Critical Edition
शौनक उवाच तस्मात्तेऽहं प्रवक्ष्यामि धर्ममावृत्तचेतसे श्रीमान्महाबलस्तुष्टो यस्त्वं धर्ममवेक्षसे पुरस्ताद्दारुणो भूत्वा सुचित्रतरमेव तत्
M. N. Dutt: Shaunaka said I shall for these reasons describe to you virtue, you whose heart has been exceedingly agitated. Endued with knowledge, great strength, and a contented heart, you seek virtue of your own accord.
अनुगृह्णन्ति भूतानि स्वेन वृत्तेन पार्थिव कृत्स्ने नूनं सदसती इति लोको व्यवस्यति यत्र त्वं तादृशो भूत्वा धर्ममद्यानुपश्यसि
M. N. Dutt: People say that that king who begins with sternness consumes the entire world. You were stern before. But you now seck righteousness.
हित्वा सुरुचिरं भक्ष्यं भोगांश्च तप आस्थितः इत्येतदपि भूतानामद्भुतं जनमेजय
M. N. Dutt: Forsaking luxurious food and all articles of enjoyment, you are now practising rigid penances for a long time. All this, O Janamejaya, is sure to appear wonderful to those kings who are sunk in sin.
यो दुर्बलो भवेद्दाता कृपणो वा तपोधनः अनाश्चर्यं तदित्याहुर्नातिदूरे हि वर्तते
M. N. Dutt: It is not at all wonderful that he who has wealth should become liberal, or that he who has wealth of asceticism should become unwilling to spend it. It has been said that the one does not live far off from the other.
एतदेव हि कार्पण्यं समग्रमसमीक्षितम् तस्मात्समीक्षयैव स्याद्भवेत्तस्मिंस्ततो गुणः
M. N. Dutt: An ill-judged thing produces enough of miserics. That, on the other hand, which is done with the help of sound judgement yields excellent results.
यज्ञो दानं दया वेदाः सत्यं च पृथिवीपते पञ्चैतानि पवित्राणि षष्ठं सुचरितं तपः
M. N. Dutt: Sacrifice, gift, mercy, the Vedas, and truth, O king,-these five,-are purifying. The sixth is penance well-practised. This last, O Janamejaya, is highly purifying for kings.
तदेव राज्ञां परमं पवित्रं जनमेजय तेन सम्यग्गृहीतेन श्रेयांसं धर्ममाप्स्यसि
AI Translation: That alone is the supreme purity of kings, Janamejaya. By properly grasping that, you will attain the best dharma.
पुण्यदेशाभिगमनं पवित्रं परमं स्मृतम् अपि ह्युदाहरन्तीमा गाथा गीता ययातिना
AI Translation: The pilgrimage to holy places is considered to be the highest and most sacred. For, these verses were spoken by Yayati:
यो मर्त्यः प्रतिपद्येत आयुर्जीवेत वा पुनः यज्ञमेकान्ततः कृत्वा तत्संन्यस्य तपश्चरेत्
M. N. Dutt: Regarding it is cited the following verse sung by Yayati-That mortal who would acquire life and longevity should, after having celebrated sacrifices with devotion, renounce them and practise penances.
पुण्यमाहुः कुरुक्षेत्रं सरस्वत्यां पृथूदकम् यत्रावगाह्य पीत्वा वा नैवं श्वोमरणं तपेत्
AI Translation: They say that Kurukshetra is meritorious, and the Prithu-water of the Sarasvati. Having bathed and drunk there, one would not be anxious about death tomorrow.
Supplementary Passages:
12.148.10 After 10a, K3.5 V1 B (B4 damaged) Da Dn1.n3 D2-5.8 ins.: *380 कुरुक्षेत्रात्सरस्वतीम् सरस्वत्याश्च तीर्थानि
महासरः पुष्कराणि प्रभासोत्तरमानसे कालोदं त्वेव गन्तासि लब्धायुर्जीविते पुनः
AI Translation: The great lake, the lotus ponds, Prabhāsa, Uttara, and Manasā You will go to the ocean, and then, having obtained life, you will live again.
सरस्वतीदृषद्वत्यौ सेवमानोऽनुसंचरेः स्वाध्यायशीलः स्थानेषु सर्वेषु समुपस्पृशेः
AI Translation: Serving Sarasvati and Drishadvati, you should wander about. You should be devoted to study and touch all the sacred places.
त्यागधर्मं पवित्राणां संन्यासं परमब्रवीत् अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीमा गाथाः सत्यवता कृताः
AI Translation: He spoke of the supreme renunciation, the sacred duty of renunciation. Here, too, they recite these verses composed by Satyavata:
यथा कुमारः सत्यो वै न पुण्यो न च पापकृत् न ह्यस्ति सर्वभूतेषु दुःखमस्मिन्कुतः सुखम्
AI Translation: Just as the prince is true, not virtuous, not sinful, For there is no suffering in all beings, so where is happiness?
एवं प्रकृतिभूतानां सर्वसंसर्गयायिनाम् त्यजतां जीवितं प्रायो विवृते पुण्यपातके
AI Translation: Thus, for those who are naturally engaged in all kinds of relationships, and for those who give up their lives, mostly in the open, where merit and sin are manifest,
यत्त्वेव राज्ञो ज्यायो वै कार्याणां तद्वदामि ते बलेन संविभागैश्च जय स्वर्गं पुनीष्व च
AI Translation: I shall tell you what is most important for a king. By force and by sharing, conquer heaven and purify yourself.
यस्यैवं बलमोजश्च स धर्मस्य प्रभुर्नरः ब्राह्मणानां सुखार्थं त्वं पर्येहि पृथिवीमिमाम्
AI Translation: He who has such strength and courage is the lord of Dharma. For the happiness of the Brahmanas, you should roam over this earth.
यथैवैनान्पुराक्षैप्सीस्तथैवैनान्प्रसादय अपि धिक्क्रियमाणोऽपि त्यज्यमानोऽप्यनेकधा
AI Translation: Just as you have protected them in the past, so also please protect them now. Even when reviled, even when abandoned in many ways,
आत्मनो दर्शनं विद्वन्नाहन्तास्मीति मा क्रुधः घटमानः स्वकार्येषु कुरु नैःश्रेयसं परम्
AI Translation: O wise one, do not be angry, thinking "I am the seer" While engaged in your own tasks, do what is best for you.
हिमाग्निघोरसदृशो राजा भवति कश्चन लाङ्गलाशनिकल्पो वा भवत्यन्यः परंतप
M. N. Dutt: Amongst kings some one becomes as cool as snow; some one, as fierce as fire; some one becomes like a plough; and some one, again, becomes like a thunder-bolt.
न निःशेषेण मन्तव्यमचिकित्स्येन वा पुनः न जातु नाहमस्मीति प्रसक्तव्यमसाधुषु
M. N. Dutt: He who wishes to prevent self-destruction, should never mix with wicked persons for general or particular purposes.
विकर्मणा तप्यमानः पादात्पापस्य मुच्यते नैतत्कार्यं पुनरिति द्वितीयात्परिमुच्यते चरिष्ये धर्ममेवेति तृतीयात्परिमुच्यते
M. N. Dutt: From a sinful act committed only once, one may clear himself by repenting for it. From an act committed twice, one may purify himself by vowing never to repeat the act.
Supplementary Passages:
12.148.22 After 22, K3.5 V1 B Da Dn1 D2-5 ins.: *381 शुचिस्तीर्थान्यनुचरंश्चतुर्थात्परिमुच्यते
कल्याणमनुमन्तव्यं पुरुषेण बुभूषता ये सुगन्धीनि सेवन्ते तथागन्धा भवन्ति ते ये दुर्गन्धीनि सेवन्ते तथागन्धा भवन्ति ते
M. N. Dutt: One who wishes to acquire prosperity should do all that yields blessedness. They who live amidst fragrance themselves become fragrant by virtue thereof. They, on the other hand, who live in the midst of foul smell themselves become foui.
तपश्चर्यापरः सद्यः पापाद्धि परिमुच्यते संवत्सरमुपास्याग्निमभिशस्तः प्रमुच्यते त्रीणि वर्षाण्युपास्याग्निं भ्रूणहा विप्रमुच्यते
M. N. Dutt: One who practises ascetic austerities is soon purged of all one's sins. By adoring the sacrificial fire for a year, one sullied by various sins becomes purified.
Supplementary Passages:
12.148.24 K3 V1 B0.2-5 Da Dn1.n3 D2-5.7.9 T G1.2.5 M2.4 repeat (with v.l.) 11ab after 24 (B5 Dn3 after 24cd; G1 after 24ab); and all these with B1 ins. thereafter: D8 ins. after 11ab: *382 अभ्येत्य योजनशतं भ्रूणहा विप्रमुच्यते
यावतः प्राणिनो हन्यात्तज्जातीयान्स्वभावतः प्रमीयमाणानुन्मोच्य भ्रूणहा विप्रमुच्यते
AI Translation: One becomes free from the sin of killing a foetus by freeing the foetus of the same species as the one one would have killed.
अपि वाप्सु निमज्जेत त्रिर्जपन्नघमर्षणम् यथाश्वमेधावभृथस्तथा तन्मनुरब्रवीत्
M. N. Dutt: Manu has said that by diving in water after reciting thrice the sin-destroying Mantras, one rcaps the fruits of the final bath in a Horsesacrifice.
क्षिप्रं प्रणुदते पापं सत्कारं लभते तथा अपि चैनं प्रसीदन्ति भूतानि जडमूकवत्
M. N. Dutt: Such an act very soon purifies one of all his sins, and he becomes, once again, the esteemed of the world. All creatures obey such a person, like helpless idiots.
बृहस्पतिं देवगुरुं सुरासुराः; समेत्य सर्वे नृपतेऽन्वयुञ्जन् धर्मे फलं वेत्थ कृते महर्षे; तथेतरस्मिन्नरके पापलोके
M. N. Dutt: Approaching, in days of yore, the celestial preceptor Brihaspati, the gods and Asuras, O king, humbly enquired of him, saying,-You are cognisant, O great Rishi, of the fruits of virtue, as also the fruits of those other acts which lead to hell in the next world.
उभे तु यस्य सुकृते भवेतां; किं स्वित्तयोस्तत्र जयोत्तरं स्यात् आचक्ष्व नः कर्मफलं महर्षे; कथं पापं नुदते पुण्यशीलः
M. N. Dutt: Can not that person free himself from both virtue and sin who regards the two (happiness and inisery) equally? Tell us, O great Rishi, what are the fruits of righteousness, and how does a virtuous person remove his sins!
बृहस्पतिरुवाच कृत्वा पापं पूर्वमबुद्धिपूर्वं; पुण्यानि यः कुरुते बुद्धिपूर्वम् स तत्पापं नुदते पुण्यशीलो; वासो यथा मलिनं क्षारयुक्त्या
M. N. Dutt: Brihaspati answered If, having committed sin through foolishness, one performs meritorious acts understanding their nature, he succeeds, by such righteousness, in cleansing himself from sin even as a piece of dirty cloth is washed clean by some saline substance.
पापं कृत्वा न मन्येत नाहमस्मीति पूरुषः चिकीर्षेदेव कल्याणं श्रद्दधानोऽनसूयकः
M. N. Dutt: One should not brag after having committed sin. By having faith and by freeing one's self from malice, one acquires blessedness.
छिद्राणि वसनस्येव साधुना विवृणोति यः यः पापं पुरुषः कृत्वा कल्याणमभिपद्यते
M. N. Dutt: That person who screens the faults of good men, even when exposed, acquires blessedness even after committing sins.
यथादित्यः पुनरुद्यंस्तमः सर्वं व्यपोहति कल्याणमाचरन्नेवं सर्वं पापं व्यपोहति
M. N. Dutt: As the sun rising on the morning removes all darkness, so does one dissipate all his sins by acting virtuously.
भीष्म उवाच एवमुक्त्वा स राजानमिन्द्रोतो जनमेजयम् याजयामास विधिवद्वाजिमेधेन शौनकः
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said Having said these words to king Janamejaya, Indrota, the son of Shaunaka, assisted him in the celebration of the Horsesacrifice.
ततः स राजा व्यपनीतकल्मषः; श्रिया युतः प्रज्वलिताग्निरूपया विवेश राज्यं स्वममित्रकर्शनो; दिवं यथा पूर्णवपुर्निशाकरः
M. N. Dutt: Purged of his sins, and regaining blessedness, the king shone like a burning fire, and that slayer of enemies then entered his kingdom like moon in his full form entering the celestial region. and that slayer of enemies then entered his kingdom like moon in his full form entering the celestial region.