Mahabharata — Volume IX (Dutt edition) — Chapter 163
MBh 9 163.1
युधिष्ठिर उवाच नाभागधेयः प्राप्नोति धनं सुबलवानपि। भागधेयान्वितस्त्वर्थान् कृशो बालश्च विन्दति॥
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca nābhāgadheyaḥ prāpnoti dhanaṃ subalavānapi| bhāgadheyānvitastvarthān kṛśo bālaśca vindati||
Yudhishthira said It is seen that if a person happens to be unfortunate, he fails to acquire riches how greatsoever his strength. On the other hand, if he happens to be fortunate, he amasses riches, even if he be a weak or a foolish wight.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 163.2
नालाभकाले लभते प्रयत्नेऽपि कृते सति। लाभकालेऽप्रयत्नेन लभते विपुलं धनम्॥
nālābhakāle labhate prayatne'pi kṛte sati| lābhakāle'prayatnena labhate vipulaṃ dhanam||
When, again, the time does not come for acquisition, one cannot make an acquisition, even if he tries his best. When, however, the time comes for acquisition, one acquires great wealth without any exertion.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 163.3
कृतयत्नाफलाश्चैव दृश्यन्ते शतशो नराः। अयत्नेनैधमानाश्च दृश्यन्ते बहवो जनाः॥
kṛtayatnāphalāścaiva dṛśyante śataśo narāḥ| ayatnenaidhamānāśca dṛśyante bahavo janāḥ||
Hundreds of men may be seen who gain no result even when they try their best. Many persons, again, are seen to make acquisitions without any exertion.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 163.4
यदि यत्नो भवेन्मर्त्यः स सर्वे फलमाप्नुयात्। नालभ्यं चोपलभ्येत नृणां भरतसत्तम॥ प्रयत्नं कृतवन्तोऽपि दृश्यन्ते ह्यफला नराः।
yadi yatno bhavenmartyaḥ sa sarve phalamāpnuyāt| nālabhyaṃ copalabhyeta nṛṇāṃ bharatasattama|| prayatnaṃ kṛtavanto'pi dṛśyante hyaphalā narāḥ|
If riches were the result of exertion, then one could, with exertion, acquire it forthwith. Among men, that which is not to be attained, O chief of the Bharatas, is never attained. Men are seen to fail in gaining results even if they try their best.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 163.5
मार्गत्यायशतैरथानमार्गश्चापरः सुखी॥ अकार्यमसकृत् कृत्वा दृश्यन्ते ह्यधना नराः।
mārgatyāyaśatairathānamārgaścāparaḥ sukhī|| akāryamasakṛt kṛtvā dṛśyante hyadhanā narāḥ|
One may be seen to seek riches by hundreds of means (and yet failing to acquire it); while another, without at all seeking it, gets it. Men may be seen doing evil deeds continually (for wealth) and yet they do not gain it.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 163.6
धनयुक्ताः स्वकर्मस्था दृश्यन्ते चापरेऽधनाः॥ अधीत्य नीतिशास्त्राणि नीतियुक्तो न दृश्यते।
dhanayuktāḥ svakarmasthā dṛśyante cāpare'dhanāḥ|| adhītya nītiśāstrāṇi nītiyukto na dṛśyate|
Others get wealth without doing any evil act whatever. Others, again, who follow the duties assigned to them by the scripture, are without wealth. One may be seen to be without any knowledge of the science of ethics and polity even after he has studied all the treatises on that science.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 163.7
अनभिज्ञश्च साचिव्यं गमित: केन हेतुना॥ विद्यायुक्तो ह्यविद्यश्च धनवान् दुर्मतिस्तथा।
anabhijñaśca sācivyaṃ gamita: kena hetunā|| vidyāyukto hyavidyaśca dhanavān durmatistathā|
One, again, may be seen appointed as the prime minister of a king without having at all studied the moral and political sciences. A learned man may be seen who has wealth. An ignorant man may be seen having wealth. Both kinds of men, again, may be seen who has wealth.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 163.8
यदि विद्यामुपाश्रित्य नरः सुखमवाप्नुयात्॥ न विद्वान् विद्यया हीनं वृत्त्यर्थमुपसंश्रयेत्।
yadi vidyāmupāśritya naraḥ sukhamavāpnuyāt|| na vidvān vidyayā hīnaṃ vṛttyarthamupasaṃśrayet|
If by the acquisition of learning one could acquire the happiness of riches then no man of learning could be found living, for the very means of his livelihood, under the protection of one shorn of learning.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 163.9
यथा पिपासां जयति पुरुषः प्राप्य वै जलम्॥ इष्टार्थो विद्यया ह्येव न विद्यां प्रजहेन्नरः।
yathā pipāsāṃ jayati puruṣaḥ prāpya vai jalam|| iṣṭārtho vidyayā hyeva na vidyāṃ prajahennaraḥ|
Indeed, if one could obtain, by the acquisition of learning, all desirable objects like a thirsty individual having his thirst satisfied upon getting water, then none in this world would have shown idleness in acquiring learning.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 163.10
नाप्राप्तकालो म्रियते विद्धः शरशतैरपि। तृणाग्रेणापि संस्पृष्टः प्राप्ताकालो न जीवति॥
nāprāptakālo mriyate viddhaḥ śaraśatairapi| tṛṇāgreṇāpi saṃspṛṣṭaḥ prāptākālo na jīvati||
If one's time has not come, one does not die even if cut with hundreds of shafts. On the other hand, one dies if his hour has come, even if it be a blade of grass with which he is struck.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 163.11
भीष्म उवाच ईहमानः समारम्भान् यदि नासादयेद् धनम्। उग्रं तपः समारोहेन ह्यनुप्तं प्ररोहति॥
bhīṣma uvāca īhamānaḥ samārambhān yadi nāsādayed dhanam| ugraṃ tapaḥ samārohena hyanuptaṃ prarohati||
Bhishma said If one, by performing arduous works, fails to acquire wealth, he should then practise severe austeritics. Unless seeds be sown, no crops appear.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 163.12
दानेन भोगी भवति मेधावी वृद्धसेवया। अहिंसया च दीर्घायुरिति प्राहुर्मनीषिणः॥
dānena bhogī bhavati medhāvī vṛddhasevayā| ahiṃsayā ca dīrghāyuriti prāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ||
It is by making gifts that one gets numerous objects of enjoyment; one becomes endued with intelligence and wisdom by waiting upon the elders. The wise have said that one becomes longlived by practising the duty of abstention from cruelty to all creatures.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 163.13
तस्माद् दद्यान याचेत पूजयेद् धार्मिकानपि। सुभाषी प्रियकृच्छान्तः सर्वसत्त्वाविहिंसकः॥
tasmād dadyāna yāceta pūjayed dhārmikānapi| subhāṣī priyakṛcchāntaḥ sarvasattvāvihiṃsakaḥ||
Hence, one should make gifts and not solicit and one should adore individuals. Indeed one should be sweet-speeched towards all, and always do what is agreeable to others. One should seek to attain to purity; one should always abstain from doing injury 10 any crcature,
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 163.14
यदा प्रमाणं प्रसवः स्वभावश्च सुखासुखे। दंशकीटपिपीलानां स्थिरो भव युधिष्ठिर॥
yadā pramāṇaṃ prasavaḥ svabhāvaśca sukhāsukhe| daṃśakīṭapipīlānāṃ sthiro bhava yudhiṣṭhira||
It is but proper, O Yudhishthira, that you should be possessed by peaceful sentiments, since their deeds and Nature are the ruling causes of happiness and misery to even insects and ants.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)