Critical Edition
युधिष्ठिर उवाच कथं धर्मे स्थातुमिच्छन्नरो वर्तेत भारत विद्वञ्जिज्ञासमानाय प्रब्रूहि भरतर्षभ
M. N. Dutt: Yudhishthira said How, O Bharata, should a person act who wishes to follow virtue? O foremost of Bharata's race, learned as you are, enlighten me on the question put by me.
सत्यं चैवानृतं चोभे लोकानावृत्य तिष्ठतः तयोः किमाचरेद्राजन्पुरुषो धर्मनिश्चितः
M. N. Dutt: Truth and falsehood exist, all over the world. Which of these two, O king, should a virtuous person follow.
किं स्वित्सत्यं किमनृतं किं स्विद्धर्म्यं सनातनम् कस्मिन्काले वदेत्सत्यं कस्मिन्कालेऽनृतं वदेत्
M. N. Dutt: What again is truth? What is falsehood? What, again, is eternal virtue? When should a person tell the truth, and when should he tell an untruth?
भीष्म उवाच सत्यस्य वचनं साधु न सत्याद्विद्यते परम् यद्भूलोके सुदुर्ज्ञातं तत्ते वक्ष्यामि भारत
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said s To tell the truth is righteous. There is nothing higher than truth. I shall now, O Bharata, tell you what men do not know generally.
भवेत्सत्यं न वक्तव्यं वक्तव्यमनृतं भवेत् यत्रानृतं भवेत्सत्यं सत्यं वाप्यनृतं भवेत्
M. N. Dutt: There, where falsehood prevails as truth, truth should not be said. There, again, where truth passes for falsehood, even falsehood should be said.
तादृशे मुह्यते बालो यत्र सत्यमनिष्ठितम् सत्यानृते विनिश्चित्य ततो भवति धर्मवित्
M. N. Dutt: That ignorant person commits sin, who says truth which is not righteous. That person is a master of duties who can distinguish truth from untruth.
अप्यनार्योऽकृतप्रज्ञः पुरुषोऽपि सुदारुणः सुमहत्प्राप्नुयात्पुण्यं बलाकोऽन्धवधादिव
M. N. Dutt: Even a person, who is disreputable, who is of impure soul, and who is very truthless, may succeed in acquiring great merit as the hunter Balaka by killing the blind beast.
किमाश्चर्यं च यन्मूढो धर्मकामोऽप्यधर्मवित् सुमहत्प्राप्नुयात्पापं गङ्गायामिव कौशिकः
M. N. Dutt: How extraordinary it is that a foolish person though desirous of winning merit still perpetrated a sinful deed! An owl, again, living on the banks of the Ganges, acquired great merit.
तादृशोऽयमनुप्रश्नो यत्र धर्मः सुदुर्वचः दुष्करः प्रतिसंख्यातुं तर्केणात्र व्यवस्यति
M. N. Dutt: The question you have put to me a difficult one, because it is difficult to say what is righteousness. It is not easy to describe it. No one describing righteousness, can describe it accurately.
प्रभावार्थाय भूतानां धर्मप्रवचनं कृतम् यत्स्यादहिंसासंयुक्तं स धर्म इति निश्चयः
M. N. Dutt: Righteousness was declared for the aggrandisement and growth of all creatures. Therefore, what brings on advancement and growth is righteousness.
Supplementary Passages:
12.110.10 K3 V1 B Da D3-8 T G1.3.4 M.1.3.4 ins. after 10: Dn after 11: *251 अहिंसार्थाय भूतानां धर्मप्रवचनं कृतम् यत्स्यादहिंसासंयुक्तं स धर्म इति निश्चयः T G1.3.4 M1.3.4 cont.: G2 M2 ins. after 10: *252 अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्तपो दानं दमो मतिः अनसूयाप्यमात्सर्यमनीर्ष्या शीलमेव च एष धर्मः कुरुश्रेष्ठ कथितः परमेष्ठिना ब्रह्मणा देवदेवेन अयं चैव सनातनः अस्मिन्धर्मे स्थितो राजन्नरो भद्राणि पश्यति श्रौतो वधात्मको धर्म अहिंसा परमार्थिकः
धारणाद्धर्म इत्याहुर्धर्मेण विधृताः प्रजाः यत्स्याद्धारणसंयुक्तं स धर्म इति निश्चयः
M. N. Dutt: Righteousness was declared for preventing creatures from injuring one another. Therefore, Righteousness is that which prevents injury to creatures.
Supplementary Passages:
12.110.11 After 11, Dn ins. 251*; while D4 ins.: *253 हितं स्याद्यत्र भूतानां पतितानां सुसंकटे
श्रुतिधर्म इति ह्येके नेत्याहुरपरे जनाः न तु तत्प्रत्यसूयामो न हि सर्वं विधीयते
M. N. Dutt: Some say that Righteousness is the injunction of the Shrutis. Others do not agree to this. I would into blame them that say so. Everything, again, has not been described in the Shrutis.
येऽन्यायेन जिहीर्षन्तो धनमिच्छन्ति कर्हिचित् तेभ्यस्तन्न तदाख्येयं स धर्म इति निश्चयः
M. N. Dutt: Sometimes men, desirous of getting hold of the wealth of some one, make enquiries. One should never answer such enquiries. That is settled duty.
अकूजनेन चेन्मोक्षो नात्र कूजेत्कथंचन अवश्यं कूजितव्यं वा शङ्केरन्वाप्यकूजनात्
AI Translation: If there is no liberation without crying, then one should not cry at all. Or, if one must cry, then one should cry, fearing that even without crying, there will be no liberation.
Supplementary Passages:
12.110.14 After 14, D7 T G3.4 M ins.: *254 येऽन्ये चाप्यनृतं कुर्युः कुर्यादेव विचारणम्
श्रेयस्तत्रानृतं वक्तुं सत्यादिति विचारितम् यः पापैः सह संबन्धान्मुच्यते शपथादिति
AI Translation: It has been considered that it is better to speak untruth than truth in that case. One is freed from association with sins by taking an oath.
Supplementary Passages:
12.110.15 D7 G3.4 M Cv ins. after 15ab G2 after 14: *255 अक्षयेभ्यो वधं राजन्कुर्यादेवाविचारयन् अबुद्धानुशये दोषं श्रेयस्तत्रानृतं भवेत् न स्तेनैः सह संबन्धान्मुच्यते शपथादपि श्रेयस्तत्रानृतं वक्तुं सत्यादिति हि धारणा
न च तेभ्यो धनं देयं शक्ये सति कथंचन पापेभ्यो हि धनं दत्तं दातारमपि पीडयेत्
M. N. Dutt: One should not, even if he is able, give away his wealth to sinful men. Wealth given to sinful men assails even the giver.
स्वशरीरोपरोधेन वरमादातुमिच्छतः सत्यसंप्रतिपत्त्यर्थं ये ब्रूयुः साक्षिणः क्वचित् अनुक्त्वा तत्र तद्वाच्यं सर्वे तेऽनृतवादिनः
M. N. Dutt: If a creditor wishes to take from his debtor a payment of the load by bodily service, the witnesses would all perjure, it, summoned by the creditor for establishing the truth of the agreement, they did not say what should be said. When life is in danger, or on occasions of marriage, one may say an untruth.
प्राणात्यये विवाहे च वक्तव्यमनृतं भवेत् अर्थस्य रक्षणार्थाय परेषां धर्मकारणात् परेषां धर्ममाकाङ्क्षन्नीचः स्याद्धर्मभिक्षुकः
M. N. Dutt: One, who seeks for virtue, does not commit a sin by saying a falsehood, if it be said to save the wealth and prosperity of others, or for religious purposes.
प्रतिश्रुत्य तु दातव्यं श्वःकार्यस्तु बलात्कृतः यः कश्चिद्धर्मसमयात्प्रच्युतोऽधर्ममास्थितः
AI Translation: But having promised, one should give. The work to be done tomorrow is done by force. Whoever has fallen from the Dharma and resorted to Adharma,
Supplementary Passages:
12.110.19 After 19, K4.5 V1 B D (except D1) S ins.: *256 दम्भेनैव स हन्तव्यस्तं पन्थानं समाश्रितः च्युतः सदैव धर्मेभ्योऽमानवं धर्ममास्थितः
शठः स्वधर्ममुत्सृज्य तमिच्छेदुपजीवितुम् सर्वोपायैर्निहन्तव्यः पापो निकृतिजीवनः
AI Translation: One who is deceitful, abandoning his own duty, wishes to live by depending on him. The sinful one who lives by deceit should be killed by all means.
धनमित्येव पापानां सर्वेषामिह निश्चयः येऽविषह्या ह्यसंभोज्या निकृत्या पतनं गताः
AI Translation: It is certain that all sins are wealth. Those who are unbearable, not to be eaten, and have fallen by deceit.
च्युता देवमनुष्येभ्यो यथा प्रेतास्तथैव ते धनादानाद्दुःखतरं जीविताद्विप्रयोजनम्
AI Translation: Those who are deprived of the gods and men are like the ghosts. It is more painful to be deprived of wealth than to be deprived of life.
Supplementary Passages:
12.110.22 After 22ab, N (except D7) ins.: *257 निर्यज्ञास्तपसा हीना मा स्म तैः सह संगमः
अयं वो रोचतां धर्म इति वाच्यः प्रयत्नतः न कश्चिदस्ति पापानां धर्म इत्येष निश्चयः
M. N. Dutt: Of those sinful men there is none to whom you can say, This is your duty. Let your heart be to it!-Their firm belief is that there is nothing in this world which is equal to wealth.
तथागतं च यो हन्यान्नासौ पापेन लिप्यते स्वकर्मणा हतं हन्ति हत एव स हन्यते तेषु यः समयं कश्चित्कुर्वीत हतबुद्धिषु
M. N. Dutt: The person that would kill such a creature would commit no sin. He, who slays him, slays one that has been already killed by his own acts. If killed, it is the dead that is killed.
यथा काकश्च गृध्रश्च तथैवोपधिजीविनः ऊर्ध्वं देहविमोक्षान्ते भवन्त्येतासु योनिषु
M. N. Dutt: He, who promises to kill those persons of lost senses, should keep his promise. Such sinners are like the crow and the vulture who live by deceit. When their bodies are dissolved, they are born again as crows and vultures.
यस्मिन्यथा वर्तते यो मनुष्य;स्तस्मिंस्तथा वर्तितव्यं स धर्मः मायाचारो मायया वर्तितव्यः; साध्वाचारः साधुना प्रत्युदेयः
M. N. Dutt: One should treat another as the latter does him. A deceitful person should be thwarted with deceit, while an honest man should be treated with honesty.