Critical Edition
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच कथं संसारगहनं विज्ञेयं वदतां वर एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं तत्त्वमाख्याहि पृच्छतः
M. N. Dutt: Dhritarashtra said "O best of speakers, how may the wilderness of this world be known? I wish to hear this. Accosted by me, tell me this.”
विदुर उवाच जन्मप्रभृति भूतानां क्रियाः सर्वाः शृणु प्रभो पूर्वमेवेह कलले वसते किंचिदन्तरम्
M. N. Dutt: Vidura said "I will describe to you all the acts of creatures from the very beginning. In the beginning it lives in the mixture of blood and semen. Then it grows little by little. Then on the expiration of the fifth mouth it puts on a shape.
Supplementary Passages:
11.4.2 After 2, B1.4 ins.: *14 ततस्तु वायुवेगेन कललं किंचिदन्तरम्
ततः स पञ्चमेऽतीते मासे मांसं प्रकल्पयेत् ततः सर्वाङ्गसंपूर्णो गर्भो मासे प्रजायते
M. N. Dutt: It next becomes a foetus with all its limbs made up, and live in a dirty place, covered with flesh and blood.
अमेध्यमध्ये वसति मांसशोणितलेपने ततस्तु वायुवेगेन ऊर्ध्वपादो ह्यधःशिराः
M. N. Dutt: Then, by the action of the wind, its lower limbs are turned upwards and the head comes downwards. Getting by this posture at the mouth of the uterus, it suffers manifold miseries.
योनिद्वारमुपागम्य बहून्क्लेशान्समृच्छति योनिसंपीडनाच्चैव पूर्वकर्मभिरन्वितः
M. N. Dutt: On account of the contraction of the uterus, the creatures then comes out of it, bearing the results of all his pristine acts. He then meets in this world with other evils that best him. Misfortunes go to him like dogs drawn by the scent of ineat.
तस्मान्मुक्तः स संसारादन्यान्पश्यत्युपद्रवान् ग्रहास्तमुपसर्पन्ति सारमेया इवामिषम्
AI Translation: Therefore, being liberated from that, he sees other afflictions. The planets approach him like jackals to meat.
ततः प्राप्तोत्तरे काले व्याधयश्चापि तं तथा उपसर्पन्ति जीवन्तं बध्यमानं स्वकर्मभिः
AI Translation: Then, in the later period, diseases also approach him in that way, while he is living, being bound by his own actions.
बद्धमिन्द्रियपाशैस्तं सङ्गस्वादुभिरातुरम् व्यसनान्युपवर्तन्ते विविधानि नराधिप बध्यमानश्च तैर्भूयो नैव तृप्तिमुपैति सः
M. N. Dutt: Caught by these, he never enjoys happiness. At that time he does not obtain the fruit of his acts, right or wrong. They, however, fix their minds on reflection, succeed in protection their souls.
Supplementary Passages:
11.4.8 After 8, N (Ś2 K4 D8 missing) ins.: *15 तदा न वेत्ति चैवायं प्रकुर्वन्साध्वसाधुनी K3 Ñ1 B D (except D2; D8 missing) cont.: while S ins. after 8 (cf. v.l. 10): *16 तथैव परिरक्ष्यन्ति ये ध्यानपरिनिष्ठिताः
अयं न बुध्यते तावद्यमलोकमथागतम् यमदूतैर्विकृष्यंश्च मृत्युं कालेन गच्छति
AI Translation: He does not understand that he has come to the world of Yama, and when he is dragged by Yama's messengers, he goes to death at the time of death.
वाग्घीनस्य च यन्मात्रमिष्टानिष्टं कृतं मुखे भूय एवात्मनात्मानं बध्यमानमुपेक्षते
M. N. Dutt: Overcome by his senses, he does good and evil at the every commencement. Having enjoyed or suffered this fruits of these, he again becomes indifferent to his acts of selfdestruction.
अहो विनिकृतो लोको लोभेन च वशीकृतः लोभक्रोधमदोन्मत्तो नात्मानमवबुध्यते
M. N. Dutt: Alas, the world is deceived, and covetousness subdues it. Deprived of sense by covetousness, anger, and fear, one knows not one's own self!
कुलीनत्वेन रमते दुष्कुलीनान्विकुत्सयन् धनदर्पेण दृप्तश्च दरिद्रान्परिकुत्सयन्
M. N. Dutt: Proud of his high birth, one is seen to speak ill of those that are but high born. Elated with pride of wealth, one is seen to hate the poor.
मूर्खानिति परानाह नात्मानं समवेक्षते शिक्षां क्षिपति चान्येषां नात्मानं शास्तुमिच्छति
M. N. Dutt: One considers others as ignorant fools, but seldom gauges his own self. One attributes faults to others, but never wishes to punish his own self.
Supplementary Passages:
11.4.13 Ñ1 B Dn D1.3-7.9 S ins. after 13: K3, after the second occur- rence of 13cd: *17 यदा प्राज्ञाश्च मूढाश्च धनवन्तोऽथ निर्धनाः कुलीनाश्चाकुलीनाश्च मानिनोऽथाप्यमानिनः सर्वे पितृवनं प्राप्ताः स्वपन्ति विगतत्वचः निर्मांसैरस्थिभूयिष्ठैर्गात्रैः स्नायुनिबन्धनैः किं विशेषं प्रपश्यन्ति तत्र तेषां परे जनाः येन प्रत्यवगच्छेयुः कुलरूपविशेषणम् यदा सर्वे समं न्यस्ताः स्वपन्ति धरणीतले कस्मादन्योन्यमिच्छन्ति प्रलब्धुमिह दुर्बुधाः प्रत्यक्षं च परोक्षं च यो निशम्य श्रुतिं त्विमाम्
अध्रुवे जीवलोकेऽस्मिन्यो धर्ममनुपालयन् जन्मप्रभृति वर्तेत प्राप्नुयात्परमां गतिम्
M. N. Dutt: He who, looking at this scriptural injunction with his own eyes or hearing it from others, practises virtue in this unstable world of life and sticks to it from early age, attains to the highest end.
एवं सर्वं विदित्वा वै यस्तत्त्वमनुवर्तते स प्रमोक्षाय लभते पन्थानं मनुजाधिप
M. N. Dutt: Learning all this, he that sticks to Truth, O king, gets over all paths.”