tapasā vātha buddhyā vā karmaṇā vā śrutena vā||
The King said By what conduct, O holy one, may one get over Decrepitude and Death? Is it by penances, or by the understanding, or by religious practices, or by study and knowledge of the scriptures.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 146.6
एवमुक्तः स वैदेहं प्रत्युवाचापरोक्षवित्। निवृत्तिर्न तयोरस्ति नानिवृत्तिः कथञ्चन॥
evamuktaḥ sa vaidehaṃ pratyuvācāparokṣavit| nivṛttirna tayorasti nānivṛttiḥ kathañcana||
Thus addressed by the king of the Videhas the learned Panchashikha, conversant with all invisible things, answered saying, Nothing can prevent two (viz., decrepitude and death); nor is it true that these cannot be prevented under any circumstances.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 146.7
न हहानि निवर्तन्ते न मासा न पुनः क्षपाः। सोऽहं प्रपद्यतेऽध्वानं चिराय ध्रुवमध्रुवः॥
na hahāni nivartante na māsā na punaḥ kṣapāḥ| so'haṃ prapadyate'dhvānaṃ cirāya dhruvamadhruvaḥ||
Neither days, nor nights, nor months, cease to go on. Only that man who, though transitory, follows the eternal path succeeds in avoiding birth and death.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 146.8
सर्वभूतसमुच्छेदः स्रोतसेवोह्यते सदा। ऊह्यमानं निमज्जन्तमप्लवे कालसागरे॥
sarvabhūtasamucchedaḥ srotasevohyate sadā| ūhyamānaṃ nimajjantamaplave kālasāgare||
Destruction overtakes all creatures. All creatures seem to be ceaselessly borne along the endless current of time. Those that are borne along the endless current of time which is without a vessel and which in infested by those two powerful alligators, viz., decrepitude and death, sink down without anybody coming to their help.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 146.9
जरामृत्युमहाग्राहे न कश्चिदभिपद्यते। नैवास्य कश्चिद् भवति नासौ भवति कस्यचित्॥
jarāmṛtyumahāgrāhe na kaścidabhipadyate| naivāsya kaścid bhavati nāsau bhavati kasyacit||
As one is swept along that current, one does not find any friend for help and one does not feel any interest for any one else.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 146.10
पथि सङ्गतमेवेदं दारैरन्यैश्च बन्धुभिः। नायमत्यन्तसंवासो लब्धपूर्वो हि केनचित्॥
pathi saṅgatamevedaṃ dārairanyaiśca bandhubhiḥ| nāyamatyantasaṃvāso labdhapūrvo hi kenacit||
One meets with wives and other friends only on his road. One had never before enjoyed this sort of companionship with any one for any length of time.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 146.11
क्षिप्यन्ते तेन तेनैव निष्टनन्तः पुनः पुनः। कालेन जाता याता हि वायुनेवाभ्रसंचयाः॥
kṣipyante tena tenaiva niṣṭanantaḥ punaḥ punaḥ| kālena jātā yātā hi vāyunevābhrasaṃcayāḥ||
Creatures, as they are carried along the current to time, become again and again are drawn towards one another like clouds moved by the wind meeting one another with loud noise.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 146.12
जरामृत्यू हि भूतानां खादितारौ वृकाविव। बलिनां दुर्बलानां च हस्वानां महतामपि॥
jarāmṛtyū hi bhūtānāṃ khāditārau vṛkāviva| balināṃ durbalānāṃ ca hasvānāṃ mahatāmapi||
Like wolves, descrepitude and death are devourers of all creatures. Indeed, they devour the strong and the weak, the short and the tall.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 146.13
एवंभूतेषु भूतात्मा नित्यभूतोऽध्रुवेषु च। कथं हि हृष्येज्जातेषु मृतेषु च कथं ज्वरेत्॥
evaṃbhūteṣu bhūtātmā nityabhūto'dhruveṣu ca| kathaṃ hi hṛṣyejjāteṣu mṛteṣu ca kathaṃ jvaret||
Among creatures, therefore, which are all so fickle only the Soul exists eternally. Why should he, then, rejoice when creatures are born and why should he grieve when the die.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 146.14
कुतोऽहमागतः कोऽस्मि क्व गमिष्यामि कस्य वा। कस्मिन् स्थितः क्व भविता कस्मात्किमनुशोचसि।।१४।
kuto'hamāgataḥ ko'smi kva gamiṣyāmi kasya vā| kasmin sthitaḥ kva bhavitā kasmātkimanuśocasi||14|
Whence have I come? Who am I? Where shall I go? Whose am I? Before what do I rest? What shall I be? Why then do you grieve for what?
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 146.15
द्रष्टा स्वर्गस्य कोऽन्योऽस्ति तथैव नरकस्य च। आगमांस्त्वनतिक्रम्य दद्याच्चैव यजेत च॥
draṣṭā svargasya ko'nyo'sti tathaiva narakasya ca| āgamāṃstvanatikramya dadyāccaiva yajeta ca||
Who else than you will see heaven or hell? Hence, without throwing aside the scriptures, one should make gifts and celebrate sacrifices.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)