Mahabharata — Volume IX (Dutt edition) — Chapter 121

MBh 9 121.1

भीष्म उवाच एवमुक्तः प्रत्युवाच मैत्रेयः कर्मपूजकः। अत्यन्तश्रीमति कुले जातः प्राज्ञो बहुश्रुतः॥

bhīṣma uvāca evamuktaḥ pratyuvāca maitreyaḥ karmapūjakaḥ| atyantaśrīmati kule jātaḥ prājño bahuśrutaḥ||

Bhishma said Thus addressed by Vyasa, Maitreya, who was a worshipper of deeds, who had been born in a family gifted with great prosperity, who was wise and endued with great learning said to him these words.

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

MBh 9 121.2

मैत्रेय उवाच असंशयं महाप्राज्ञ यथैवात्थ तथैव तत्। अनुज्ञातश्च भवता किंचिद् ब्रूयामहं विभो॥

maitreya uvāca asaṃśayaṃ mahāprājña yathaivāttha tathaiva tat| anujñātaśca bhavatā kiṃcid brūyāmahaṃ vibho||

Maitreya said O you of great wisdom, it is what you have said O powerful one, with your permission I wish to say something.

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

MBh 9 121.3

व्यास उवाच यद् यदिच्छसि मैत्रेय यावद् यावद् यथा यथा। ब्रूहि तत्त्वं महाप्राज्ञ शुश्रूषे वचनं तव॥

vyāsa uvāca yad yadicchasi maitreya yāvad yāvad yathā yathā| brūhi tattvaṃ mahāprājña śuśrūṣe vacanaṃ tava||

Vyasa said Whatever you wish to say, O Maitreya in what way so even, do you say, O man of great wisdom, for I wish to hear you.

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

MBh 9 121.4

मैत्रेय उवाच निर्दोषं निर्मलं चैवं वचनं दानसंहितम्। विद्यातपोभ्यां हि भवान् भावितात्मा न संशयः॥

maitreya uvāca nirdoṣaṃ nirmalaṃ caivaṃ vacanaṃ dānasaṃhitam| vidyātapobhyāṃ hi bhavān bhāvitātmā na saṃśayaḥ||

Maitreya said Your words on the subject of gift are faultless and pure. Forsooth, your soul has been purified by knowledge and penances.

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

MBh 9 121.5

भवतो भावितात्मत्वाल्लाभोऽयं सुमहान् मम। भूयो बुद्ध्यानुपश्यामि सुसमृद्धतपा इव॥

bhavato bhāvitātmatvāllābho'yaṃ sumahān mama| bhūyo buddhyānupaśyāmi susamṛddhatapā iva||

On account of your soul being purified, even this is the great advantage I reap from it. With the help of my understanding I see that you are gifted with high penances.

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

MBh 9 121.6

अपि नो दर्शनादेव भवतोऽभ्युदयो भवेत्। मन्ये भवत्प्रसादोऽयं तद्धि कर्म स्वभावतः॥

api no darśanādeva bhavato'bhyudayo bhavet| manye bhavatprasādo'yaṃ taddhi karma svabhāvataḥ||

As regards ourselves we succeed in acquiring prosperity through only seeing personages like you. I think that is due to your favour and originates from the nature of my own acts.

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

MBh 9 121.7

तपः श्रुतं च योनिश्चाप्यतेद् ब्राह्मण्यकारणम्। त्रिभिर्गुणैः समुदितस्ततो भवति वै द्विजः॥

tapaḥ śrutaṃ ca yoniścāpyated brāhmaṇyakāraṇam| tribhirguṇaiḥ samuditastato bhavati vai dvijaḥ||

Penances, knowledge of the Vedas, and birth in a pure family, these are the causes of the status which one acquires of a Brahmana. When one is possessed of these three qualities then does he coine to be called a twice born person.

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

MBh 9 121.8

अस्मिंस्तृप्ते च तृप्यन्ते पितरो दैवतानि च। न हि श्रुतवतां किंचिदधिकं ब्राह्मणादृते॥

asmiṃstṛpte ca tṛpyante pitaro daivatāni ca| na hi śrutavatāṃ kiṃcidadhikaṃ brāhmaṇādṛte||

If the Brahmana be pleased, the departed Manes and the deities also are pleased. There is nothing superior to a Brahmana possessed of Vedic learning.

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

MBh 9 121.9

अन्धं स्यात् तम एवेदं न प्रज्ञायेत किंचन। चातुर्वण्र्यं न वर्तेत धर्माधर्मावृतानृते॥

andhaṃ syāt tama evedaṃ na prajñāyeta kiṃcana| cāturvaṇryaṃ na varteta dharmādharmāvṛtānṛte||

Without the Brahmana, all would be darkness. Nothing would be known. The four castes would not exist. The distinction between virtue and sin, Truth and Untruth, would disappear.

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

MBh 9 121.10

यथा हि सुकृलभे क्षेत्रे फलं विन्दति मानवः। एवं दत्त्वा श्रुतवति फलं दाता समश्नुते॥

yathā hi sukṛlabhe kṣetre phalaṃ vindati mānavaḥ| evaṃ dattvā śrutavati phalaṃ dātā samaśnute||

Men, when they sow on a wellcultivated field reap an abundant harvest. Even so one reaps great merit by making gifts to a Brahmana endued with great learning.

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

MBh 9 121.11

ब्राह्मणश्चेन्न विन्देत श्रुतवृत्तोपसंहितः। प्रतिग्रहीता दानस्य मोघं स्याद् धनिनां धनम्॥

brāhmaṇaścenna vindeta śrutavṛttopasaṃhitaḥ| pratigrahītā dānasya moghaṃ syād dhanināṃ dhanam||

If there were no Brahmana gifted with Vedic learning and good conduct for accepting gifts, the wealth possessed by rich men would be useless.

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

MBh 9 121.12

अदनविद्वान् हन्त्यन्नमद्यमानं च हन्ति तम्। तं चान्नं पाति यश्चान्नं स हन्ता हन्यतेऽबुधः॥

adanavidvān hantyannamadyamānaṃ ca hanti tam| taṃ cānnaṃ pāti yaścānnaṃ sa hantā hanyate'budhaḥ||

The ignorant Brahmana, by eating the food that is offered to him, destroys what he eats. The food also that is eaten destroys the eater. That is called food which is given away to a worthy man, in all other cases he who takes it, makes the donor's gift thrown away and the receiver is likewise ruined for his unduly taking it.

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

MBh 9 121.13

प्रभुन्नमदन् विद्वान् पुनर्जनयतीश्वरः। स चान्नाज्जायते तस्मात् सूक्ष्म एष व्यतिक्रमः॥

prabhunnamadan vidvān punarjanayatīśvaraḥ| sa cānnājjāyate tasmāt sūkṣma eṣa vyatikramaḥ||

The Brahmana endued with learning, becomes the subjugator of the food that he eats. Having eaten it, be begets other food. The ignorant man who eats the food offered to him, loses his right to the children he procreates for the latter become his whose food has enabled the progenitor to beget them. This is the shortcoming of persons eating other people's food when they have not the power to conquer that food.

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

MBh 9 121.14

यदेव ददतः पुण्यं तदेव प्रतिगृह्णतः। न ह्येकचक्रं वर्तेत इत्येवमृषयो विदुः॥

yadeva dadataḥ puṇyaṃ tadeva pratigṛhṇataḥ| na hyekacakraṃ varteta ityevamṛṣayo viduḥ||

The merit which the giver wins by making the gift is equal to what the taker acquires by accepting the food Both the giver and the taker depend equally upon each other. This is what the Rishis have said.

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

MBh 9 121.15

यत्र वै ब्राह्मणाः सन्ति श्रुतवृत्तोपसंहिताः। तत्र दानफलं पुण्यमिह चामुत्र चाश्नुते॥

yatra vai brāhmaṇāḥ santi śrutavṛttopasaṃhitāḥ| tatra dānaphalaṃ puṇyamiha cāmutra cāśnute||

There where Brahmanas exist, gifted with Vedic learning and conduct people are enabled to acquire the sacred fruits of gifts and to enjoy them both in this world and the next.

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

MBh 9 121.16

ये योनिशुद्धाः सततं तपस्यभिरता भृशम्। दानाध्ययनसम्पन्नास्ते वै पूज्यतमाः सदा॥

ye yoniśuddhāḥ satataṃ tapasyabhiratā bhṛśam| dānādhyayanasampannāste vai pūjyatamāḥ sadā||

Those men who are of pure birth, who are devoted to penances and who make gifts and study the Vedas, are considered as worthy of the most respectful adoration

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

MBh 9 121.17

तैर्हि सद्धिः कृतः पन्थास्तेन यातो न मुह्यते। ते हि स्वर्गस्य नेतारो यज्ञवाहाः सनातनाः॥

tairhi saddhiḥ kṛtaḥ panthāstena yāto na muhyate| te hi svargasya netāro yajñavāhāḥ sanātanāḥ||

It is those good men who have chalked out the path by treading on which one does not become stupefied. It is those men who take others to the celestial region. They are the Men who carry on their shoulders the burthen of Sacrifices and live for good.

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