Mahabharata 12.153: tripañcāśadadhika śatatamo'dhyāyaḥ

12.153.1

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
anarthānāmadhiṣṭhānamukto lobhaḥ pitāmaha |
ajñānamapi vai tāta śrotumicchāmi tattvataḥ || 1 ||

"Yudhishthira said, 'Thou hast said, O grandsire, that the foundation of all evils is covetousness. I wish, O sire, to hear of ignorance in detail.'

12.153.2

bhīṣma uvāca |
karoti pāpaṃ yo'jñānānnātmano vetti ca kṣamam |
pradveṣṭi sādhuvṛttāṃśca sa lokasyaiti vācyatām || 2 ||

"Bhishma said, 'The person who commits sin through ignorance, who does not know that his end is at hand, and who always hates those that are of good behaviour, soon incurs infamy in the world. In consequence of ignorance one sinks into hell. Ignorance is the spring of misery. Through ignorance one' suffers afflictions and incurs great danger.'

12.153.3

ajñānānnirayaṃ yāti tathājñānena durgatim |
ajñānātkleśamāpnoti tathāpatsu nimajjati || 3 ||

12.153.4

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
ajñānasya pravṛttiṃ ca sthānaṃ vṛddhiṃ kṣayodayau |
mūlaṃ yogaṃ gatiṃ kālaṃ kāraṇaṃ hetumeva ca || 4 ||

"Yudhishthira said, 'I desire, O king, to hear in detail the origin, the place, the growth, the decay, the rise, the root, the inseparable attribute, the course, the time, the cause, and the consequence, of ignorance. The misery that is felt here is all born of ignorance.'

12.153.5

śrotumicchāmi tattvena yathāvadiha pārthiva |
ajñānaprabhavaṃ hīdaṃ yadduḥkhamupalabhyate || 5 ||

12.153.6

bhīṣma uvāca |
rāgo dveṣastathā moho harṣaḥ śoko'bhimānitā |
kāmaḥ krodhaśca darpaśca tandrīrālasyameva ca || 6 ||

"Bhishma said, 'Attachment, hate, loss of judgment, joy, sorrow, vanity, lust, anger, pride, procrastination, idleness, desire, aversion, jealousy, and all other sinful acts are all known by the common name of ignorance. Hear now, O king, in detail, about its tendency, growth and other features after which thou enquirest. These two viz., ignorance and covetousness, know, O king, are the same (in substance). Both are productive of the same fruits and same faults, O Bharata! Ignorance has its origin in covetousness. As covetousness grows, ignorance also grows. Ignorance exists there where covetousness exists. As covetousness decreases, ignorance also decreases. It rises with the rise of covetousness. Manifold again is the course that it takes. The root of covetousness is loss of judgment. Loss of judgment, again, is its inseparable attribute. Eternity is ignorance's course. The time when ignorance appears is when objects of covetousness are not won. From one's ignorance proceeds covetousness, and from the latter proceeds ignorance. (Covetousness, therefore, is both the cause and consequence of ignorance). Covetousness is productive of all. For these reasons, every one should avoid covetousness. Janaka, and Yuvanaswa, and Vrishadarbhi, and Prasenajit, and other kings acquired heaven in consequence of their having repressed covetousness. Do thou also in the sight of all persons, avoid covetousness by a strong resolution, O chief of the Kurus! Avoiding covetousness thou shalt obtain happiness both here and in the next world.'"

12.153.7

icchā dveṣastathā tāpaḥ paravṛddhyupatāpitā |
ajñānametannirdiṣṭaṃ pāpānāṃ caiva yāḥ kriyāḥ || 7 ||

12.153.8

etayā yā pravṛttiśca vṛddhyādīnyāṃśca pṛcchasi |
vistareṇa mahābāho śṛṇu tacca viśāṃ pate || 8 ||

12.153.9

ubhāvetau samaphalau samadoṣau ca bhārata |
ajñānaṃ cātilobhaścāpyekaṃ jānīhi pārthiva || 9 ||

12.153.10

lobhaprabhavamajñānaṃ vṛddhaṃ bhūyaḥ pravardhate |
sthāne sthānaṃ kṣaye kṣaiṇyamupaiti vividhāṃ gatim || 10 ||

12.153.11

mūlaṃ lobhasya mahataḥ kālātmagatireva ca |
chinne'cchinne tathā lobhe kāraṇaṃ kāla eva hi || 11 ||

12.153.12

tasyājñānāttu lobho hi lobhādajñānameva ca |
sarve doṣāstathā lobhāttasmāllobhaṃ vivarjayet || 12 ||

12.153.13

janako yuvanāśvaśca vṛṣādarbhiḥ prasenajit |
lobhakṣayāddivaṃ prāptāstathaivānye janādhipāḥ || 13 ||

12.153.14

pratyakṣaṃ tu kuruśreṣṭha tyaja lobhamihātmanā |
tyaktvā lobhaṃ sukhaṃ loke pretya cānucariṣyasi || 14 ||