Mahabharata 12.23: trayoviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ

12.23.1

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
evamuktastu kaunteyo guḍākeśena bhārata |
novāca kiṃcitkauravyastato dvaipāyano'bravīt || 1 ||

Vaisampayana said, "Thus addressed by Arjuna of curly hair, the Kuru king born of Kunti remained speechless. Then the island-born (Vyasa) said these words.

12.23.2

bībhatsorvacanaṃ samyaksatyametadyudhiṣṭhira |
śāstradṛṣṭaḥ paro dharmaḥ smṛto gārhasthya āśramaḥ || 2 ||

"Vyasa said, 'The words of Arjuna, O amiable Yudhishthira, are true. The highest religion, as declared by the scriptures, depends on the duties of domesticity. Thou art acquainted with all duties. Do thou then duly practise the duties prescribed for thee (viz., the duties of domesticity). A life of retirement in the woods, casting off the duties of domesticity, has not been laid down for thee. The gods, Pitris, guests, and servants, all depend (for their sustenance) upon the person leading a life of domesticity. Do thou then support all these, O lord of the earth! Birds and animals and various other creatures, O ruler of men, are supported by men leading domestic lives. He, therefore, that belongs to that mode of life is superior (to all others). A life of domesticity is the most difficult of all the four modes of life. Do thou practise that mode of life then, O Partha, which is difficult of being practised by persons of unrestrained sense. Thou hast a good knowledge of all the Vedas. Thou hast earned great ascetic merit. It behoveth thee, therefore, to bear like an ox the burthen of thy ancestral kingdom. Penances, sacrifices, forgiveness, learning, mendicancy, keeping the senses under control, contemplation, living in solitude, contentment, and knowledge (of Brahma), should, O king, be striven after by Brahmanas to the best of their ability for the attainment of success. I shall now tell thee the duties of Kshatriyas. They are not unknown to thee. Sacrifice, learning, exertion, ambition, wielding 'the rod of punishment,' fierceness, protection of subjects., knowledge of the Vedas, practise of all kinds of penances, goodness of conduct, acquisition of wealth, and gifts to deserving persons,--these, O king, well performed and acquired by persons of the royal order, secure for them both this world and the next, as heard by us. Amongst these, O son of Kunti, wielding the rod of chastisement has been said to be the foremost. Strength must always reside in a Kshatriya, and upon strength depends chastisement. Those duties that I have mentioned are, O king, the principal ones for Kshatriyas and contribute greatly to their success. Vrihaspati, in this connection, sang this verse: 'Like a snake devouring a mouse, the Earth devours a king that is inclined to peace and a Brahmana that is exceedingly attached to a life of domesticity.' It is heard again that the royal sage Sudyumna, only by wielding the rod of chastisement, obtained the highest success, like Daksha himself, the son of Prachetas.'

12.23.3

svadharmaṃ cara dharmajña yathāśāstraṃ yathāvidhi |
na hi gārhasthyamutsṛjya tavāraṇyaṃ vidhīyate || 3 ||

12.23.4

gṛhasthaṃ hi sadā devāḥ pitara ṛṣayastathā |
bhṛtyāścaivopajīvanti tānbhajasva mahīpate || 4 ||

12.23.5

vayāṃsi paśavaścaiva bhūtāni ca mahīpate |
gṛhasthaireva dhāryante tasmājjyeṣṭhāśramo gṛhī || 5 ||

12.23.6

so'yaṃ caturṇāmeteṣāmāśramāṇāṃ durācaraḥ |
taṃ carāvimanāḥ pārtha duścaraṃ durbalendriyaiḥ || 6 ||

12.23.7

vedajñānaṃ ca te kṛtsnaṃ tapaśca caritaṃ mahat |
pitṛpaitāmahe rājye dhuramudvoḍhumarhasi || 7 ||

12.23.8

tapo yajñastathā vidyā bhaikṣamindriyanigrahaḥ |
dhyānamekāntaśīlatvaṃ tuṣṭirdānaṃ ca śaktitaḥ || 8 ||

12.23.9

brāhmaṇānāṃ mahārāja ceṣṭāḥ saṃsiddhikārikāḥ |
kṣatriyāṇāṃ ca vakṣyāmi tavāpi viditaṃ punaḥ || 9 ||

12.23.10

yajño vidyā samutthānamasaṃtoṣaḥ śriyaṃ prati |
daṇḍadhāraṇamatyugraṃ prajānāṃ paripālanam || 10 ||

12.23.11

vedajñānaṃ tathā kṛtsnaṃ tapaḥ sucaritaṃ tathā |
draviṇopārjanaṃ bhūri pātreṣu pratipādanam || 11 ||

12.23.12

etāni rājñāṃ karmāṇi sukṛtāni viśāṃ pate |
imaṃ lokamamuṃ lokaṃ sādhayantīti naḥ śrutam || 12 ||

12.23.13

teṣāṃ jyāyastu kaunteya daṇḍadhāraṇamucyate |
balaṃ hi kṣatriye nityaṃ bale daṇḍaḥ samāhitaḥ || 13 ||

12.23.14

etāśceṣṭāḥ kṣatriyāṇāṃ rājansaṃsiddhikārikāḥ |
api gāthāmimāṃ cāpi bṛhaspatirabhāṣata || 14 ||

12.23.15

bhūmiretau nigirati sarpo bilaśayāniva |
rājānaṃ cāviroddhāraṃ brāhmaṇaṃ cāpravāsinam || 15 ||

12.23.16

sudyumnaścāpi rājarṣiḥ śrūyate daṇḍadhāraṇāt |
prāptavānparamāṃ siddhiṃ dakṣaḥ prācetaso yathā || 16 ||