Mahabharata — Volume VIII (Dutt edition) — Chapter 38

MBh 8 38.1

गुरुरुवाच चतुर्विधानि भूतानि स्थावराणि चराणि च। अव्यक्तप्रभवान्याहुरव्यक्तनिधनानि च। अव्यक्तलक्षणं विद्यादव्यक्तात्मात्मकं मनः॥

gururuvāca caturvidhāni bhūtāni sthāvarāṇi carāṇi ca| avyaktaprabhavānyāhuravyaktanidhanāni ca| avyaktalakṣaṇaṃ vidyādavyaktātmātmakaṃ manaḥ||

Bhishma said 'All immobile and mobile beings, divided into four classes, have been described to be of unmanifest birth and unmanifest death. Existing only in the unmanifest Soul, the Mind is said to possess the attributes of the unmanifest.

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

MBh 8 38.2

यथाश्वत्थकणीकायामन्तर्भूतो महाद्रुमः। निष्पन्नो दृश्यते व्यक्तमव्यक्तात् सम्भवस्तथा॥

yathāśvatthakaṇīkāyāmantarbhūto mahādrumaḥ| niṣpanno dṛśyate vyaktamavyaktāt sambhavastathā||

As a vast tree lies within a small unblown Ashvatha flower and is seen only when it comes out, so birth takes place from what is unmanifest.

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

MBh 8 38.3

अभिद्रवत्ययस्कान्तमयो निश्चेतनं यथा। स्वभावहेतुजा भावा यद्वदन्यदपीदृशम्॥

abhidravatyayaskāntamayo niścetanaṃ yathā| svabhāvahetujā bhāvā yadvadanyadapīdṛśam||

A piece of iron, which is inanimate runs towards a piece of loadstone. Likewise, inclinations and propensities due to natural instincts, and all else, run towards the Soul in a 11cw lifc.

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

MBh 8 38.4

तद्वदव्यक्तजा भावाः कर्तुः कारणलक्षणाः। अचेतनाश्चेतयितुः कारणादभिसंहता॥

tadvadavyaktajā bhāvāḥ kartuḥ kāraṇalakṣaṇāḥ| acetanāścetayituḥ kāraṇādabhisaṃhatā||

Indeed, as those propensities bom of Darkness and Ignorance, and inactive in their nature, are united with the Soul when re-born, similarly, those other inclinations and aspirations of the Soul that have their look directed towards Brahma become united with it, coming to it directly from Brahima itself.

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

MBh 8 38.5

न भून खं द्यौर्भूतानि नर्षयो न सुरासुराः। नान्यदासीदृते जीवमासेदुर्न तु संहतम्॥

na bhūna khaṃ dyaurbhūtāni narṣayo na surāsurāḥ| nānyadāsīdṛte jīvamāsedurna tu saṃhatam||

Neither earth, nor sky, nor heaven, nor things, nor the vital airs, nor virtue and vice, nor anything else, existed before, except the Intelligence-Soul. Nor have they any necessary connection with even the Intelligence-Soul corrupted by Darkness.

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

MBh 8 38.6

पूर्वं नित्यं सर्वगतं मनोहेतुमलक्षणम्। अज्ञानकर्म निर्दिष्टमेतत् कारणलक्षणम्॥

pūrvaṃ nityaṃ sarvagataṃ manohetumalakṣaṇam| ajñānakarma nirdiṣṭametat kāraṇalakṣaṇam||

The Soul is eternal. It is indestructible. It is in every creature. It is the cause of the Mind. It is without qualities. This universe before us is due to Darkness or Ignorance. The Soul's apprehensions of form, etc., are due to past desires.

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

MBh 8 38.7

तत्कारणैर्हि संयुक्त कार्यसंग्रहकारकम्। येनैतद् वर्तते चक्रमनादिनिधनं महत्॥

tatkāraṇairhi saṃyukta kāryasaṃgrahakārakam| yenaitad vartate cakramanādinidhanaṃ mahat||

The Soul, when it becomes endued with desires, engages in acts. On account of that condition, this vast wheel of existence revolves with beginning and without end.

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

MBh 8 38.8

अव्यक्तनाभं व्यक्तारं विकारपरिमण्डलम्। श्रेत्रज्ञाधिष्ठितं चक्रं स्निग्धाक्षं वर्तते ध्रुवम्॥

avyaktanābhaṃ vyaktāraṃ vikāraparimaṇḍalam| śretrajñādhiṣṭhitaṃ cakraṃ snigdhākṣaṃ vartate dhruvam||

The Understanding, is the nave of that wheel. The body with the senses, forms its spokes. The perceptions and acts are its circumference. Urged by on the quality of Darkness, the Soul presides over it.

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

MBh 8 38.9

स्निग्धत्वात् लिवत् सर्वं चक्रेऽस्मिन् पीड्यते जगत्। तिलपीडैरिवाक्रम्य भोगैरज्ञानसम्भवैः॥

snigdhatvāt livat sarvaṃ cakre'smin pīḍyate jagat| tilapīḍairivākramya bhogairajñānasambhavaiḥ||

Like oilmen pressing oilseeds pressing oilseeds in their machine, the consequences born of Darkness, assailing the universe which is moistened by Darkness, press or grind it in that wheel.

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

MBh 8 38.10

कर्म तत् कुरुते तर्षादहंकारपरिग्रहात्। कार्यकारणसंयोगे स हेतुरुपपादितः॥

karma tat kurute tarṣādahaṃkāraparigrahāt| kāryakāraṇasaṃyoge sa heturupapāditaḥ||

In that succession of births, the individual Soul, seized by the idea of Ego in consequence of desire, performs acts. In the union of cause and effect, those acts again become fresh causes.

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

MBh 8 38.11

नाभ्येति कारणं कार्यं न कार्य कारणं तथा। कार्याणां तूपकरणे कालो भवति हेतुमान्॥

nābhyeti kāraṇaṃ kāryaṃ na kārya kāraṇaṃ tathā| kāryāṇāṃ tūpakaraṇe kālo bhavati hetumān||

Effects do not enter into causes. Nor do causes enter into effects. Time is the instrumental in the production of effects.

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

MBh 8 38.12

हेतुयुक्ताः प्रकृतयो विकाराश्च परस्परम्। अन्योन्यमभिवर्तन्ते पुरुषाधिष्ठिताः सदा॥

hetuyuktāḥ prakṛtayo vikārāśca parasparam| anyonyamabhivartante puruṣādhiṣṭhitāḥ sadā||

The primordial essences, and their changes endued with causes, exist unitedly, on account of their being always presided over by the Soul.

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

MBh 8 38.13

राजसैस्तामसैर्भावैर्युतो हेतुबलान्वितः। क्षेत्रज्ञमेवानुयाति पांसुर्वातेरितो यथा॥

rājasaistāmasairbhāvairyuto hetubalānvitaḥ| kṣetrajñamevānuyāti pāṃsurvāterito yathā||

Like dust following the wind that moves it, the individual Soul, shorn of body, but endued still with inclinations born of Darkness and Ignorance with principles of causes formed by pristine deeds, moves on, following the direction of the Supreme Soul.

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

MBh 8 38.14

न च तैः स्पृश्यते भावैर्न ते तेन महात्मना। सरजस्कोऽरजस्कश्च नैव वायुर्भवेद् यथा॥

na ca taiḥ spṛśyate bhāvairna te tena mahātmanā| sarajasko'rajaskaśca naiva vāyurbhaved yathā||

The Soul, however, is never affected by those inclinations and propensities. Nor are these affected by the Soul that is superior to them. The wind, which is naturally pure, is never sullied by the dust it carries.

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

MBh 8 38.15

तथैतदन्तरं विद्यात् सत्त्वक्षेत्रज्ञयोर्बुधः। अभ्यासात् स तथा युक्तो न गच्छेत् प्रकृति पुनः।।

tathaitadantaraṃ vidyāt sattvakṣetrajñayorbudhaḥ| abhyāsāt sa tathā yukto na gacchet prakṛti punaḥ||

As the wind is separate from the dust it carries away, so, the wise man should know, is the connection between life and the Soul. No one should think that the Soul, on account of its seeming union with the body and the senses and the other inclinations and beliefs and unbeliefs, is really endued therewith as its necessary and absolute qualities. On the other hand, the Soul should be considered as existing in its own nature.

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

MBh 8 38.16

संदेहमेतमुत्पन्नमच्छिनद् भगवानृषिः। तथा वार्ता समीक्षेत कृतलक्षणसम्मिताम्॥

saṃdehametamutpannamacchinad bhagavānṛṣiḥ| tathā vārtā samīkṣeta kṛtalakṣaṇasammitām||

Thus did the divine Rishi remove the doubt that had taken possession of his disciple's mind. Inspite of all this, people depend upon means consisting of acts and scriptural rites for removing misery and acquiring happiness.

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

MBh 8 38.17

बीजान्यग्न्युपदग्धानि न रोहन्ति यथा पुनः। ज्ञानदग्धैस्तथा क्लेशै त्मा सम्पद्यते पुनः॥

bījānyagnyupadagdhāni na rohanti yathā punaḥ| jñānadagdhaistathā kleśai tmā sampadyate punaḥ||

Seeds that are burnt by fire do not put forth sprouts. Likewise, if everything that produces misery be consumed by the fire of true knowledge, the Soul is freed from the obligation of re-birth in the world.

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