Mahabharata — Volume VIII (Dutt edition) — Chapter 16

MBh 8 16.1

भरद्वाज उवाच ब्राह्मणः केन भवति क्षत्रियो वा द्विजोत्तम। वैश्यः शूद्रश्च विप्रर्षे तद् ब्रूहि वदतां वर॥

bharadvāja uvāca brāhmaṇaḥ kena bhavati kṣatriyo vā dvijottama| vaiśyaḥ śūdraśca viprarṣe tad brūhi vadatāṃ vara||

Bharadwaja said By what deeds, does one became a Brahmana? By what, a Kshatriya? O foremost of twice-born ones, by what deeds again does one become a Vaishya or a Shudra? Tell me this, O foremost of orators.

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

MBh 8 16.2

भृगुरुवाच जातकर्मादिभिर्यस्तु संस्कारैः संस्कृतः शुचिः। वेदाध्ययनसम्पन्नः घट्सु : घट्सु कर्मस्ववस्थितः॥ शौचाचारस्थितः सम्यग्विघसाशी गुरुप्रियः। नित्यव्रती सत्यपरः स वै ब्राह्मण उच्यते॥

bhṛguruvāca jātakarmādibhiryastu saṃskāraiḥ saṃskṛtaḥ śuciḥ| vedādhyayanasampannaḥ ghaṭsu : ghaṭsu karmasvavasthitaḥ|| śaucācārasthitaḥ samyagvighasāśī gurupriyaḥ| nityavratī satyaparaḥ sa vai brāhmaṇa ucyate||

Bhrigu said That person is called a Brahmana who has been sanctified by birth and other rites; who is pure in conduct; who is devoted to the study of the Vedas, who is constant in his practices of the six well-known purificatory rite; who is steady in all works of pity, who is not given to take his food without having offered it duly to gods and guests; who is attached to his preceptor; and who is always mindful vows and truth.

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

MBh 8 16.3

सत्यं दानमथाद्रोहं आनृशंस्यं त्रपा घृणा। तपश्च दृश्यते यत्र स ब्राह्मण इति स्मृतः॥

satyaṃ dānamathādrohaṃ ānṛśaṃsyaṃ trapā ghṛṇā| tapaśca dṛśyate yatra sa brāhmaṇa iti smṛtaḥ||

He, with whom truth, gifts, abstention from injury to others, mercy, shame, benevolence, and penance are associated, is called a Brahmana.

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

MBh 8 16.4

क्षत्र सेवते कर्म वेदाध्ययनसंगतः। दानादानरतिर्यस्तु स वै क्षत्रिय उच्यते॥

kṣatra sevate karma vedādhyayanasaṃgataḥ| dānādānaratiryastu sa vai kṣatriya ucyate||

He, who follows the profession of war, who studies the Vedas, who makes gifts and takes wealth, is called a Kshatriya.

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

MBh 8 16.5

वणिज्या पशुरक्षा च कृष्यादानरतिः शुचिः। वेदाध्ययनसम्पन्न: स वैश्य इति संज्ञितः॥

vaṇijyā paśurakṣā ca kṛṣyādānaratiḥ śuciḥ| vedādhyayanasampanna: sa vaiśya iti saṃjñitaḥ||

He, who acquires fame by tending cattle, who is engaged in agriculture and the means of acquiring riches, who is pure in conduct and attends to the study of the Vedas, is called a Vaishya. J

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

MBh 8 16.6

सर्वभक्षरतिनित्यं सर्वकर्मकरोऽशुचिः। त्यक्तवेदस्त्वनाचारः स वै शूद्र इति स्मृतः॥

sarvabhakṣaratinityaṃ sarvakarmakaro'śuciḥ| tyaktavedastvanācāraḥ sa vai śūdra iti smṛtaḥ||

He, who takes every sort of food, who is engaged in doing every sort of work, who is impure in behaviour, who does not study the Vedas, and whose conduct is unrighteous, is said to be a Shudra.

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

MBh 8 16.7

शूद्रे चैतद्भवेल्लक्ष्यं द्विजे तच्च न विद्यते। न वै शूद्रो भवेच्छूद्रो ब्राह्मणो न च ब्राह्मणः॥

śūdre caitadbhavellakṣyaṃ dvije tacca na vidyate| na vai śūdro bhavecchūdro brāhmaṇo na ca brāhmaṇaḥ||

If these marks are not seen in a Shudra, and if they are not seen in a Brahmana, then such a Shudra is no Shudra, and such a Brahmana is no Brahmana.

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

MBh 8 16.8

सर्वोपायैस्तु लोभस्य क्रोधस्य च विनिग्रहः। एतत् पवित्रं ज्ञानानां तथा चैवात्मसंयमः॥

sarvopāyaistu lobhasya krodhasya ca vinigrahaḥ| etat pavitraṃ jñānānāṃ tathā caivātmasaṃyamaḥ||

One should conquer cupidity and anger by every means. This, together with self-control, is the grandest results of Knowledge.

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

MBh 8 16.9

वार्यौ सर्वात्मना तौ हि श्रेयोघातार्थमुच्छ्रितौ। नित्यं क्रोधाच्छ्रियं रक्षेत् तपो रक्षेच्च मत्सरात्॥

vāryau sarvātmanā tau hi śreyoghātārthamucchritau| nityaṃ krodhācchriyaṃ rakṣet tapo rakṣecca matsarāt||

One should control those two passions with his whole heart. They appear for killing one's greatest good.

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

MBh 8 16.10

विद्यां मानापमानाभ्यामात्मानं तु प्रमादतः। यस्य सर्वे समारम्भा निराशीर्बन्धना द्विज॥

vidyāṃ mānāpamānābhyāmātmānaṃ tu pramādataḥ| yasya sarve samārambhā nirāśīrbandhanā dvija||

One should always protect his prosperity against his anger; his penances from pride; his knowledge from honour and disgrace; and his soul from mistakes.

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

MBh 8 16.11

त्यागे यस्य हुतं सर्वं स त्यागी च स बुद्धिमान्। अहिंस्त्रः सर्वभूतानां मैत्रायणगतश्चरेत्॥

tyāge yasya hutaṃ sarvaṃ sa tyāgī ca sa buddhimān| ahiṃstraḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ maitrāyaṇagataścaret||

That intelligent man, O twice-born one, who does all acts without seeking for fruits, whose entire riches exist for purposes of charity, and who performs the daily Homa, is a real Renouncer. One should be like a friend to all creatures, standing aloof from all acts of injury.

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

MBh 8 16.12

परिग्रहान् परित्यज्य भवेद् बुद्ध्या जितेन्द्रियः। अशोकं स्थानमातिष्ठेदिह चामुत्र चाभयम्॥

parigrahān parityajya bhaved buddhyā jitendriyaḥ| aśokaṃ sthānamātiṣṭhediha cāmutra cābhayam||

One should, without taking any gifts, by the help of his own intelligence completely control his passions. One should live in his sclf where there is no grief. One would then have no fear in this world and attain to fearless region in the next world.

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

MBh 8 16.13

तपोनित्येन दान्तेन मुनिना संयतात्मना। अजितं जेतुकामेन भाव्यं सङ्गेष्वसङ्गिना॥

taponityena dāntena muninā saṃyatātmanā| ajitaṃ jetukāmena bhāvyaṃ saṅgeṣvasaṅginā||

One should live always practising penances, and with all passions completely controlled; observing the vow of silence, and with soul concentrated on itself; desirous of conquering the senses, and unattached.

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

MBh 8 16.14

इन्द्रियैर्गृह्यते यद् यत् तत्तद् व्यक्तमिति स्थितिः। अव्यक्तमिति विज्ञेयं लिङ्गग्राह्यमतीन्द्रियम्॥

indriyairgṛhyate yad yat tattad vyaktamiti sthitiḥ| avyaktamiti vijñeyaṃ liṅgagrāhyamatīndriyam||

All things that can be perceived by the sense are designated Manifest. One should seek to know all, however, that is Unmanifest, that is beyond the perception of the senses, that can be ascertained only by the subtile senses.

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

MBh 8 16.15

अविस्रम्भे न गन्तव्यं विस्रम्भे धारयेन्मनः। मनः प्राणे निगृह्णीयात् प्राणं ब्रह्मणि धारयेत्॥

avisrambhe na gantavyaṃ visrambhe dhārayenmanaḥ| manaḥ prāṇe nigṛhṇīyāt prāṇaṃ brahmaṇi dhārayet||

If there is no faith, one will never attain to that subtile sense. One should, therefore cherish faith. The mind should be associated with Prana, and Prana should then be held within Brahma.

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

MBh 8 16.16

निर्वेदादेव निर्वाणं न च किञ्चिद् विचिन्तयेत्। सुखं वै ब्राह्मणो ब्रह्म निर्वेदेनाधिगच्छति॥ शौचेन सततं युक्तः सदाचारसमन्वितः। सानुक्रोशश्च भूतेषु तद् द्विजातिषु लक्षणम्॥

nirvedādeva nirvāṇaṃ na ca kiñcid vicintayet| sukhaṃ vai brāhmaṇo brahma nirvedenādhigacchati|| śaucena satataṃ yuktaḥ sadācārasamanvitaḥ| sānukrośaśca bhūteṣu tad dvijātiṣu lakṣaṇam||

One may secure immersion in Brahma, by withdrawing oneself from all attachments. There is no necessity of minding any other thing. A Brahmana can easily attain to Brahma by the road of Renunciation. The marks of a Brahmana are purify, good conduct and universal benevolence.

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