Critical Edition
युधिष्ठिर उवाच पापस्य यदधिष्ठानं यतः पापं प्रवर्तते एतदिच्छाम्यहं ज्ञातुं तत्त्वेन भरतर्षभ
M. N. Dutt: Yudhishthira said-I wish, O foremost of Bharata's race, to hear fully the source from which sin proceeds and the basis upon which it depends.
भीष्म उवाच पापस्य यदधिष्ठानं तच्छृणुष्व नराधिप एको लोभो महाग्राहो लोभात्पापं प्रवर्तते
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said Hear, O king, what is the origin of sin! Covetousness alone is a great destroyer. From covetousness originates sin.
अतः पापमधर्मश्च तथा दुःखमनुत्तमम् निकृत्या मूलमेतद्धि येन पापकृतो जनाः
M. N. Dutt: Sin and impiety proceed from this source, along with great misery. This covetousness is the root of also all the cunning and hypocrisy in the world. It is covetousness that makes men perpetrate sin.
लोभात्क्रोधः प्रभवति लोभात्कामः प्रवर्तते लोभान्मोहश्च माया च मानस्तम्भः परासुता
AI Translation: From greed arises anger, from greed arises desire, From greed arises delusion, illusion, pride, arrogance, and defeat.
अक्षमा ह्रीपरित्यागः श्रीनाशो धर्मसंक्षयः अभिध्याप्रज्ञता चैव सर्वं लोभात्प्रवर्तते
AI Translation: Impatience, giving up modesty, loss of prosperity, destruction of virtue, and greediness and delusion - all this arises from greed.
अन्यायश्चावितर्कश्च विकर्मसु च याः क्रियाः कूटविद्यादयश्चैव रूपैश्वर्यमदस्तथा
AI Translation: Unrighteousness, non-reflection, and actions in improper ways, and also deceit, pride of knowledge, etc., and pride of form and power.
सर्वभूतेष्वविश्वासः सर्वभूतेष्वनार्जवम् सर्वभूतेष्वभिद्रोहः सर्वभूतेष्वयुक्तता हरणं परवित्तानां परदाराभिमर्शनम्
AI Translation: Disbelief in all beings, dishonesty towards all beings, Violence towards all beings, unrighteousness towards all beings, Stealing others' wealth, touching others' wives,
वाग्वेगो मानसो वेगो निन्दावेगस्तथैव च उपस्थोदरयोर्वेगो मृत्युवेगश्च दारुणः
AI Translation: The speed of speech, the speed of mind, and the speed of censure, The speed of the genitals and the abdomen, and the terrible speed of death,
ईर्ष्यावेगश्च बलवान्मिथ्यावेगश्च दुस्त्यजः रसवेगश्च दुर्वारः श्रोत्रवेगश्च दुःसहः
AI Translation: The force of jealousy is strong, the force of falsehood is hard to abandon, The force of passion is hard to resist, the force of hearing is unbearable,
कुत्सा विकत्था मात्सर्यं पापं दुष्करकारिता साहसानां च सर्वेषामकार्याणां क्रियास्तथा
AI Translation: Disparagement, boasting, jealousy, sin, difficult to do, and all kinds of rashness, and the performance of improper actions,
जातौ बाल्येऽथ कौमारे यौवने चापि मानवः न संत्यजत्यात्मकर्म यन्न जीर्यति जीर्यतः
AI Translation: In birth, childhood, youth, and old age, a man does not abandon his own duty, which does not decay when he decays.
यो न पूरयितुं शक्यो लोभः प्राप्त्या कुरूद्वह नित्यं गम्भीरतोयाभिरापगाभिरिवोदधिः न प्रहृष्यति लाभैर्यो यश्च कामैर्न तृप्यति
AI Translation: O descendant of the Kuru lineage, greed cannot be satisfied by acquisition, just as the ocean cannot be filled by the deep waters of the rivers. One who is not delighted by gains and who is not satisfied by desires,
यो न देवैर्न गन्धर्वैर्नासुरैर्न महोरगैः ज्ञायते नृप तत्त्वेन सर्वैर्भूतगणैस्तथा स लोभः सह मोहेन विजेतव्यो जितात्मना
AI Translation: O king, that which is not known by the gods, gandharvas, asuras, or great serpents, and likewise by all the hosts of beings, that greed, together with delusion, should be conquered by one who has conquered the self.
दम्भो द्रोहश्च निन्दा च पैशुन्यं मत्सरस्तथा भवन्त्येतानि कौरव्य लुब्धानामकृतात्मनाम्
AI Translation: Arrogance, malice, censure, slander, and envy, O son of Kuru, are found in those who are greedy and have not purified their souls.
सुमहान्त्यपि शास्त्राणि धारयन्ति बहुश्रुताः छेत्तारः संशयानां च क्लिश्यन्तीहाल्पबुद्धयः
AI Translation: Even the most learned can retain the most extensive treatises, but those of little intelligence suffer here, cutting through doubts.
द्वेषक्रोधप्रसक्ताश्च शिष्टाचारबहिष्कृताः अन्तःक्षुरा वाङ्मधुराः कूपाश्छन्नास्तृणैरिव धर्मवैतंसिकाः क्षुद्रा मुष्णन्ति ध्वजिनो जगत्
AI Translation: Those who are attached to hatred and anger, excluded from the conduct of the virtuous, are like wells covered with grass, with sweet-sounding water within. The deceitful, the petty, the
कुर्वते च बहून्मार्गांस्तांस्तान्हेतुबलाश्रिताः सर्वं मार्गं विलुम्पन्ति लोभाज्ञानेषु निष्ठिताः
M. N. Dutt: They dress themselves in the hypocritical garb of religion, Low minded as they are, they rob the world, showing the standard of religion and virtue. Depending upon the strength of palpable reasons, they create various divisions in religion. Being anxious to serve cupidity, they destroy the ways of righteousness.
धर्मस्याह्रियमाणस्य लोभग्रस्तैर्दुरात्मभिः या या विक्रियते संस्था ततः साभिप्रपद्यते
M. N. Dutt: When wicked men under the influence of covetousness practise for the inere show of righteousness, the result is that the desecrations committed by them, soon become current among men.
दर्पः क्रोधो मदः स्वप्नो हर्षः शोकोऽतिमानिता तत एव हि कौरव्य दृश्यन्ते लुब्धबुद्धिषु एतानशिष्टान्बुध्यस्व नित्यं लोभसमन्वितान्
M. N. Dutt: Pride, anger, arrogance, insensibility, fits of joy and sorrow, and self-conceit, all these, O descendant of Kuru, are to be seen in persons under the influence of covetousness.
शिष्टांस्तु परिपृच्छेथा यान्वक्ष्यामि शुचिव्रतान् येषु वृत्तिभयं नास्ति परलोकभयं न च
AI Translation: Ask the others, those who are pure in their vows, whom I shall name, in whom there is no fear of livelihood and no fear of the next world.
नामिषेषु प्रसङ्गोऽस्ति न प्रियेष्वप्रियेषु च शिष्टाचारः प्रियो येषु दमो येषु प्रतिष्ठितः
AI Translation: There is no attachment to the non-desirable, nor to the desirable or undesirable. Those who are attached to the conduct of the virtuous, who are established in self-restraint,
सुखं दुःखं परं येषां सत्यं येषां परायणम् दातारो न गृहीतारो दयावन्तस्तथैव च
AI Translation: Those who have happiness and suffering as their supreme truth, who have that as their refuge, Those who give and do not take, who are compassionate in that way,
पितृदेवातिथेयाश्च नित्योद्युक्तास्तथैव च सर्वोपकारिणो धीराः सर्वधर्मानुपालकाः
AI Translation: Those who are always devoted to their fathers, gods, and guests, and those who are always diligent, Those who are helpful to all, the wise, and those who uphold all teachings,
सर्वभूतहिताश्चैव सर्वदेयाश्च भारत न ते चालयितुं शक्या धर्मव्यापारपारगाः
AI Translation: They are for the welfare of all beings, and they are to be given to all, O descendant of Bharata. They are not to be shaken, they have mastered the activities of Dharma.
न तेषां भिद्यते वृत्तं यत्पुरा साधुभिः कृतम् न त्रासिनो न चपला न रौद्राः सत्पथे स्थिताः
AI Translation: Their conduct is not different from that which was practiced by the virtuous in the past. They are not timid, fickle, or fierce, but abide in the right path.
ते सेव्याः साधुभिर्नित्यं येष्वहिंसा प्रतिष्ठिता कामक्रोधव्यपेता ये निर्ममा निरहंकृताः सुव्रताः स्थिरमर्यादास्तानुपास्स्व च पृच्छ च
M. N. Dutt: They are free from lust and anger. They are not attached to any worldly object. They have no pride. They observe excellent vows. They always command respect. Do you, therefore, always attend them and seek instruction from them.
न गवार्थं यशोर्थं वा धर्मस्तेषां युधिष्ठिर अवश्यकार्य इत्येव शरीरस्य क्रियास्तथा
M. N. Dutt: They never acquire virtue, O Yudhishthira, for the sake of riches or of fame. They acquire error it only, because they know it as a duty like that of supporting the body.
न भयं क्रोधचापल्यं न शोकस्तेषु विद्यते न धर्मध्वजिनश्चैव न गुह्यं किंचिदास्थिताः
M. N. Dutt: Fear, anger, restlessness, and sorrow do not live in them. They carry no external garb of religion for misleading their fellow-men. They observe no mystery.
येष्वलोभस्तथामोहो ये च सत्यार्जवे रताः तेषु कौन्तेय रज्येथा येष्वतन्द्रीकृतं मनः
M. N. Dutt: They are perfectly contended. They have of judgement originating from covetousness. They always follow truth and sincerity. Their hearts never deviate from righteousness. You should always respect them, O son of Kunti!
ये न हृष्यन्ति लाभेषु नालाभेषु व्यथन्ति च निर्ममा निरहंकाराः सत्त्वस्थाः समदर्शिनः
M. N. Dutt: They are never overjoyed at any acquisition or pained at any loss. Without being attached to anything, and shorn of pride, they are devoted to the quality of Goodness, and they regard all impartially.
लाभालाभौ सुखदुःखे च तात; प्रियाप्रिये मरणं जीवितं च समानि येषां स्थिरविक्रमाणां; बुद्धात्मनां सत्त्वमवस्थितानाम्
M. N. Dutt: Gain and loss, happiness and misery, the agreeable and the disagreeable, life and death, are held in equal estimation by those men of firm mind, engaged in acquiring (divine) knowledge, and wending the path of tranquility and righteousness.
सुखप्रियैस्तान्सुमहाप्रतापा;न्यत्तोऽप्रमत्तश्च समर्थयेथाः दैवात्सर्वे गुणवन्तो भवन्ति; शुभाशुभा वाक्प्रलापा यथैव
M. N. Dutt: Keeping your senses under control and without yielding to carelessness, you should always adore those great persons who bear such love for virtue. O blessed one, one's words always yield good only through the favour of the gods. Under other circumstances, words beget evil consequence. words always yield good only through the favour of the gods. Under other circumstances, words beget evil consequence.