Mahabharata — Volume VIII (Dutt edition) — Chapter 53

MBh 8 53.1

भीष्म उवाच अत्रैवोदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। शतक्रतोश्च संवादं नमुचेश्च युधिष्ठिर॥

bhīṣma uvāca atraivodāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam| śatakratośca saṃvādaṃ namuceśca yudhiṣṭhira||

Bhishma said Regarding it is also cited the old discourse between him of a hundred sacrifices and the Asura Namuchi,OYudhisthira.

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

MBh 8 53.2

श्रिया विहीनमासीनमक्षोभ्यमिव सागरम्। भवाभवज्ञं भूतानामित्युवाच पुरंदरः॥

śriyā vihīnamāsīnamakṣobhyamiva sāgaram| bhavābhavajñaṃ bhūtānāmityuvāca puraṃdaraḥ||

When the Asura Namuchi, who knew well the birth and the death of all creatures was sitting, shorn of prosperity but undisturbed at heart like the huge ocean in perfect stillness, Purandara addressed him these words-..

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

MBh 8 53.3

नमुचि रुवाच बद्धः पाशैश्चयुतः स्थानाद् द्विषतां वशमागतः। श्रिया विहीनो नमुचे शोचस्याहो न शोचसि॥

namuci ruvāca baddhaḥ pāśaiścayutaḥ sthānād dviṣatāṃ vaśamāgataḥ| śriyā vihīno namuce śocasyāho na śocasi||

Namuchi said *Fallen off from your place, fettered with cords, brought under the influence of your enemies, and shorn of prosperity, do you, O Namuchi, grieve or live cheerfully.'

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

MBh 8 53.4

अनिवार्येण शोकेन शरीरं चोपतप्यते। अमित्राश्च प्रहष्यन्ति शोके नास्ति सहायता॥

anivāryeṇa śokena śarīraṃ copatapyate| amitrāśca prahaṣyanti śoke nāsti sahāyatā||

‘By indulging in such sorrow as cannot be avoided one only wastes his body any cheering his enemies. Then, again, no one can lighten another's sorrow by putting any portion of it upon oneself. For these reasons, O Shakra, I do not grieve. All this that you see has one end.

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

MBh 8 53.5

तस्माच्छक न शोचामि सर्वं ह्येवेदमन्तवत्। संतापाद् भ्रश्यते रूपं संतापाद् भ्रश्यते श्रियः॥

tasmācchaka na śocāmi sarvaṃ hyevedamantavat| saṃtāpād bhraśyate rūpaṃ saṃtāpād bhraśyate śriyaḥ||

Indulgence in sorrow mars personal beauty, prosperity, life, and virtue itself, O king of the gods.

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

MBh 8 53.6

संतापाद भ्रश्यते चायुर्धर्मश्चैव सुरेश्वर। विनीय खलु तद् दुःखमागतं वैमनस्यजम्॥ ध्यातव्यं मनसा हृद्यं कल्याणं संविजानता।

saṃtāpāda bhraśyate cāyurdharmaścaiva sureśvara| vinīya khalu tad duḥkhamāgataṃ vaimanasyajam|| dhyātavyaṃ manasā hṛdyaṃ kalyāṇaṃ saṃvijānatā|

Forsooth, suppressing that sorrow which comes upon oneself and which is begotten by a weak mind, one endued with true knowledge should reflect in his mind of that which yields the highest good not which lives in the heart itself.

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

MBh 8 53.7

यदा यदा हि पुरुषः कल्याणे कुरुते मनः। तदा तस्य प्रसिध्यन्ति सर्वार्था नात्र संशयः॥

yadā yadā hi puruṣaḥ kalyāṇe kurute manaḥ| tadā tasya prasidhyanti sarvārthā nātra saṃśayaḥ||

When one sets his mind upon what is for one's highest good, forsooth, the result that all his objects are accomplished.

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

MBh 8 53.8

एकः शास्ता न द्वितीयोऽस्ति शास्ता गर्भे शयानं पुरुषं शास्ति शास्ता। तेनायुयुक्तः प्रवणादिवोदकं यथा नियुक्तोऽस्मि तथा वहामि॥

ekaḥ śāstā na dvitīyo'sti śāstā garbhe śayānaṃ puruṣaṃ śāsti śāstā| tenāyuyuktaḥ pravaṇādivodakaṃ yathā niyukto'smi tathā vahāmi||

There is One Ordainer, and no second. His sway extends the embryo. Controlled by the great Ordainer I go on as He moves me on, like water running along a downward path.

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

MBh 8 53.9

भवाभवौ त्वभिजानन् गरीयो ज्ञानाच्छ्रेयो न तु करोमि। आशासु धासु परासु कुर्वन् यथा नियुक्तोऽस्मि तथा वहामि॥

bhavābhavau tvabhijānan garīyo jñānācchreyo na tu karomi| āśāsu dhāsu parāsu kurvan yathā niyukto'smi tathā vahāmi||

Knowing what is existence and what liberation, and understanding also that the latter is superior to the former, I do not, however, try to attain to it. Doing virtuous and sinful acts I go on as He moves me on.

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

MBh 8 53.10

यथा यथास्य प्राप्तव्यं प्राप्नोत्येव तथा तथा। भवितव्यं यथा यच्च भवत्येव तथा तथा॥

yathā yathāsya prāptavyaṃ prāpnotyeva tathā tathā| bhavitavyaṃ yathā yacca bhavatyeva tathā tathā||

One gets those things that are ordained to be got. That which is to happen actually takes place.

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

MBh 8 53.11

यत्र यत्रैव संयुक्तो धात्रा गर्भे पुनः पुनः। तत्र तत्रैव वसति न यत्र स्वयमिच्छति॥

yatra yatraiva saṃyukto dhātrā garbhe punaḥ punaḥ| tatra tatraiva vasati na yatra svayamicchati||

Over even One has repeatedly to live in such wombs in which one is placed by the Ordainer. He has no choice in the matter.

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

MBh 8 53.12

भावो योऽयमनुप्राप्तो भवितव्यमिदं मम। इति यस्य सदा भावो न स मुह्येत् कदाचन॥

bhāvo yo'yamanuprāpto bhavitavyamidaṃ mama| iti yasya sadā bhāvo na sa muhyet kadācana||

That person never feels himself stupefied, who when placed in any particular condition, accepts it as that which he was ordained to be placed in.

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

MBh 8 53.13

पर्यायैर्हन्यमानानामभियोक्तो न विद्यते। दुःखमेतत् तु यद् द्वेष्टा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते॥

paryāyairhanyamānānāmabhiyokto na vidyate| duḥkhametat tu yad dveṣṭā kartāhamiti manyate||

Men are affected by pleasure and pain that come by turns in Time. There is no personal agency in this matter. In this lies sorrow.

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

MBh 8 53.14

ऋषींश्च देवांश्च महासुरांश्च त्रैविद्यवृद्धांश्च वने मुनींश्च। कानापदो नोपनमन्ति लोके परावरज्ञास्तु न सम्भ्रमन्ति॥

ṛṣīṃśca devāṃśca mahāsurāṃśca traividyavṛddhāṃśca vane munīṃśca| kānāpado nopanamanti loke parāvarajñāstu na sambhramanti||

Who is there amongst Rishis, gods, great Asuras, persons fully conversant with the three Vedas, and hermits living in the forest, whom calamities do not approach? Those, however, who know well, the Soul and not-Soul never fear calamities.

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

MBh 8 53.15

न पण्डितः क्रुद्ध्यति नाभिपद्यते न चापि संसीदति न प्रहष्यति। न चार्थकृच्छ्रव्यसनेषु शोचते स्थितः प्रकृत्या हिमवानिवाचलः॥

na paṇḍitaḥ kruddhyati nābhipadyate na cāpi saṃsīdati na prahaṣyati| na cārthakṛcchravyasaneṣu śocate sthitaḥ prakṛtyā himavānivācalaḥ||

The wise person, naturally standing immovable like Himavat, never yields to anger; never allows himself to be addicted to the objects of the senses; never suffers pain in sorrow or rejoices in happiness. When overwhelmed with even great afflictions, such a person never grieves.

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

MBh 8 53.16

यमर्थसिद्धिः परमा न मोहयेत् तथैव काले व्यसनं न मोहयेत्। सुखं च दुःखं च तथैव मध्यम निषेवते यः स धुरंधरो नरः॥

yamarthasiddhiḥ paramā na mohayet tathaiva kāle vyasanaṃ na mohayet| sukhaṃ ca duḥkhaṃ ca tathaiva madhyama niṣevate yaḥ sa dhuraṃdharo naraḥ||

That person is, indeed, a great man whom even great success cannot gladden and even great calamities cannot stupefy, and who bears pleasure and pain, and that which is between them both, with an unaffected mind.

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

MBh 8 53.17

यां यामवस्थां पुरुषोऽधिगच्छेत् तस्यां रमेतापरितप्यमानः। एवं प्रवृद्धं प्रणुदन्मनोज संतापनीयं सकलं शरीरात्॥

yāṃ yāmavasthāṃ puruṣo'dhigacchet tasyāṃ rametāparitapyamānaḥ| evaṃ pravṛddhaṃ praṇudanmanoja saṃtāpanīyaṃ sakalaṃ śarīrāt||

A person should always be cheerful and not sorry into whatever condition he may fall, thus should a person remove his increasing sorrow which is born in his mind and that is (if not removed) sure to give pain.

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

MBh 8 53.18

न तत्सदः सत्परिवत् सभा च सा प्राप्य यां न कुरुते सदा भयम्। धर्मतत्त्वमवगाह्य बुद्धिमान् योऽभ्युपैति स धुरंधरः पुमान्॥

na tatsadaḥ satparivat sabhā ca sā prāpya yāṃ na kurute sadā bhayam| dharmatattvamavagāhya buddhimān yo'bhyupaiti sa dhuraṃdharaḥ pumān||

That concourse of learned men engaged in the discussion of the ethics of both the Shrutis and the Smritis is not a good assembly,-indeed, that does not deserve to be called so,-entering which a wicked man is not stricken with fear. That men is the foremost of his sex, who having made a proper enquiry after righteousness acts according to the conclusions to which he arrives.

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

MBh 8 53.19

प्राज्ञस्य कर्माणि दुरन्वयानि न वै प्राज्ञो मुह्यति मोहकाले। स्तावत् कृच्छ्रामापदं प्राप्य वृद्धः॥

prājñasya karmāṇi duranvayāni na vai prājño muhyati mohakāle| stāvat kṛcchrāmāpadaṃ prāpya vṛddhaḥ||

The acts of a wise man are not easily understood. A wise man is never stupefied when afflictions overtake him. Even if he falls away from his position like Gautama in his old age, on account of the direst calamity, he does not allow himself to be stupefied.

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

MBh 8 53.20

न मन्त्रबलवीर्येण प्रज्ञया पौरुषेण च। न शीलेन न वृत्तेन तथा नैवार्थसम्पदा। अलभ्यं लभते मर्त्यस्तत्र का परिदेवना॥

na mantrabalavīryeṇa prajñayā pauruṣeṇa ca| na śīlena na vṛttena tathā naivārthasampadā| alabhyaṃ labhate martyastatra kā paridevanā||

Can a person by Mantras, strength, energy, wisdom, prowess, behaviour, conduct, or wealth, acquire that which has not been ordained to be acquired by him? What sorrow then is there if a person cannot acquire that which he seeks at heart.

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

MBh 8 53.21

यदेवमनुजातस्य धातार विदधुः पुरा। तदेवानुचरिष्यामि किं ते मृत्युः करिष्यति॥

yadevamanujātasya dhātāra vidadhuḥ purā| tadevānucariṣyāmi kiṃ te mṛtyuḥ kariṣyati||

Before I was born, the ordainers had ordained that I am to do and suffer. I am fulfilling what was thus ordained for me. What then can death do to me.

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

MBh 8 53.22

लब्धव्यान्येव लभते गन्तव्यान्येव गच्छति। प्राप्तव्यान्येव चाप्नोति दुःखानि च सुखानि च॥

labdhavyānyeva labhate gantavyānyeva gacchati| prāptavyānyeva cāpnoti duḥkhāni ca sukhāni ca||

One gets only what has been ordained. One goes whence he was ordained to go. Those sorrows and joys only are obtained that are ordained so.

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

MBh 8 53.23

एतद् विदित्वा कात्र्येन यो न मुह्यति मानवः। कुशली सर्वदुःखेषु स वै सर्वधनो नरः॥

etad viditvā kātryena yo na muhyati mānavaḥ| kuśalī sarvaduḥkheṣu sa vai sarvadhano naraḥ||

That man who, knowing this well, does not allow himself to be stupefied, and who is contented with both happiness and misery, is considered as the foremost of his sex.

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