Mahabharata — Volume IX (Dutt edition) — Chapter 217
MBh 9 217.1
ऋषय ऊचुः को वा स्विदिह धर्माणामनुष्ठेयतमो मतः। व्याहतामिव पश्यामो धर्मस्य विविधां गतिम्॥
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ ko vā svidiha dharmāṇāmanuṣṭheyatamo mataḥ| vyāhatāmiva paśyāmo dharmasya vividhāṃ gatim||
The Rishis said Which among the duties is considered to be the most worthy of being performed? The various modes of duty, we sec, are contradictory.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 217.2
ऊर्ध्वं देहाद् वदन्त्येके नैतदस्तीति चापरे। केचित् संशयितं सर्वं नि:संशयमथापरे॥
ūrdhvaṃ dehād vadantyeke naitadastīti cāpare| kecit saṃśayitaṃ sarvaṃ ni:saṃśayamathāpare||
Some say that it continues after the body is destroyed). Others say that it does not exist. Some say that everything is doubtful. Others have no doubts.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 217.3
अनित्यं नित्यमित्येके नास्त्यस्तीत्यपि चापरे। एकरूपं द्विधेत्येके व्यामिश्रमिति चापरे॥
anityaṃ nityamityeke nāstyastītyapi cāpare| ekarūpaṃ dvidhetyeke vyāmiśramiti cāpare||
Some say that the eternal (principle) is not eternal. Some say that it exists, and some that it exists not. Some say it is of one form, or twofold, and others that it is mixed.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 217.4
मन्यन्ते ब्राह्मणा एव ब्रह्मज्ञास्तत्त्वदर्शिनः। एकमेके पृथक् चान्ये बहुत्वमिति चापरे॥
manyante brāhmaṇā eva brahmajñāstattvadarśinaḥ| ekameke pṛthak cānye bahutvamiti cāpare||
Some Brahmanas who are conversant with Brahma and utterers of truth consider it to be one. Others, that is distinct; and others again that it is manifold.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 217.5
देशकालावुभौ केचिन्नैतदस्तीति चापरे। जटाजिनधराश्चान्ये मुण्डा केचिदसंवृताः॥
deśakālāvubhau kecinnaitadastīti cāpare| jaṭājinadharāścānye muṇḍā kecidasaṃvṛtāḥ||
Some say that both time and space exist; others, that it is not so. Some bear matted locks on their heads and are clad in deer-skins. Others have shaven heads and go entirely naked.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 217.6
अस्नानं केचिदिच्छन्ति स्नानमप्यपरे जनाः। मन्यन्ते ब्राह्मणा देवा ब्रह्मज्ञास्तत्त्वदर्शिनः॥
asnānaṃ kecidicchanti snānamapyapare janāḥ| manyante brāhmaṇā devā brahmajñāstattvadarśinaḥ||
Some abstain entirely from bathing and some are for bathing. Such differences of views may be seen among celestials and Brahmanas conversant with Brahma and gifted with perceptions of truth.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 217.7
आहारं केचिदिच्छन्ति केचिच्चानशने रताः। कर्म केचित् प्रशंसन्ति प्रशान्तिं चापरे जनाः॥
āhāraṃ kecidicchanti keciccānaśane ratāḥ| karma kecit praśaṃsanti praśāntiṃ cāpare janāḥ||
Some are for taking food; while some are given to fasts. Some speak highly of action. Others speak highly of perfect tranquility.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 217.8
केचिन्मोक्षं प्रशंसन्ति केचिद् भोगान् पृथग्विधान्। धनानि केचिदिच्छन्ति निर्धनत्वमथापरे। उपास्यसाधनं साधनं त्वेके नैतदस्तीति चापरे॥
kecinmokṣaṃ praśaṃsanti kecid bhogān pṛthagvidhān| dhanāni kecidicchanti nirdhanatvamathāpare| upāsyasādhanaṃ sādhanaṃ tveke naitadastīti cāpare||
Some applaud Liberation. Some, various sorts of enjoyments. Some desire various kinds of riches. Some, poverty. Some say that means should be resorted to. Others, that this is not so.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 217.9
अहिंसानिरताश्चान्ये केचिद्धिंसापरायणाः। पुण्येन यशसा चान्ये नैतदस्तीति चापरे॥
ahiṃsāniratāścānye keciddhiṃsāparāyaṇāḥ| puṇyena yaśasā cānye naitadastīti cāpare||
Some are given to a life of abstention from injury. Others are inclined to destruction. Some are for merit and glory. Others say that this is not so.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 217.10
सद्भावनिरताश्चान्ये केचित् संशयिते स्थिताः। दुःखादन्ये सुखादन्ये ध्यानमित्यपरे जनाः॥
sadbhāvaniratāścānye kecit saṃśayite sthitāḥ| duḥkhādanye sukhādanye dhyānamityapare janāḥ||
Some are devoted to goodness. Others are established on doubt. Some are for pleasure. Some are for pain. Others people say that it is meditation.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 217.11
यज्ञमित्यपरे विप्राः प्रदानमिति चापरे। तपस्त्वन्ये प्रशंसन्ति स्वाध्यायमपरे जनाः॥
yajñamityapare viprāḥ pradānamiti cāpare| tapastvanye praśaṃsanti svādhyāyamapare janāḥ||
Other learned Brahmanas say that it is Sacrifice. Others, again, say that it is gift. Others speak highly of penances. Others, the study of the scriptures.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 217.12
एवं व्युत्थापिते धर्मे ज्ञानं संन्यासमित्येके स्वभावं भूतचिन्तकाः। सर्वमेके प्रशंसन्ति न सर्वमिति चापरे।॥
evaṃ vyutthāpite dharme jñānaṃ saṃnyāsamityeke svabhāvaṃ bhūtacintakāḥ| sarvameke praśaṃsanti na sarvamiti cāpare|||
Some say that knowledge and renunciation (should be followed). Others who ponder on the elements, say that it is nature. Some speak too much of everything. Others, nothing.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 217.13
बहुधा विप्रबोधिते। निश्चयं नाधिगच्छामः सम्मूढाः सुरसत्तम॥
bahudhā viprabodhite| niścayaṃ nādhigacchāmaḥ sammūḍhāḥ surasattama||
O foremost of the celestials, duty being thus confused and full of contradictions of various kinds, we are deluded and unable to arrive at any conclusion.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 217.14
इदं श्रेय इदं श्रेय इत्येवं व्युस्थितो जनः। यो हि यस्मिन् रतो धर्मे स तं पूजयते सदा॥
idaṃ śreya idaṃ śreya ityevaṃ vyusthito janaḥ| yo hi yasmin rato dharme sa taṃ pūjayate sadā||
People stand up for acting, saying, This is good, This is good. He who follow a certain duty speaks highly of that duty as the best.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 217.15
तेन नोऽविहिता प्रज्ञा मनश्च बहुलीकृतम्। एतदाख्यातमिच्छामः श्रेयः किमिति सत्तम॥
tena no'vihitā prajñā manaśca bahulīkṛtam| etadākhyātamicchāmaḥ śreyaḥ kimiti sattama||
Therefore our understanding breaks down and our mind is distracted. We, therefore, wish, O best of all beings, to know what is good.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 217.16
अतः परं तु यद् गुह्यं तद् भवान् वक्तुमर्हति। सत्त्वक्षेत्रज्ञयोश्चापि सम्बन्धः केन हेतुना॥
ataḥ paraṃ tu yad guhyaṃ tad bhavān vaktumarhati| sattvakṣetrajñayoścāpi sambandhaḥ kena hetunā||
You should declare to us, after this, what is (so) mysterious, and what is the cause of the connection between the Soul and Nature.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 217.17
एवमुक्तः स तैर्विप्रैर्भगवाँलोकभावनः। तेभ्यः शशंस धर्मात्मा याथातथ्येन बुद्धिमान्॥
evamuktaḥ sa tairviprairbhagavā~lokabhāvanaḥ| tebhyaḥ śaśaṃsa dharmātmā yāthātathyena buddhimān||
Thus addressed by those learned Brahmanas, the illustrious creator of the worlds, endued with great intelligence and possessed of a righteous soul, described to them accurately what they asked.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)