Mahabharata — Volume VIII (Dutt edition) — Chapter 58
MBh 8 58.1
युधिष्ठिर उवाच आद्यन्तं सर्वभूतानां ज्ञातुमिच्छामि कौरव। ध्यानं कर्म च कालं च तथैवायुर्युगे युगे॥
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ādyantaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ jñātumicchāmi kaurava| dhyānaṃ karma ca kālaṃ ca tathaivāyuryuge yuge||
I wish, O Kuru hero, to know what origin and what the end is of all creatures; what the nature of their meditation is and what their acts; what the divisions of time are, and what is the spare of human existence in the respective cycles.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.2
लोकतत्त्वं च कात्स्येंन भूतानामागतिं गतिम्। सर्गश्च निधनं चैव कुत एतत् प्रवर्तते॥
lokatattvaṃ ca kātsyeṃna bhūtānāmāgatiṃ gatim| sargaśca nidhanaṃ caiva kuta etat pravartate||
I wish also to know fully the truth about the genesis and the conduct of the world; the you. coming of creatures into the world and their exit. Indeed; whence their creation and destruction?
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.3
यदि तेऽनुग्रहे बुद्धिरस्मास्विह सतां वर। एतद्भवन्तं पृच्छामि तद् भवान् प्रब्रवीतु मे॥
yadi te'nugrahe buddhirasmāsviha satāṃ vara| etadbhavantaṃ pṛcchāmi tad bhavān prabravītu me||
O best of virtuous persons, if you wish to favour us, do tell this about which I ask
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.4
पूर्वं हि कथितं श्रुत्वा भृगुभाषितमुत्तमम्। भरद्वाजस्य विप्रर्षस्ततो मे बुद्धिरुत्तमा॥ जाता परमधर्मिष्ठा दिव्यसंस्थानसंस्थिता। ततो भूयस्तु पृच्छामि तद् भवान् वक्तुमर्हति॥
pūrvaṃ hi kathitaṃ śrutvā bhṛgubhāṣitamuttamam| bharadvājasya viprarṣastato me buddhiruttamā|| jātā paramadharmiṣṭhā divyasaṃsthānasaṃsthitā| tato bhūyastu pṛcchāmi tad bhavān vaktumarhati||
Having heard before this the excellent discourse of Bhrigu to the twice-born sage Bharadvaja, which you did recite, my understanding, shorn of ignorance, has become greatly attached to yoga, and withdrawn from worldly objects rests upon heavenly purity. I ask you about the subject, therefore, once more. You should describe it to me fully.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.5
भीष्म उवाच अत्र ते वर्तयिष्येऽहमितिहासं पुरातनम्। जगौ यद् भगवान् व्यासः पुत्राय परिपृच्छते॥
bhīṣma uvāca atra te vartayiṣye'hamitihāsaṃ purātanam| jagau yad bhagavān vyāsaḥ putrāya paripṛcchate||
Bhishma said Regarding it I shall recite to you an old narrative of what the divine Vyasa said to his son Shuka when the latter had asked the former.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.6
अधीत्य वेदानखिलान् साङ्गोपनिषदस्तथा। अन्विच्छन्नैष्ठिकं कर्म धर्मनैपुणदर्शनात्॥ कृष्णद्वैपायनं व्यासं पुत्रो वैयासकिः शुकः। पप्रच्छ संदेहमिमं छिन्नधर्मार्थसंशयम्॥
adhītya vedānakhilān sāṅgopaniṣadastathā| anvicchannaiṣṭhikaṃ karma dharmanaipuṇadarśanāt|| kṛṣṇadvaipāyanaṃ vyāsaṃ putro vaiyāsakiḥ śukaḥ| papraccha saṃdehamimaṃ chinnadharmārthasaṃśayam||
Having studied the measureless Vedas with all their branches and the Upanishads, and desirous of leading a life of celibacy on account of his having acquired excellence of religious merit, Shuka put these very questions, about which his doubts had not been removed, to his father Dvipayana, who had removed (by study and contemplation) all doubt regarding true duties.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.7
श्रीशुक उवाच भूतग्रामस्य कर्तारं कालज्ञाने च निश्चयम्। ब्राह्मणस्य च यत् कृत्यं तद् भवान् वक्तुमर्हति॥
śrīśuka uvāca bhūtagrāmasya kartāraṃ kālajñāne ca niścayam| brāhmaṇasya ca yat kṛtyaṃ tad bhavān vaktumarhati||
Shuka said You should tell me who the Creator is of all beings, as fixed by a knowledge of time, and what the duties are of a Brahmana!
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.8
भीष्म उवाच तस्मै प्रोवाच तत् सर्वं पिता पुत्राय पृच्छते। अतीतानागते विद्वान् सर्वज्ञः सर्वधर्मवित्॥
bhīṣma uvāca tasmai provāca tat sarvaṃ pitā putrāya pṛcchate| atītānāgate vidvān sarvajñaḥ sarvadharmavit||
Bhishma said The father, having a knowledge of both the past and the future, conversant with all duties and gifted with omniscience, thus described the subject to his son, who had questioned him.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.9
व्यास उवाच अनाद्यन्तमजं दिव्यमजरं ध्रुवमव्ययम्। अप्रतर्व्यमविज्ञेयं ब्रह्माने सम्प्रवर्तते॥
vyāsa uvāca anādyantamajaṃ divyamajaraṃ dhruvamavyayam| apratarvyamavijñeyaṃ brahmāne sampravartate||
Vyasa said Only Brahma, who is without beginning without end, unborn, effulgent, above decay, immutable, indestructible, inconceivable and transcending knowledge, exists before the Creation.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.10
काष्ठा निमेषा दश पञ्च चैव त्रिंशत्तु काष्ठा गणयेत् कलां ताम्। त्रिंशत्कलश्चापि भवेन्मुहूर्ता भागः कलाया दशमश्च यः स्यात्॥ त्रिंशन्मुहूर्तं तु भवेदहश्च रात्रिश्च संख्या मुनिभिः प्रणीता। मासः स्मृतो रात्र्यहनी च त्रिंशत् संवत्सरो द्वादशमास उक्तः॥ संवत्सरं द्वे त्वयने वदन्ति संख्याविदो दक्षिणमुत्तरं च॥
kāṣṭhā nimeṣā daśa pañca caiva triṃśattu kāṣṭhā gaṇayet kalāṃ tām| triṃśatkalaścāpi bhavenmuhūrtā bhāgaḥ kalāyā daśamaśca yaḥ syāt|| triṃśanmuhūrtaṃ tu bhavedahaśca rātriśca saṃkhyā munibhiḥ praṇītā| māsaḥ smṛto rātryahanī ca triṃśat saṃvatsaro dvādaśamāsa uktaḥ|| saṃvatsaraṃ dve tvayane vadanti saṃkhyāvido dakṣiṇamuttaraṃ ca||
The Rishis, measuring time, have given particular names to particular portions. Five and ten winks of the eye make what is called a Kashtha: Thirty Kashthas make what is called a Kala. Thirty Kalas, with the tenth part of a Kala, make a Muhurta. Thirty Muhurtas make up one day and night. Thirty days and nights form a month, and twelve months form a year. Persons well-read in mathematical science say that a year is made up of two solar motions. viz., the northern and the southern.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.11
अहोरात्रे विभजते सूर्यो मानुषलौकिके। रात्रिः स्वमाय भूतानां चेष्टायै कर्मणामहः॥
ahorātre vibhajate sūryo mānuṣalaukike| rātriḥ svamāya bhūtānāṃ ceṣṭāyai karmaṇāmahaḥ||
The sun makes the day and the night for men. The night is for the sleep of all living creatures, and the day is for work.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.12
पित्र्ये रात्र्यहनी मास: प्रविभागस्तयोः पुनः। शुक्लोऽहं कर्मचेष्टायां कृष्णः स्वप्नाय शर्वरी॥
pitrye rātryahanī māsa: pravibhāgastayoḥ punaḥ| śuklo'haṃ karmaceṣṭāyāṃ kṛṣṇaḥ svapnāya śarvarī||
A month of human beings is equal to a day and night of the departed manes. That division consists in this: the light half of the month is their day which is for work; and the dark fortnight is their night for sleep.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.13
दैवे रात्र्यहनी वर्ष प्रविभागस्तयोः पुनः। अहस्तत्रोदगयनं रात्रिः स्याद् दक्षिणायनम्॥
daive rātryahanī varṣa pravibhāgastayoḥ punaḥ| ahastatrodagayanaṃ rātriḥ syād dakṣiṇāyanam||
A year (of men) is equal to a day and night to the gods. This division consists in this: the half year for which the sun travels from the vernal to the autumnal equinox is the day of the gods, and the half year for which the sun moves from the latter to the former is their night.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.14
ये ते रात्र्यहनी पूर्व कीर्तिते जीवलौकिके। तयोः संख्याय वर्षाग्रं ब्राह्मे वक्ष्याम्यहःक्षपे॥
ye te rātryahanī pūrva kīrtite jīvalaukike| tayoḥ saṃkhyāya varṣāgraṃ brāhme vakṣyāmyahaḥkṣape||
Calculating by the days and nights of human beings about which I have told you, I shall speak of the day and night of Brahman and his years also.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.15
पृथक् संवत्सराग्राणि प्रवक्ष्याम्यनुपूर्वशः। कृते त्रेतायुगे चैव द्वापरे च कलौ तथा॥
pṛthak saṃvatsarāgrāṇi pravakṣyāmyanupūrvaśaḥ| kṛte tretāyuge caiva dvāpare ca kalau tathā||
I shall, in their order, tell you the number of years, that are for different purposes calculated differently, in the Krita, the Treta, the Dvapara, and the Kali Yugas.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.16
चत्वार्याहुः सहस्राणि वर्षाणां तत्कृतं युगम्। तस्य तावच्छती संध्या संध्यांशश्च तथाविधः॥
catvāryāhuḥ sahasrāṇi varṣāṇāṃ tatkṛtaṃ yugam| tasya tāvacchatī saṃdhyā saṃdhyāṃśaśca tathāvidhaḥ||
Four thousand celestial years is the duration of the first or Krita age. The morning of that cycle consists of four hundred years and its evening is of four hundred years.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.17
इतरेषु ससंध्येषु संध्यांशेषु ततस्त्रिषु। एकपादेन हीयन्ते सहस्राणि शतानि च॥
itareṣu sasaṃdhyeṣu saṃdhyāṃśeṣu tatastriṣu| ekapādena hīyante sahasrāṇi śatāni ca||
Regarding the other cycles, the duration of each gradually decreases by a quarter in respect of both the principal period with the minor portion and the conjoining portion itself.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.18
एतानि शाश्वताल्लोकान् धारयन्ति सनातनान्। एतद् ब्रह्मविदां तात विदितं ब्रह्म शाश्वतम्॥
etāni śāśvatāllokān dhārayanti sanātanān| etad brahmavidāṃ tāta viditaṃ brahma śāśvatam||
These periods always keep up the neverending and eternal worlds. They who know Brahma, O child, regard this as Immutable Brahma.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.19
चतुष्पात् सकलो धर्मः सत्यं चैव कृते युगे। नाधर्मेणागमः कश्चित् परस्तस्य प्रवर्तते॥
catuṣpāt sakalo dharmaḥ satyaṃ caiva kṛte yuge| nādharmeṇāgamaḥ kaścit parastasya pravartate||
In the Krita age all the duties exist in full, along with Truth. Men of that age never acquired knowledge or object through unrighteous or forbidden means.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.20
इतरेष्वागपाद् धर्मः पादशस्त्ववरोप्यते। चौर्यकानृतमायाभिरधर्मश्चोपचीयते॥
itareṣvāgapād dharmaḥ pādaśastvavaropyate| cauryakānṛtamāyābhiradharmaścopacīyate||
In the other cycles duty, as laid down in the Vedas, is seen to gradually decline by a quarter in each. Sinfulness multiplies by theft, untruth, and deception.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.21
अरोगाः सर्वसिद्धार्थाश्चतुर्वर्षशतायुषः। कृते त्रेतायुगे त्वेषां पादशो ह्रसते वयः॥
arogāḥ sarvasiddhārthāścaturvarṣaśatāyuṣaḥ| kṛte tretāyuge tveṣāṃ pādaśo hrasate vayaḥ||
In the Krita age, all persons are free from disease and achieve their objects, and all live for four hundred years. In the Treta, the period of life decreases by a quarter.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.22
वेदवादाश्चानुयुगं ह्रसन्तीतीह नः श्रुतम्। आयूंषि चाशिषश्चैव वेदस्यैव च यत्फलम्॥
vedavādāścānuyugaṃ hrasantītīha naḥ śrutam| āyūṃṣi cāśiṣaścaiva vedasyaiva ca yatphalam||
We have heard that, in the succeeding Yugas, the words of the Vedas, the periods of life, the blessings and the fruits of Vedic rites, all decrease gradually.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.23
अन्ये कृतयुगे धर्मास्त्रेतायां द्वापरेऽपरे। अन्ये कलियुगे नृणां युगह्रासानुरूपतः॥
anye kṛtayuge dharmāstretāyāṃ dvāpare'pare| anye kaliyuge nṛṇāṃ yugahrāsānurūpataḥ||
The duties set down for the Krita Yuga are of one kind. Those for the Treta are otherwise. Those for the Dwapara are different. And those for the Kali are otherwise. This is in accordance with the decline which marks every succeeding cycle.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.24
तपः परं कृतयुगे त्रेतायां ज्ञानमुत्तमम्। द्वापरे यज्ञमेवाहुर्दानमेकं कलौ युगे।॥
tapaḥ paraṃ kṛtayuge tretāyāṃ jñānamuttamam| dvāpare yajñamevāhurdānamekaṃ kalau yuge|||
In the Krita, Penance is the foremost. In the Treta, Knowledge is foremost. In Dvapara, Sacrifice has been said to be the foremost. In the Kali Yuga, only gift is sanctioned.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.25
एता द्वादशसाहस्री युगाख्यां कवयो विदुः। सहस्रपरिवर्तं तद् ब्राह्यं दिवसमुच्यते॥
etā dvādaśasāhasrī yugākhyāṃ kavayo viduḥ| sahasraparivartaṃ tad brāhyaṃ divasamucyate||
The learned say that these twelve thousand celestial years from what is celled a cycle. A thousand such cycles form a single day of Brahman.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.26
रात्रिमेतावतीं चैव तदादौ विश्वमीश्वरः। प्रलये ध्यानमाविश्य सुप्त्वा सोऽन्ते विबुद्ध्यते॥
rātrimetāvatīṃ caiva tadādau viśvamīśvaraḥ| pralaye dhyānamāviśya suptvā so'nte vibuddhyate||
The same is the duration of Brahman's night. With the beginning of Brahman's day the universe begins to come into being. During the period of universal dissolution the Creator sleeps, in Yoga-meditation. When the period of sleep expires, He awakes.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.27
सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यब्रह्मणो विदुः। रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जनाः॥
sahasrayugaparyantamaharyabrahmaṇo viduḥ| rātriṃ yugasahasrāntāṃ te'horātravido janāḥ||
What is Brahman's day covers a thousand such cycles. His night also covers a thousand similar cycles. They who know this are said to know the day and the night.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 8 58.28
प्रतिबुद्धो विकुरुते ब्रह्माक्षय्यं क्षपाक्षये। सृजते च महद्भूतं तस्माद् व्यक्तात्मकं मनः॥
pratibuddho vikurute brahmākṣayyaṃ kṣapākṣaye| sṛjate ca mahadbhūtaṃ tasmād vyaktātmakaṃ manaḥ||
On the expiry of His night, Brahman, waking up modifies the indestructible intelligence by causing it to be overlaid with ignorance. He then causes Consciousness to spring up, whence originates Mind which is at one with the Manifest.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)