Mahabharata — Volume VIII (Dutt edition) — Chapter 48

MBh 8 48.1

युधिष्ठिर उवाच द्विजातयो व्रतोपेता यदिदं भुञ्जते हविः। अन्नं ब्राह्मणकामाय कथमेतत् पितामह॥

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca dvijātayo vratopetā yadidaṃ bhuñjate haviḥ| annaṃ brāhmaṇakāmāya kathametat pitāmaha||

Yudhisthira said The three twice-born classes, who perform sacrifices and other rites, some times eat the remnants, consisting of meat and wine, of sacrifices in honour of the gods, from motives of obtaining children and heaven. What, O grandfather, is the nature of this act?

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

MBh 8 48.2

भीष्म उवाच अवेदोक्तव्रतोपेता भुञ्जाना: कार्यकारिणः। वेदोक्तेषु च भुञ्जाना व्रतलुब्धा युधिष्ठिर॥

bhīṣma uvāca avedoktavratopetā bhuñjānā: kāryakāriṇaḥ| vedokteṣu ca bhuñjānā vratalubdhā yudhiṣṭhira||

Bhishma said Those who eat forbidden food without performing the sacrifices and vows ordained in the Vedas are known as wilful men. Those, on the other hand, who eat such food in the observance of Vedic sacrifices and vows and actuated by the desire of fruits in the shape of heaven and children, ascend to heaven but drop down on the termination of their merits.

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

MBh 8 48.3

युधिष्ठिर उवाच यदिदं तप इत्याहुरुपवासं पृथग्जनाः। एतत् तपो महाराज उताहो किं तपो भवेत्॥

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca yadidaṃ tapa ityāhurupavāsaṃ pṛthagjanāḥ| etat tapo mahārāja utāho kiṃ tapo bhavet||

Yudhishthira said Common people say that fasting is penance. Is fasting, however, really so, or is penance somethings different?

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

MBh 8 48.4

भीष्म उवाच मासपक्षोपवासेन मन्यन्ते यत् तपो जनाः। आत्मतन्त्रोपघातस्तु न तपस्तत्सतां मतम्॥

bhīṣma uvāca māsapakṣopavāsena manyante yat tapo janāḥ| ātmatantropaghātastu na tapastatsatāṃ matam||

Bhishma said People really consider fast, measured by months or fortnights or days, as penance. The good, however, hold that such is not penance. On the other hand, fast is an obstacle to the acquirement of the knowledge of the Soul.

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

MBh 8 48.5

त्यागश्च संनतिश्चैव शिष्यते तप उत्तमम्। सदोपवासी च भवेद् ब्रह्मचारी सदा भवेत्॥

tyāgaśca saṃnatiścaiva śiṣyate tapa uttamam| sadopavāsī ca bhaved brahmacārī sadā bhavet||

The renunciation of acts and humility form the highest penance. It is superior to all kinds of penance. He who performs such penance is considered as one who is always fasting and who is always leading a life of Brahmacharrya.

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

MBh 8 48.6

मुनिश्च स्यात् सदा विप्रो दैवतं च सदा भवेत्। कुटुम्बिको धर्मकामः सदास्वप्नश्च भारत॥

muniśca syāt sadā vipro daivataṃ ca sadā bhavet| kuṭumbiko dharmakāmaḥ sadāsvapnaśca bhārata||

Such a Brahman will become a Muni always, a deity, and sleepless forever, and one engaged in the pursuit of virtue only, even if he lives in a family.

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

MBh 8 48.7

मांसादी सदा च स्यात् पवित्रश्च सदा भवेत्। अमृताशी सदा च स्याद् देवतातिथिपूजकः॥

māṃsādī sadā ca syāt pavitraśca sadā bhavet| amṛtāśī sadā ca syād devatātithipūjakaḥ||

He will become a vegetarian always, and pure for ever. He will become an eater always of ambrosia, and an worshipper always of gods and guests.

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

MBh 8 48.8

विघसाशी सदा च स्यात् सदा चैवातिथिव्रतः। श्रद्दधानः सदा च स्याद् देवताद्विजपूजकः॥

vighasāśī sadā ca syāt sadā caivātithivrataḥ| śraddadhānaḥ sadā ca syād devatādvijapūjakaḥ||

Indeed, he will be considered as one always living on sacrificial residue, as one ever devoted to the duty of hospitality, as one always full of faith, and as one always adoring gods and guests.

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

MBh 8 48.9

युधिष्ठिर उवाच कधं सदोपवासी स्याद् ब्रह्मचारी कथं भवेत्। विघसाशी कथं च स्यात् सदा चैवातिथिव्रतः॥

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca kadhaṃ sadopavāsī syād brahmacārī kathaṃ bhavet| vighasāśī kathaṃ ca syāt sadā caivātithivrataḥ||

Yudhishthira said one ever How can one practising such penance come to be known as one who is always fasting or as who follows the VOW of Brahmacharya, or as one who always lives upon sacrificial residue, or as one who always worships guests.

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

MBh 8 48.10

भीष्म उवाच अन्तरा प्रातराशं च सायमाशं तथैव च। सदोपवासी स भवेद् योन भुङ्क्तेऽन्तरा पुनः॥

bhīṣma uvāca antarā prātarāśaṃ ca sāyamāśaṃ tathaiva ca| sadopavāsī sa bhaved yona bhuṅkte'ntarā punaḥ||

Bhishma said He will be considered as one who is always fasting if he eats once during the day and once during the night at the fixed hours without eating anything in the interim.

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

MBh 8 48.11

भार्यां गच्छन् ब्रह्मचारी ऋतौ भवति वै द्विजः। ऋतुवादी भवेन्नित्यं ज्ञाननित्यश्च यो नरः॥

bhāryāṃ gacchan brahmacārī ṛtau bhavati vai dvijaḥ| ṛtuvādī bhavennityaṃ jñānanityaśca yo naraḥ||

Such a Brahman, by always speaking the truth and by following always wisdom, and by going to his wife only in her season and never at other times, becomes a Brahmacharin.

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

MBh 8 48.12

अभक्षयेत् तथा मांसमपांसाशी भवत्यपि। दाननिता; पवित्रश्च अस्वप्नश्च दिवास्वपन्॥

abhakṣayet tathā māṃsamapāṃsāśī bhavatyapi| dānanitā; pavitraśca asvapnaśca divāsvapan||

By never cating meat of animals not killed for sacrifice, he will become a strict vegetarian. By always becoming charitable he will become ever pure, and by abstaining from sleep during De day he will become one who is always awake.

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

MBh 8 48.13

भृत्यातिथिषु यो शुढे भुक्तवत्सु सदा सदा। अमृतं केवलं भुते इति विद्धि युधिष्ठिर॥

bhṛtyātithiṣu yo śuḍhe bhuktavatsu sadā sadā| amṛtaṃ kevalaṃ bhute iti viddhi yudhiṣṭhira||

Know, O Yudhisthira, that the man who eats only after having fed his servants and guests becomes an eater always of ambrosia.

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

MBh 8 48.14

(अदत्त्वा योऽतिथिभ्योऽन्नं न भुङ्क्ते सोऽतिथिप्रियः। अदत्त्वान्नं दैवतेभ्यो यो न भुङ्क्ते स दैवतम्।।) अभुक्तवत्सु नाश्नानः सततं यस्तु वै द्विजः। अभोजनेन तेनास्य जित: स्वर्गो भवत्युत॥

(adattvā yo'tithibhyo'nnaṃ na bhuṅkte so'tithipriyaḥ| adattvānnaṃ daivatebhyo yo na bhuṅkte sa daivatam||) abhuktavatsu nāśnānaḥ satataṃ yastu vai dvijaḥ| abhojanena tenāsya jita: svargo bhavatyuta||

The Brahmana who never eats till gods and guests are fed, acquires by such abstention, heaven itself.

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

MBh 8 48.15

देवताभ्यः पितृभ्यश्च भृत्येभ्योऽतिथिभिः सह। अवशिष्टं तु योऽश्नाति तमाहुर्विघसाशिनम्॥

devatābhyaḥ pitṛbhyaśca bhṛtyebhyo'tithibhiḥ saha| avaśiṣṭaṃ tu yo'śnāti tamāhurvighasāśinam||

He is said to live upon sacrificial residue who eats only what remains after feeding the gods, the Pitris, servants and guests.

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

MBh 8 48.16

तेषां लोका ह्यपर्यन्ता: सदने ब्रह्मणा सह। उपस्थिताश्चाप्सरोभिः परियान्ति दिवौकसः॥

teṣāṃ lokā hyaparyantā: sadane brahmaṇā saha| upasthitāścāpsarobhiḥ pariyānti divaukasaḥ||

Such men acquires numberless blessed regions in next life. The gods and the Apsaras with Brahman himself, come to their homes.

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

MBh 8 48.17

देवताभिश्च ये सार्धं पितृभिश्चोपभुञ्जते। रमन्ते पुत्रपौत्रैश्च तेषां गतिरनुत्तमा॥

devatābhiśca ye sārdhaṃ pitṛbhiścopabhuñjate| ramante putrapautraiśca teṣāṃ gatiranuttamā||

They who share their food with the gods and the Pitris pass their days always happily with their sons and grandsons, and at last, leaving off this body, acquire a very high end.

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