The Great Epic of the Bhārata dynasty 12.169: ekonasaptatyadhikaśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ

12.169.1

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
atikrāmati kāle'sminsarvabhūtakṣayāvahe |
kiṃ śreyaḥ pratipadyeta tanme brūhi pitāmaha || 1 ||

"Yudhishthira said, 'Time, which is destructive of every created thing, is passing on. Tell me, O grandsire, what is that good thing which should be sought.'

12.169.2

bhīṣma uvāca |
atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam |
pituḥ putreṇa saṃvādaṃ tannibodha yudhiṣṭhira || 2 ||

"Bhishma said, 'In this connection, O king, is cited the old narrative of a discourse between sire and son, O Yudhishthira! A certain Brahmana. O Partha, who was devoted to the study of the Vedas, got a very intelligent son who (for this) was called Medhavin. One day, the son, well conversant with the truths of the religion of Emancipation, and acquainted also with the affairs of the world, addressed his sire devoted to the study of the Vedas.'

12.169.3

dvijāteḥ kasyacitpārtha svādhyāyaniratasya vai |
babhūva putro medhāvī medhāvī nāma nāmataḥ || 3 ||

12.169.4

so'bravītpitaraṃ putraḥ svādhyāyakaraṇe ratam |
mokṣadharmārthakuśalo lokatattvavicakṣaṇaḥ || 4 ||

12.169.5

dhīraḥ kiṃ svittāta kuryātprajānankṣipraṃ hyāyurbhraśyate mānavānām |
pitastadācakṣva yathārthayogaṃ mamānupūrvyā yena dharmaṃ careyam || 5 ||

"The son said, 'What should a wise man do, O father, seeing that the period of human life is passing away so very quickly? O father, tell me the course of duties that one should perform, without omitting to mention the fruits. Having listened to thee, I desire to observe those duties.'

12.169.6

pitovāca |
vedānadhītya brahmacaryeṇa putra putrānicchetpāvanārthaṃ pitṝṇām |
agnīnādhāya vidhivacceṣṭayajño vanaṃ praviśyātha munirbubhūṣet || 6 ||

"The sire said, 'O son, observing the Brahmacharya mode of life, one should first study the Vedas. He should then wish for children for rescuing his ancestors. Setting up his fire next, he should seek to perform the (prescribed) sacrifices according to due rites. At last, he should enter the forest for devoting himself to contemplation.'

12.169.7

putra uvāca |
evamabhyāhate loke samantātparivārite |
amoghāsu patantīṣu kiṃ dhīra iva bhāṣase || 7 ||

"The son said, 'When the world is thus surrounded on all sides and is thus assailed, and when such irresistible things of fatal consequences fall upon it, how can you say these words so calmly?'

12.169.8

pitovāca |
kathamabhyāhato lokaḥ kena vā parivāritaḥ |
amoghāḥ kāḥ patantīha kiṃ nu bhīṣayasīva mām || 8 ||

"The sire said, How is the world assailed? What is that by which it is surrounded? What, again, are those irresistible things of fatal consequences that fall upon it? Why dost thou frighten me thus?'

12.169.9

putra uvāca |
mṛtyunābhyāhato loko jarayā parivāritaḥ |
ahorātrāḥ patantyete nanu kasmānna budhyase || 9 ||

"The son said, 'Death is that by which the world is assailed. Decrepitude encompasses it. Those irresistible things that come and go away are the nights (that are continually lessening the period of human life). When I know that Death tarries for none (but approaches steadily towards every creature), how can I pass my time without covering myself with the garb of knowledge? When each succeeding night, passing away lessens the allotted period of one's existence, the man of wisdom should regard the day to be fruitless. (When death is approaching steadily) who is there that would, like a fish in a shallow water, feel happy? Death comes to a man before his desires have been gratified. Death snatches away a person when he is engaged in plucking flowers and when his heart is otherwise set, like a tigress bearing away a ram. Do thou, this very day, accomplish that which is for thy good. Let not this Death come to thee. Death drags its victims before their acts are accomplished. The acts of tomorrow should be done today, those of the afternoon in the forenoon. Death does not wait to see whether the acts of its victim have all been accomplished or not. Who knows that Death will not come to him even today? In prime of age one should betake oneself to the practice of virtue. Life is transitory. If virtue be practised, fame here and felicity hereafter will be the consequences. Overwhelmed by ignorance, one is ready to exert oneself for sons and wives.

12.169.10

yadāhametajjānāmi na mṛtyustiṣṭhatīti ha |
so'haṃ kathaṃ pratīkṣiṣye jālenāpihitaścaran || 10 ||

12.169.11

rātryāṃ rātryāṃ vyatītāyāmāyuralpataraṃ yadā |
gādhodake matsya iva sukhaṃ vindeta kastadā |
tadeva vandhyaṃ divasamiti vidyādvicakṣaṇaḥ || 11 ||

12.169.12

anavāpteṣu kāmeṣu mṛtyurabhyeti mānavam |
śaṣpāṇīva vicinvantamanyatragatamānasam |
vṛkīvoraṇamāsādya mṛtyurādāya gacchati || 12 ||

12.169.13

adyaiva kuru yacchreyo mā tvā kālo'tyagādayam |
akṛteṣveva kāryeṣu mṛtyurvai saṃprakarṣati || 13 ||

12.169.14

śvaḥkāryamadya kurvīta pūrvāhṇe cāparāhṇikam |
na hi pratīkṣate mṛtyuḥ kṛtaṃ vāsya na vā kṛtam |
ko hi jānāti kasyādya mṛtyusenā nivekṣyate || 14 ||

12.169.15

yuvaiva dharmaśīlaḥ syādanimittaṃ hi jīvitam |
kṛte dharme bhavetkīrtiriha pretya ca vai sukham || 15 ||

12.169.16

mohena hi samāviṣṭaḥ putradārārthamudyataḥ |
kṛtvā kāryamakāryaṃ vā puṣṭimeṣāṃ prayacchati || 16 ||

Achieving virtuous or vicious acts, one brings them up and aggrandises them. Like a tiger bearing away a sleeping deer, Death snatches away the man addicted to the gratification of desire and engaged in the enjoyment of sons and animals. Before he has been able to pluck the flowers upon which he has set his heart, before he has been gratified by the acquisition of the objects of his desire, Death bears him away like a tiger bearing away its prey. Death overpowers a man while the latter is stilt in the midst of the happiness that accrues from the gratification of desire, and while, still thinking, 'This has been done; this is to be done; this has been half-done.' Death bears away the man, however designated according to his profession, attached to his field, his shop, or his home, before he has obtained the fruit of his acts. Death bears away the weak, the strong, the brave, the timid, the idiotic, and the learned, before any of these obtains the fruits of his acts. When death, decrepitude, disease, and sorrow arising from diverse causes, are all residing in thy body, how is it that thou livest as if thou art perfectly hale? As soon as a creature is born, Decrepitude and Death pursue him for (effecting) his destruction. All existent things, mobile and immobile, are affected by these two. The attachment which one feels for dwelling in villages and towns (in the midst of fellowmen) is said to be the very mouth of Death.

12.169.17

taṃ putrapaśusaṃmattaṃ vyāsaktamanasaṃ naram |
suptaṃ vyāghraṃ mahaugho vā mṛtyurādāya gacchati || 17 ||

12.169.18

saṃcinvānakamevaikaṃ kāmānāmavitṛptakam |
vyāghraḥ paśumivādāya mṛtyurādāya gacchati || 18 ||

12.169.19

idaṃ kṛtamidaṃ kāryamidamanyatkṛtākṛtam |
evamīhāsukhāsaktaṃ kṛtāntaḥ kurute vaśe || 19 ||

12.169.20

kṛtānāṃ phalamaprāptaṃ karmaṇāṃ phalasaṅginam |
kṣetrāpaṇagṛhāsaktaṃ mṛtyurādāya gacchati || 20 ||

12.169.21

mṛtyurjarā ca vyādhiśca duḥkhaṃ cānekakāraṇam |
anuṣaktaṃ yadā dehe kiṃ svastha iva tiṣṭhasi || 21 ||

12.169.22

jātamevāntako'ntāya jarā cānveti dehinam |
anuṣaktā dvayenaite bhāvāḥ sthāvarajaṅgamāḥ || 22 ||

12.169.23

mṛtyorvā gṛhamevaitadyā grāme vasato ratiḥ |
devānāmeṣa vai goṣṭho yadaraṇyamiti śrutiḥ || 23 ||

The forest, on the other hand, is regarded as the fold within which the senses may be penned. This is declared by the Srutis. The attachment a person feels for dwelling in a village or town (in the midst of men) is like a cord that binds him effectually. They that are good break that cord and attain to emancipation, while they that are wicked do not succeed in breaking them. He who never injures living creatures by thought, word, or deed, is never injured by such agencies as are destructive of life and property. Nothing can resist the messengers (Disease and Decrepitude) of Death when they advance except Truth which devours Untruth. In Truth is immortality. For these reasons one should practise the vow of Truth; one should devote oneself to a union with Truth; one should accept Truth for one's Veda; and restraining one's senses, one should vanquish the Destroyer by Truth. Both Immortality and Death are planted in the body. One comes to Death through ignorance and loss of judgment; while Immortality is achieved through Truth. I shall, therefore, abstain from injury and seek to achieve Truth, and transgressing the sway of desire and wrath, regard pleasure and pain with an equal eye, and attaining tranquillity, avoid Death like an immortal. Upon the advent of that season when the sun will progress towards the north, I shall restraining my senses, set to the performance of the Santi-sacrifice, the Brahma-sacrifice, the Mind-sacrifice, and the Work-sacrifice.

12.169.24

nibandhanī rajjureṣā yā grāme vasato ratiḥ |
chittvaināṃ sukṛto yānti naināṃ chindanti duṣkṛtaḥ || 24 ||

12.169.25

na hiṃsayati yaḥ prāṇānmanovākkāyahetubhiḥ |
jīvitārthāpanayanaiḥ karmabhirna sa badhyate || 25 ||

12.169.26

na mṛtyusenāmāyāntīṃ jātu kaścitprabādhate |
ṛte satyamasaṃtyājyaṃ satye hyamṛtamāśritam || 26 ||

12.169.27

tasmātsatyavratācāraḥ satyayogaparāyaṇaḥ |
satyārāmaḥ samo dāntaḥ satyenaivāntakaṃ jayet || 27 ||

12.169.28

amṛtaṃ caiva mṛtyuśca dvayaṃ dehe pratiṣṭhitam |
mṛtyumāpadyate mohātsatyenāpadyate'mṛtam || 28 ||

12.169.29

so'haṃ hyahiṃsraḥ satyārthī kāmakrodhabahiṣkṛtaḥ |
samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣemī mṛtyuṃ hāsyāmyamartyavat || 29 ||

12.169.30

śāntiyajñarato dānto brahmayajñe sthito muniḥ |
vāṅmanaḥkarmayajñaśca bhaviṣyāmyudagāyane || 30 ||

12.169.31

paśuyajñaiḥ kathaṃ hiṃsrairmādṛśo yaṣṭumarhati |
antavadbhiruta prājñaḥ kṣatrayajñaiḥ piśācavat || 31 ||

How can one like me worship his Maker in animal-sacrifices involving cruelty, or sacrifices of the body, such as Pisachas only can perform and such as produce fruits that are transitory? That person whose words, thoughts, penances, renunciation, and yoga meditation, all rest on Brahma, succeeds in earning the highest good. There is no eye which is equal to (the eye of) Knowledge. There is no penance like (that involved in) Truth. There is no sorrow equal to (that involved in) attachment. There is no happiness (that which is obtainable from) renunciation. I have sprung from Brahma through Brahma. I shall devote myself to Brahma, though I am childless. I shall return to Brahma. I do not require a son for rescuing me. A Brahmana can have no wealth like to the state of being alone, the state in consequence of which he is capable of regarding everything with an equal eye, the practice of truthfulness, good behaviour, patience, abstention from injury, simplicity, and avoidance of all rites and visible sacrifices. What use hast thou, O Brahmana, of wealth or kinsmen and relatives, of wives, when thou shalt have to die? Seek thy Self which is concealed in a cave. Where are thy grandsires and where thy sire?'

12.169.32

yasya vāṅmanasī syātāṃ samyakpraṇihite sadā |
tapastyāgaśca yogaśca sa vai sarvamavāpnuyāt || 32 ||

12.169.33

nāsti vidyāsamaṃ cakṣurnāsti vidyāsamaṃ balam |
nāsti rāgasamaṃ duḥkhaṃ nāsti tyāgasamaṃ sukham || 33 ||

12.169.34

ātmanyevātmanā jāta ātmaniṣṭho'prajo'pi vā |
ātmanyeva bhaviṣyāmi na māṃ tārayati prajā || 34 ||

12.169.35

naitādṛśaṃ brāhmaṇasyāsti vittaṃ yathaikatā samatā satyatā ca |
śīle sthitirdaṇḍanidhānamārjavaṃ tatastataścoparamaḥ kriyābhyaḥ || 35 ||

12.169.36

kiṃ te dhanairbāndhavairvāpi kiṃ te kiṃ te dārairbrāhmaṇa yo mariṣyasi |
ātmānamanviccha guhāṃ praviṣṭaṃ pitāmahaste kva gataḥ pitā ca || 36 ||

12.169.37

bhīṣma uvāca |
putrasyaitadvacaḥ śrutvā tathākārṣītpitā nṛpa |
tathā tvamapi vartasva satyadharmaparāyaṇaḥ || 37 ||

"Bhishma continued, 'Do thou also, O monarch, conduct thyself in that way in which the sire (in this story), conducts himself, devoted to the religion of Truth, after having listened to the speech of his son.'