Mahabharata 12.26: ṣaḍviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ

12.26.1

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
dvaipāyanavacaḥ śrutvā kupite ca dhanaṃjaye |
vyāsamāmantrya kaunteyaḥ pratyuvāca yudhiṣṭhiraḥ || 1 ||

Vaisampayana said, "Hearing the words of the Island-born Rishi and seeing Dhananjaya angry, Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, saluted Vyasa and made the following answer.

12.26.2

na pārthivamidaṃ rājyaṃ na ca bhogāḥ pṛthagvidhāḥ |
prīṇayanti mano me'dya śoko māṃ nardayatyayam || 2 ||

"Yudhishthira said, 'This earthly sovereignty and the diverse enjoyments (appertaining thereto) fail to give any joy to my heart. On the other hand, this poignant grief (consequent upon the loss of my kinsmen) is eating away its core. Hearing the lamentations of these women who have lost their heroic husbands and children, I fail to attain peace, O sage!'"

12.26.3

śrutvā ca vīrahīnānāmaputrāṇāṃ ca yoṣitām |
paridevayamānānāṃ śāntiṃ nopalabhe mune || 3 ||

12.26.4

ityuktaḥ pratyuvācedaṃ vyāso yogavidāṃ varaḥ |
yudhiṣṭhiraṃ mahāprājñaṃ dharmajño vedapāragaḥ || 4 ||

Vaisampayana continued, "Thus addressed, the virtuous Vyasa that foremost of all persons conversant with Yoga, possessed of great wisdom and intimately acquainted with the Vedas, said unto Yudhisthira (the following words).

12.26.5

na karmaṇā labhyate cintayā vā nāpyasya dātā puruṣasya kaścit |
paryāyayogādvihitaṃ vidhātrā kālena sarvaṃ labhate manuṣyaḥ || 5 ||

"Vyasa said, 'No man can acquire anything by his own acts or by sacrifices and worship. No man can give anything to a fellow man. Man acquires everything through Time. The Supreme Ordainer has made the course of Time the means of acquisition. By mere intelligence or study of the scriptures, men, if Time be unfavourable, cannot acquire any earthly possession. Sometimes an ignorant fool may succeed in winning wealth. Time is the efficacious means for the accomplishment of all acts. During times of adversity, neither science, nor incantations, nor drugs, yield any fruits. In times, however, of prosperity, those very things, properly applied, become efficacious and bear success. By Time the winds blow violently: by Time the clouds become rain-charged; by Time tanks become adorned with lotuses of different kinds; by Time trees in the forest become decked with flowers. By Time nights become dark or lighted. By Time the Moon becomes full. If the Time for it does not come, trees do not bear flowers and fruits. If the Time for it does not come, the currents of rivers do not become fierce. Birds and snakes and deer and elephants and other animals never become excited when the Time for it does not come. If the Time for it does not come, women do not conceive. It is with Time that winter, and summer, and the rainy season come. If the Time for it does not come, no one is born and no one dies. If the Time does not come, the infant does not acquire power of speech.

12.26.6

na buddhiśāstrādhyayanena śakyaṃ prāptuṃ viśeṣairmanujairakāle |
mūrkho'pi prāpnoti kadācidarthānkālo hi kāryaṃ prati nirviśeṣaḥ || 6 ||

12.26.7

nābhūtikāle ca phalaṃ dadāti śilpaṃ na mantrāśca tathauṣadhāni |
tānyeva kālena samāhitāni sidhyanti cedhyanti ca bhūtikāle || 7 ||

12.26.8

kālena śīghrāḥ pravivānti vātāḥ kālena vṛṣṭirjaladānupaiti |
kālena padmotpalavajjalaṃ ca kālena puṣyanti nagā vaneṣu || 8 ||

12.26.9

kālena kṛṣṇāśca sitāśca rātryaḥ kālena candraḥ paripūrṇabimbaḥ |
nākālataḥ puṣpaphalaṃ nagānāṃ nākālavegāḥ sarito vahanti || 9 ||

12.26.10

nākālamattāḥ khagapannagāśca mṛgadvipāḥ śailamahāgrahāśca |
nākālataḥ strīṣu bhavanti garbhā nāyāntyakāle śiśiroṣṇavarṣāḥ || 10 ||

12.26.11

nākālato mriyate jāyate vā nākālato vyāharate ca bālaḥ |
nākālato yauvanamabhyupaiti nākālato rohati bījamuptam || 11 ||

If the Time does not come, one does not acquire youth. It is with Time that the seed sown puts forth its sprouts. If the Time does not come, the Sun does not appear above the horizon, nor, when the Time for it does not come, does he repair to the Asta hills. If the Time for it does not come, the Moon does not wax nor wane, nor the ocean, with its high billows, rise and ebb. In this connection is instanced the old story recited, O Yudhishthira, by king Senajit in grief. The irresistible course of Time affects all mortals. All earthly things, ripened by Time, suffer destruction. Some, O king, slay some men. The slayers, again, are slain by others. This is the language of the world. Really, however, no one stays and no one is slain. Some one thinks men slay (their fellow-men). Another thinks men do not slay. The truth is that the birth and destruction of all creatures have been ordained to happen in consequence of their very nature. Upon the loss of one's wealth or the death of one's wife or son or sire, one cries out, saying 'Alas, what grief!' and dwelling upon that sorrow always enhances it. Why do you, like a foolish person, indulge in grief? Why do you grieve for them that are subject to grief? Behold, grief is increased by indulgence as fear is by yielding to. This body even is not mine. Nothing in this earth is mine. Or, the things of this earth belong as much to others as to me. The wise, seeing, this, do not suffer themselves to be deluded.

12.26.12

nākālato bhānurupaiti yogaṃ nākālato'staṃ girimabhyupaiti |
nākālato vardhate hīyate ca candraḥ samudraśca mahormimālī || 12 ||

12.26.13

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam |
gītaṃ rājñā senajitā duḥkhārtena yudhiṣṭhira || 13 ||

12.26.14

sarvānevaiṣa paryāyo martyānspṛśati dustaraḥ |
kālena paripakvā hi mriyante sarvamānavāḥ || 14 ||

12.26.15

ghnanti cānyānnarā rājaṃstānapyanye narāstathā |
saṃjñaiṣā laukikī rājanna hinasti na hanyate || 15 ||

12.26.16

hantīti manyate kaścinna hantītyapi cāpare |
svabhāvatastu niyatau bhūtānāṃ prabhavāpyayau || 16 ||

12.26.17

naṣṭe dhane vā dāre vā putre pitari vā mṛte |
aho kaṣṭamiti dhyāyañśokasyāpacitiṃ caret || 17 ||

12.26.18

sa kiṃ śocasi mūḍhaḥ sañśocyaḥ kimanuśocasi |
paśya duḥkheṣu duḥkhāni bhayeṣu ca bhayānyapi || 18 ||

12.26.19

ātmāpi cāyaṃ na mama sarvāpi pṛthivī mama |
yathā mama tathānyeṣāmiti paśyanna muhyati || 19 ||

12.26.20

śokasthānasahasrāṇi harṣasthānaśatāni ca |
divase divase mūḍhamāviśanti na paṇḍitam || 20 ||

There are thousands of causes for sorrow, and hundreds of causes for joy. These every day affect the ignorant only, but not him that is wise. These, in course of Time. become objects of affection or aversion, and appearing as bliss or woe revolve (as if in a wheel) for affecting living creatures. There is only sorrow in this world but no happiness. It is for this that sorrow only is felt. Indeed, sorrow springs from that affliction called desire, and happiness springs from the affliction called sorrow. Sorrow comes after happiness, and happiness after sorrow. One does not always suffer sorrow or always enjoy happiness. Happiness always ends in sorrow, and sometimes proceeds from sorrow itself. He, therefore, that desires eternal happiness must abandon both. When sorrow must arise upon the expiration of happiness, and happiness upon the expiration of sorrow, one should, for that, cast off, like a (snake-bit) limb of one's body, that from which one experiences sorrow or that heart-burning which is nurtured by sorrow or that which is the root of his anxiety. Be it happiness or sorrow, be it agreeable or disagreeable, whatever comes should be borne with an unaffected heart. O amiable one, if thou abstainest, in even a slight measure, from doing what is agreeable to your wives and children, thou shalt then know who is whose and why so and for what. They that are highly stupid and they that are masters of their souls enjoy happiness here.

12.26.21

evametāni kālena priyadveṣyāṇi bhāgaśaḥ |
jīveṣu parivartante duḥkhāni ca sukhāni ca || 21 ||

12.26.22

duḥkhamevāsti na sukhaṃ tasmāttadupalabhyate |
tṛṣṇārtiprabhavaṃ duḥkhaṃ duḥkhārtiprabhavaṃ sukham || 22 ||

12.26.23

sukhasyānantaraṃ duḥkhaṃ duḥkhasyānantaraṃ sukham |
na nityaṃ labhate duḥkhaṃ na nityaṃ labhate sukham || 23 ||

12.26.24

sukhamante hi duḥkhānāṃ duḥkhamante sukhasya ca |
tasmādetaddvayaṃ jahyādya icchecchāśvataṃ sukham || 24 ||

12.26.25

yannimittaṃ bhavecchokastāpo vā duḥkhamūrchitaḥ |
āyāso vāpi yanmūlastadekāṅgamapi tyajet || 25 ||

12.26.26

sukhaṃ vā yadi vā duḥkhaṃ priyaṃ vā yadi vāpriyam |
prāptaṃ prāptamupāsīta hṛdayenāparājitaḥ || 26 ||

12.26.27

īṣadapyaṅga dārāṇāṃ putrāṇāṃ vā carāpriyam |
tato jñāsyasi kaḥ kasya kena vā kathameva vā || 27 ||

12.26.28

ye ca mūḍhatamā loke ye ca buddheḥ paraṃ gatāḥ |
ta eva sukhamedhante madhyaḥ kleśena yujyate || 28 ||

They however, that occupy an intermediate place suffer misery. This, O Yudhishthira, is what Senajit of great wisdom said, that person who was conversant with what is good or bad in this world, with duties, and with happiness and misery. He who is grieved at other people's griefs can never be happy. There is no end of grief, and grief arises from happiness itself. Happiness and misery, prosperity and adversity, gain and loss, death and life, in their turn, wait upon all creatures. For this reason the wise man of tranquil soul should neither be elated with joy nor be depressed with sorrow. To be engaged in battle has been said to be the Sacrifice for a king; a due observance of the science of chastisement is his Yoga; and the gift of wealth in sacrifices in the form of Dakshina is his Renunciation. All these should be regarded as acts that sanctify him. By governing the kingdom with intelligence and policy, casting off pride, performing sacrifices, and looking at everything and all persons with kindness and impartiality, a high-souled king, after death, sports in the region of the gods. By winning battles, protecting his kingdom, drinking the Soma juice, advancing his subjects, wielding judiciously the rod of Chastisement, and casting off his body at last in fight, a king enjoys happiness in heaven.

12.26.29

ityabravīnmahāprājño yudhiṣṭhira sa senajit |
parāvarajño lokasya dharmavitsukhaduḥkhavit || 29 ||

12.26.30

sukhī parasya yo duḥkhe na jātu sa sukhī bhavet |
duḥkhānāṃ hi kṣayo nāsti jāyate hyaparātparam || 30 ||

12.26.31

sukhaṃ ca duḥkhaṃ ca bhavābhavau ca lābhālābhau maraṇaṃ jīvitaṃ ca |
paryāyaśaḥ sarvamiha spṛśanti tasmāddhīro naiva hṛṣyenna kupyet || 31 ||

12.26.32

dīkṣāṃ yajñe pālanaṃ yuddhamāhuryogaṃ rāṣṭre daṇḍanītyā ca samyak |
vittatyāgaṃ dakṣiṇānāṃ ca yajñe samyagjñānaṃ pāvanānīti vidyāt || 32 ||

12.26.33

rakṣanrāṣṭraṃ buddhipūrvaṃ nayena saṃtyaktātmā yajñaśīlo mahātmā |
sarvām̐llokāndharmamūrtyā caraṃścāpyūrdhvaṃ dehānmodate devaloke || 33 ||

12.26.34

jitvā saṃgrāmānpālayitvā ca rāṣṭraṃ somaṃ pītvā vardhayitvā prajāśca |
yuktyā daṇḍaṃ dhārayitvā prajānāṃ yuddhe kṣīṇo modate devaloke || 34 ||

12.26.35

samyagvedānprāpya śāstrāṇyadhītya samyagrāṣṭraṃ pālayitvā ca rājā |
cāturvarṇyaṃ sthāpayitvā svadharme pūtātmā vai modate devaloke || 35 ||

Having studied all the Vedas and the other scriptures duty, having protected the kingdom properly, and having caused all the four orders to adhere to their respective duties, a king becomes sanctified and finally sports in heaven. He is the best of kings whose conduct, even after his death, is applauded by the inhabitants of city and country and by his counsellors and friends."

12.26.36

yasya vṛttaṃ namasyanti svargasthasyāpi mānavāḥ |
paurajānapadāmātyāḥ sa rājā rājasattamaḥ || 36 ||