Mahabharata 13.147: saptacatvāriṃśadadhikaśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ

13.147.1

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
ityuktavati vākyaṃ tu kṛṣṇe devakinandane |
bhīṣmaṃ śāṃtanavaṃ bhūyaḥ paryapṛcchadyudhiṣṭhiraḥ || 1 ||

"Vaisampayana said, 'After Krishna, the son of Devaki, had said these words, Yudhishthira once more asked Bhishma the son of Santanu, saying, 'O thou of great intelligence; O foremost of all persons conversant with duties, which, indeed, of the two, direct perception and the scriptures, is to be regarded as authority for arriving at a conclusion?'

13.147.2

nirṇaye vā mahābuddhe sarvadharmabhṛtāṃ vara |
pratyakṣamāgamo veti kiṃ tayoḥ kāraṇaṃ bhavet || 2 ||

13.147.3

bhīṣma uvāca |
nāstyatra saṃśayaḥ kaściditi me vartate matiḥ |
śṛṇu vakṣyāmi te prājña samyaktvamanupṛcchasi || 3 ||

"Bhishma said, 'I think, there is no doubt in this. Listen to me, O thou of great wisdom! I shall answer thee. The question thou hast asked is certainly proper. It is easy to cherish doubt. But the solution of that doubt is difficult. Innumerable are the instances, in respect of both direct perception and audition (or the scriptures), in which doubts may arise. Certain persons, who delight in the name of logicians, verily imagining themselves to be possessed of superior wisdom, affirm that direct perception is the only authority. They assert that nothing, however true, is existent which is not directly perceivable; or, at least they doubt the existence of those objects. Indeed, such assertions involve an absurdity and they who make them are of foolish understanding, whatever may be their pride of learning. If, on the other hand, thou doubtest as to how the one (indivisible Brahman) could be the cause, I answer that one would understand it only after a long course of years and with the assistance of Yoga practised without idleness. Indeed, O Bharata, one that lives according to such means as present themselves (without, i.e., one's being wedded to this or that settled mode of life), and one that is devoted (to the solution of the question), would be capable of understanding it. None else, truly, is competent for comprehending it. When one attains to the very end of reasons (or reasoning processes), one then attains to that excellent and all comprehending knowledge--that vast mass of effulgence which illumines all the universe (called Brahma). That knowledge, O king, which is derived from reason (or inferences) can scarcely be said to be knowledge. Such knowledge should be rejected. It should be noted that it is not defined or comprehended by the word. It should, therefore, be rejected!'"

13.147.4

saṃśayaḥ sugamo rājannirṇayastvatra durgamaḥ |
dṛṣṭaṃ śrutamanantaṃ hi yatra saṃśayadarśanam || 4 ||

13.147.5

pratyakṣaṃ kāraṇaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ hetukāḥ prājñamāninaḥ |
nāstītyevaṃ vyavasyanti satyaṃ saṃśayameva ca |
tadayuktaṃ vyavasyanti bālāḥ paṇḍitamāninaḥ || 5 ||

13.147.6

atha cenmanyase caikaṃ kāraṇaṃ kiṃ bhavediti |
śakyaṃ dīrgheṇa kālena yuktenātandritena ca |
prāṇayātrāmanekāṃ ca kalpayānena bhārata || 6 ||

13.147.7

tatpareṇaiva nānyena śakyaṃ hyetattu kāraṇam |
hetūnāmantamāsādya vipulaṃ jñānamuttamam |
jyotiḥ sarvasya lokasya vipulaṃ pratipadyate || 7 ||

13.147.8

tattvenāgamanaṃ rājanhetvantagamanaṃ tathā |
agrāhyamanibaddhaṃ ca vācaḥ saṃparivarjanam || 8 ||

13.147.9

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
pratyakṣaṃ lokataḥ siddhaṃ lokāścāgamapūrvakāḥ |
śiṣṭācāro bahuvidho brūhi tanme pitāmaha || 9 ||

"Yudhisthira said, 'Tell me, O grandsire, which among these (four) is most authoritative, viz., direct perception, inference from observation, the science of Agama or scriptures, and diverse kinds of practices that distinguish the good.'

13.147.10

bhīṣma uvāca |
dharmasya hriyamāṇasya balavadbhirdurātmabhiḥ |
saṃsthā yatnairapi kṛtā kālena paribhidyate || 10 ||

"Bhishma said, 'While Righteousness is sought to be destroyed by wicked persons possessed of great might, it is capable of being protected for the time being by those that are good exerting themselves with care and earnestness. Such protection, however, avails not in the long run, for destruction does overtake Righteousness at the end. Then, again, Righteousness often proves a mask for covering Unrighteousness, like grass and straw covering the mouth of a deep pit and concealing it from the view. Hear, again, O Yudhisthira! In consequence of this, the practices of the good are interfered with and destroyed by the wicked. Those persons who are of evil conduct, who discard the Srutis--indeed, those wicked wights who are haters of Righteousness,--destroy that good course of conduct (which could otherwise be set up as a standard). Hence, doubts attach to direct perception, inference, and good conduct. Those, therefore, among the good that are possessed of understanding born of (or cleansed by) the scriptures and that are ever contented, are to be regarded as the foremost. Let those that are anxious and deprived of tranquillity of soul, approach these. Indeed, O Yudhishthira., do thou pay court to them and seek of them the solutions of thy doubt! Disregarding both pleasure and wealth which always follow cupidity and awakened into the belief that only Righteousness should be sought, do thou, O Yudhishthira, wait upon and ask those persons (for enlightening thyself). The conduct of those persons never goes wrong or meets with destruction, as also their sacrifices and Vedic study and rites. Indeed, these three, viz., conduct as consisting of overt acts, behaviour in respect of (mental) purity, and the Vedas together constitute Righteousness.'

13.147.11

adharmā dharmarūpeṇa tṛṇaiḥ kūpā ivāvṛtāḥ |
tatastairbhidyate vṛttaṃ śṛṇu caiva yudhiṣṭhira || 11 ||

13.147.12

avṛttyā ye ca bhindanti śrutatyāgaparāyaṇāḥ |
dharmavidveṣiṇo mandā ityuktasteṣu saṃśayaḥ || 12 ||

13.147.13

atṛpyantastu sādhūnāṃ ya evāgamabuddhayaḥ |
paramityeva saṃtuṣṭāstānupāssva ca pṛccha ca || 13 ||

13.147.14

kāmārthau pṛṣṭhataḥ kṛtvā lobhamohānusāriṇau |
dharma ityeva saṃbuddhāstānupāssva ca pṛccha ca || 14 ||

13.147.15

na teṣāṃ bhidyate vṛttaṃ yajñasvādhyāyakarmabhiḥ |
ācāraḥ kāraṇaṃ caiva dharmaścaiva trayaṃ punaḥ || 15 ||

13.147.16

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
punareveha me buddhiḥ saṃśaye parimuhyate |
apāre mārgamāṇasya paraṃ tīramapaśyataḥ || 16 ||

"Yudhishthira said, 'O grandsire, my understanding is once more stupefied by doubt. I am on this side the ocean, employed in searching after the means of crossing it. I do not, however, behold the other shore of the ocean! If these three, viz., the Vedas, direct perception (or acts that are seen), and behaviour (or, mental purity) together constitute what is to be regarded as authority, it can be alleged that there is difference between them. Righteousness then becomes really of three kinds, although it is one and indivisible.'

13.147.17

vedāḥ pratyakṣamācāraḥ pramāṇaṃ tattrayaṃ yadi |
pṛthaktvaṃ labhyate caiṣāṃ dharmaścaikastrayaṃ katham || 17 ||

13.147.18

bhīṣma uvāca |
dharmasya hriyamāṇasya balavadbhirdurātmabhiḥ |
yadyevaṃ manyase rājaṃstridhā dharmavicāraṇā || 18 ||

"Bhishma said, 'Righteousness is sometimes seen to be destroyed by wicked wights of great power. If thou thinkest, O king, that Righteousness should really be of three kinds, my reply is that thy conclusion is warranted by reason. The truth is that Righteousness is one and indivisible, although it is capable of being viewed from three different points. The paths (indications) of those three that constitute the foundation of Righteousness have each been laid down. Do thou act according to the instructions laid down. Thou shouldst never wrangle about Righteousness and then seek to have those doubts solved into which thou mayst arrive. O chief of the Bharatas, let no doubts like these ever take possession of thy mind! Do thou obey what I say without scruple of any kind. Follow me like a blind man or like one who, without being possessed of sense himself, has to depend upon that of another. Abstention from injury, truth, absence of wrath (or forgiveness), and liberality of gifts,--these four, O king, that hast no foe, do thou practise, for these four constitute eternal Righteousness! Do thou also, O mighty-armed prince, pursue that conduct towards the Brahmanas which is consistent with what has been observed towards them by thy sires and grandsires. These are the principal indications of Righteousness. That man of little intelligence who would destroy the weight of authority by denying that to be a standard which has always been accepted as such would himself fail to become an authority among men. Such a man becomes the cause of much grief in the world. Do thou reverence the Brahmanas and treat them with hospitality. Do thou always serve them in this way. The universe rests on them. Do thou understand them to be such!'

13.147.19

eka eveti jānīhi tridhā tasya pradarśanam |
pṛthaktve caiva me buddhistrayāṇāmapi vai tathā || 19 ||

13.147.20

ukto mārgastrayāṇāṃ ca tattathaiva samācara |
jijñāsā tu na kartavyā dharmasya paritarkaṇāt || 20 ||

13.147.21

sadaiva bharataśreṣṭha mā te bhūdatra saṃśayaḥ |
andho jaḍa ivāśaṅko yadbravīmi tadācara || 21 ||

13.147.22

ahiṃsā satyamakrodho dānametaccatuṣṭayam |
ajātaśatro sevasva dharma eṣa sanātanaḥ || 22 ||

13.147.23

brāhmaṇeṣu ca vṛttiryā pitṛpaitāmahocitā |
tāmanvehi mahābāho svargasyaite hi deśikāḥ || 23 ||

13.147.24

pramāṇamapramāṇaṃ vai yaḥ kuryādabudho naraḥ |
na sa pramāṇatāmarho vivādajanano hi saḥ || 24 ||

13.147.25

brāhmaṇāneva sevasva satkṛtya bahumanya ca |
eteṣveva tvime lokāḥ kṛtsnā iti nibodha tān || 25 ||