Critical Edition
युधिष्ठिर उवाच यदिदं कर्म लोकेऽस्मिञ्शुभं वा यदि वाशुभम् पुरुषं योजयत्येव फलयोगेन भारत
M. N. Dutt: Yudhisthira said In this world, O Bharata, good and bad acts attach themselves to man for the purpose of producing fruits for enjoyment or endurance.
कर्ता स्वित्तस्य पुरुष उताहो नेति संशयः एतदिच्छामि तत्त्वेन त्वत्तः श्रोतुं पितामह
M. N. Dutt: Is man, however, to be regarded as their doer or is he not to be considered so? My mind is full of doubts regarding this question. I wish to hear this fully from you, O grandfather.
भीष्म उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् प्रह्रादस्य च संवादमिन्द्रस्य च युधिष्ठिर
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said Regarding it, О Yudhisthira, is cited the old discourse between Prahlada and Indra.
असक्तं धूतपाप्मानं कुले जातं बहुश्रुतम् अस्तम्भमनहंकारं सत्त्वस्थं समये रतम्
AI Translation: Unattached, free from sin, born in a family, learned, Not arrogant, not conceited, established in goodness, devoted to the proper time,
तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिं दान्तं शून्यागारनिवेशनम् चराचराणां भूतानां विदितप्रभवाप्ययम्
AI Translation: One who is equal in praise and blame, who is self-controlled, who dwells in an empty house, Who knows the origin and destruction of all beings, mobile and immobile,
अक्रुध्यन्तमहृष्यन्तमप्रियेषु प्रियेषु च काञ्चने वाथ लोष्टे वा उभयोः समदर्शनम्
AI Translation: Not angry at those who are angry, not pleased at those who are pleased, equally seeing gold and a clod of earth,
आत्मनिःश्रेयसज्ञाने धीरं निश्चितनिश्चयम् परावरज्ञं भूतानां सर्वज्ञं समदर्शनम्
M. N. Dutt: Earnestly studying the Soul and acquiring Emancipation, and firm in knowledge, he had acquired firm conclusions about truth.
Supplementary Passages:
12.215.7 After 7, Kumbh. ed. ins.: *633 अव्यक्तात्मनि गोविन्दे वासुदेवे महात्मनि हृदयेन समाविष्टं सर्वभावप्रियंकरम् Kumbh. ed. cont.: D7 T G1-3.6 M1.5-7 ins. after 7: *634 भक्तं भागवतं नित्यं नारायणपरायणम् ध्यायन्तं परमात्मानं हिरण्यकशिपोः सुतम्
शक्रः प्रह्रादमासीनमेकान्ते संयतेन्द्रियम् बुभुत्समानस्तत्प्रज्ञामभिगम्येदमब्रवीत्
M. N. Dutt: Acquainted with what is supreme and what is not so among all things, omniscient and of universal sight, as he was seated on day in a solitary room with his senses under complete control, Shakra approached him, and desirous
यैः कैश्चित्संमतो लोके गुणैः स्यात्पुरुषो नृषु भवत्यनपगान्सर्वांस्तान्गुणाँल्लक्षयामहे
M. N. Dutt: O king, I see all those qualities permanently living in you by which a person acquires the esteem of all.
अथ ते लक्ष्यते बुद्धिः समा बालजनैरिह आत्मानं मन्यमानः सञ्श्रेयः किमिह मन्यसे
M. N. Dutt: Your understanding seems to be like that of a child, free from attachment and aversion. You know the soul. What, do you think, is the best means by which a knowledge of the Soul may be acquired.
बद्धः पाशैश्च्युतः स्थानाद्द्विषतां वशमागतः श्रिया विहीनः प्रह्राद शोचितव्ये न शोचसि
M. N. Dutt: You are now bound in fetters, fallen off from your former position, brought under the sway of your foes, and divested of prosperity. Your present circumstances are such as may well give room to grief. Yet how is it, O Prahlada, that you do not grieve.
प्रज्ञालाभात्तु दैतेय उताहो धृतिमत्तया प्रह्राद स्वस्थरूपोऽसि पश्यन्व्यसनमात्मनः
M. N. Dutt: Is this owing, O son of Diti, to the acquisition of wisdom or is it on account of your fortitude? Behold your calamities, O Prahlada, and yet you appear like one that is happy and tranquil.
इति संचोदितस्तेन धीरो निश्चितनिश्चयः उवाच श्लक्ष्णया वाचा स्वां प्रज्ञामनुवर्णयन्
M. N. Dutt: Thus urged by Indra, the king of the Daityas, endued with firinness and with fixed conclusions about truth, replied in these sweet words showing great wisdom.
प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च भूतानां यो न बुध्यते तस्य स्तम्भो भवेद्बाल्यान्नास्ति स्तम्भोऽनुपश्यतः
M. N. Dutt: Prahlada said “He who does not know the origin and the destruction of all created objects, is, on account of such ignorance, stupefied. He, however, who knows these two things, is never stupefied.
Supplementary Passages:
12.215.14 After 14, Kumbh. ed. ins.: *635 गहनं सर्वभूतानां ध्येयं नित्यं सनातनम् अनिग्रहमनौपम्यं सर्वाकारं परात्परम् सर्वावरणसंभूतं तस्मादेतत्प्रवर्तते तन्मया अपि संपश्य नानालक्षणलक्षिताः स वै पाति जगत्स्रष्टा विष्णुरित्यभिशब्दितः पुनर्दर्शति संप्राप्ते ........ सुरेश्वरः (sic)
स्वभावात्संप्रवर्तन्ते निवर्तन्ते तथैव च सर्वे भावास्तथाभावाः पुरुषार्थो न विद्यते
AI Translation: They arise and cease according to their nature. All things are thus non-existent, there is no purpose for a person.
पुरुषार्थस्य चाभावे नास्ति कश्चित्स्वकारकः स्वयं तु कुर्वतस्तस्य जातु मानो भवेदिह
AI Translation: And when there is no purpose of man, there is no one who is his own maker. But when he himself acts, then there may be pride here.
यस्तु कर्तारमात्मानं मन्यते साध्वसाधुनोः तस्य दोषवती प्रज्ञा स्वमूर्त्यज्ञेति मे मतिः
M. N. Dutt: He who regards himself as the doer of good or bad acts possesses a vile wisdom. Such a person is, in my opinion, does not know the truth.
यदि स्यात्पुरुषः कर्ता शक्रात्मश्रेयसे ध्रुवम् आरम्भास्तस्य सिध्येरन्न च जातु पराभवेत्
AI Translation: If there were a person who was the doer, for the sake of Indra's own welfare, His undertakings would succeed and he would never be defeated.
अनिष्टस्य हि निर्वृत्तिरनिवृत्तिः प्रियस्य च लक्ष्यते यतमानानां पुरुषार्थस्ततः कुतः
AI Translation: For the non-fulfillment of the undesirable and the non-fulfillment of the desirable is seen in those who strive. Where then is the purpose of man?
अनिष्टस्याभिनिर्वृत्तिमिष्टसंवृत्तिमेव च अप्रयत्नेन पश्यामः केषांचित्तत्स्वभावतः
M. N. Dutt: In the case of some, we see that without any exertion on their part, what is not desired is not brought about and what is desired, is done. This then must be the result of Nature.
प्रतिरूपधराः केचिद्दृश्यन्ते बुद्धिसत्तमाः विरूपेभ्योऽल्पबुद्धिभ्यो लिप्समाना धनागमम्
M. N. Dutt: Some extraordinary persons again are seen, for though possessed of superior intelligence they have to seek wealth from others that are vulgar in features and gifted with little intelligence.
स्वभावप्रेरिताः सर्वे निविशन्ते गुणा यदा शुभाशुभास्तदा तत्र तस्य किं मानकारणम्
M. N. Dutt: Indeed, when all qualities, good or bad, enter a person impelled by Nature, what is there for one to boast (of his superior possessions)?
स्वभावादेव तत्सर्वमिति मे निश्चिता मतिः आत्मप्रतिष्ठिता प्रज्ञा मम नास्ति ततोऽन्यथा
M. N. Dutt: All these come from Nature. This is my seitled belief. Even Liberation and knowledge of self, in my view, originate from the same Source.
कर्मजं त्विह मन्येऽहं फलयोगं शुभाशुभम् कर्मणां विषयं कृत्स्नमहं वक्ष्यामि तच्छृणु
M. N. Dutt: In this world all fruits, good or bad, that attach themselves to persons, are considered as the outcome of acts. I shall now describe fully the subject of acts. Hear me.
यथा वेदयते कश्चिदोदनं वायसो वदन् एवं सर्वाणि कर्माणि स्वभावस्यैव लक्षणम्
M. N. Dutt: As a crow, while eating some food, announces the presences of that food by its repeated cawing, similarly all our acts only proclaim the indications of Nature.
विकारानेव यो वेद न वेद प्रकृतिं पराम् तस्य स्तम्भो भवेद्बाल्यान्नास्ति स्तम्भोऽनुपश्यतः
M. N. Dutt: He who is acquainted with only the metamorphoses of Nature but not with Nature which is supreme and exist by herself, feels stupefication on account of his ignorance. He, however, who understands the difference between Nature and her metamorphoses is never stupefied.
स्वभावभाविनो भावान्सर्वानेवेह निश्चये बुध्यमानस्य दर्पो वा मानो वा किं करिष्यति
M. N. Dutt: All things originate from Nature. On account of one's certain conviction about it, he would never be affected by pride or arrogance.
वेद धर्मविधिं कृत्स्नं भूतानां चाप्यनित्यताम् तस्माच्छक्र न शोचामि सर्वं ह्येवेदमन्तवत्
M. N. Dutt: When I know the origin of all the ordinances of mortality and when I ain acquainted with the instability of all objects, I can not, O Shakra, indulge in grief. All this is endued with an end.
निर्ममो निरहंकारो निरीहो मुक्तबन्धनः स्वस्थोऽव्यपेतः पश्यामि भूतानां प्रभवाप्ययौ
M. N. Dutt: Without attachments, without pride, without desire and hope, freed from all fetters, and dissociated from everything, I am passing my time happily, seeing that appearance and disappearance of all created objects.
कृतप्रज्ञस्य दान्तस्य वितृष्णस्य निराशिषः नायासो विद्यते शक्र पश्यतो लोकविद्यया
M. N. Dutt: For one who is wise, who is self-controlled, who is contented, who is without desire and hope, and who sees all things with the light of self-knowledge, on trouble or anxiety exists, O Shakra.
प्रकृतौ च विकारे च न मे प्रीतिर्न च द्विषे द्वेष्टारं न च पश्यामि यो ममाद्य ममायते
M. N. Dutt: I have no liking or aversion for either Nature or her changes. I do not see any one now who is my enemy nor any one who is mine own.
नोर्ध्वं नावाङ्न तिर्यक्च न क्वचिच्छक्र कामये न विज्ञाने न विज्ञेये नाज्ञाने शर्म विद्यते
M. N. Dutt: I do not, O Shakra, at any time seek either heaven, or this world, or the nether regions. It is not the fact that there is no happiness in understanding the Soul. But the Soul, being dissociated from everything, cannot enjoy happiness. Hence I desire nothing.
शक्र उवाच येनैषा लभ्यते प्रज्ञा येन शान्तिरवाप्यते प्रब्रूहि तमुपायं मे सम्यक्प्रह्राद पृच्छते
M. N. Dutt: Shakra said Tell me the means, O Prahlada, by which this kind of wisdom may be acquired and by which this kind of tranquillity may be made one's own. I pray you.'
प्रह्राद उवाच आर्जवेनाप्रमादेन प्रसादेनात्मवत्तया वृद्धशुश्रूषया शक्र पुरुषो लभते महत्
M. N. Dutt: Prahlada said 'By simplicity, by carefulness, by purifying the soul, by controlling the passions, and by waiting upon elders, O Shakra, a person acquires liberation.
स्वभावाल्लभते प्रज्ञां शान्तिमेति स्वभावतः स्वभावादेव तत्सर्वं यत्किंचिदनुपश्यसि
M. N. Dutt: Know this, however, that one gains wisdom from Nature, and that the acquisition of tranquillity also is owing to the same cause. Indeed, everything else that you see is due to Nature.
भीष्म उवाच इत्युक्तो दैत्यपतिना शक्रो विस्मयमागमत् प्रीतिमांश्च तदा राजंस्तद्वाक्यं प्रत्यपूजयत्
M. N. Dutt: Thus addressed by the king of the Daityas, Shakra became filled with wonder and lauded those words, O king, with a cheerful heart.
स तदाभ्यर्च्य दैत्येन्द्रं त्रैलोक्यपतिरीश्वरः असुरेन्द्रमुपामन्त्र्य जगाम स्वं निवेशनम्
M. N. Dutt: The king of the three worlds then, having adored the lord of the Daityas, took his leave and proceeded to his own quarter.'