Critical Edition
युधिष्ठिर उवाच अविरोधेन भूतानां त्यागः षाड्गुण्यकारकः यः स्यादुभयभाग्धर्मस्तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह
AI Translation: Yudhiṣṭhira said: The renunciation that is not contrary to beings, which is the cause of the six qualities, That which is the Dharma of both parts, tell me that, O Grandfather.
गार्हस्थ्यस्य च धर्मस्य त्यागधर्मस्य चोभयोः अदूरसंप्रस्थितयोः किं स्विच्छ्रेयः पितामह
AI Translation: Of the two, of the dharma of household life and of the dharma of renunciation, Which is better, O Grandfather, for those who have just set out?
भीष्म उवाच उभौ धर्मौ महाभागावुभौ परमदुश्चरौ उभौ महाफलौ तात सद्भिराचरितावुभौ
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said “Both courses of duty are highly sacred. Both are extremely difficult of performance. Both yield high fruits. Both are practised by those who are admittedly good.
अत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि प्रामाण्यमुभयोस्तयोः शृणुष्वैकमनाः पार्थ छिन्नधर्मार्थसंशयम्
M. N. Dutt: I shall now describe to you on the authoritativeness of both these duties, for removing your doubts about their true meaning. Listen to me with rapt attention.
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् कपिलस्य गोश्च संवादं तन्निबोध युधिष्ठिर
M. N. Dutt: Regarding it is cited the old discourse between Kapila and the cow. Listen to it, O Yudhishthira.
आम्नायमनुपश्यन्हि पुराणं शाश्वतं ध्रुवम् नहुषः पूर्वमालेभे त्वष्टुर्गामिति नः श्रुतम्
M. N. Dutt: We have heard that in days of yore when the god Tashtri came to the palace of king Nahusha, the latter, for satisfying the duties of hospitality, was on the point of slaying a cow in accordance with the true, ancient, and eternal injunction of the Vedas.
तां नियुक्तामदीनात्मा सत्त्वस्थः समये रतः ज्ञानवान्नियताहारो ददर्श कपिलस्तदा
AI Translation: The one who was appointed, the one who was not depressed, the one who was established in goodness, the one who was devoted to the proper time, The one who was wise, the one who was restrained in diet, Kapila saw her at that time.
स बुद्धिमुत्तमां प्राप्तो नैष्ठिकीमकुतोभयाम् स्मरामि शिथिलं सत्यं वेदा इत्यब्रवीत्सकृत्
AI Translation: He attained the highest wisdom, the final state, free from fear. I remember the truth that was relaxed. The Vedas said this once.
तां गामृषिः स्यूमरश्मिः प्रविश्य यतिमब्रवीत् हंहो वेदा यदि मता धर्माः केनापरे मताः
AI Translation: The sage Syumarashmi entered that village and said to the ascetic: "Oh! If the Vedas are considered to be the Dharma, by whom are the other Dharmas considered?"
तपस्विनो धृतिमतः श्रुतिविज्ञानचक्षुषः सर्वमार्षं हि मन्यन्ते व्याहृतं विदितात्मनः
M. N. Dutt: Men given to penances and endued with intelligence, and who have the Shrutis and knowledge for their eyes, consider the injunctions of the Vedas, which have been declared through and compiled by the Rishis, to be the words of God himself.
तस्यैवं गततृष्णस्य विज्वरस्य निराशिषः का विवक्षास्ति वेदेषु निरारम्भस्य सर्वशः
M. N. Dutt: What can a person say regarding the contents of the Vedas when these are the words of the Supreme Being himself, who is shorn of the desire of fruit, who is without the fever, who is addicted to nothing, and who is shorn of all exertion.
कपिल उवाच नाहं वेदान्विनिन्दामि न विवक्षामि कर्हिचित् पृथगाश्रमिणां कर्माण्येकार्थानीति नः श्रुतम्
M. N. Dutt: Kapila said-I do not censure the Vedas, I do not wish to disparage them. We have heard that the different classes of duty laid down for the different modes of life, all lead to the same end.
गच्छत्येव परित्यागी वानप्रस्थश्च गच्छति गृहस्थो ब्रह्मचारी च उभौ तावपि गच्छतः
M. N. Dutt: The Sanyasin attains to a high end. The herinit also attains to a hight end. Both the other two, also, viz., the house-holder and the Brahmacharin, attain to the same end.
देवयाना हि पन्थानश्चत्वारः शाश्वता मताः तेषां ज्यायःकनीयस्त्वं फलेषूक्तं बलाबलम्
M. N. Dutt: All the four modes of life have always been considered as Deva-yana ways. The respective strength or weakness of these, are represented by their respective superiority or inferiority, has been declared in the character of their respective ends.
एवं विदित्वा सर्वार्थानारभेदिति वैदिकम् नारभेदिति चान्यत्र नैष्ठिकी श्रूयते श्रुतिः
M. N. Dutt: Knowing these, perform acts which lead to heaven and other blessings,—this is a Vedic declaration.-Do not perform acts,—this also is another obligatory declaration of the Vedas.
अनारम्भे ह्यदोषः स्यादारम्भेऽदोष उत्तमः एवं स्थितस्य शास्त्रस्य दुर्विज्ञेयं बलाबलम्
M. N. Dutt: If abstention from acts produces merit, then their performance must be highly reprehensible. When the scriptures say this, the strength or weakness of particular sayings must be difficult to determine.
यद्यत्र किंचित्प्रत्यक्षमहिंसायाः परं मतम् ऋते त्वागमशास्त्रेभ्यो ब्रूहि तद्यदि पश्यसि
M. N. Dutt: If you know of any class of duty which is superior to the religion of harmlessness, and which depends upon direct evidence instead of that of the scriptures, do you then describe them to me,
स्यूमरश्मिरुवाच स्वर्गकामो यजेतेति सततं श्रूयते श्रुतिः फलं प्रकल्प्य पूर्वं हि ततो यज्ञः प्रतायते
M. N. Dutt: One should celebrate sacrifices from desire of heaven'-we always hear this Shruti. Thinking first of the fruit, one makes preparations for sacrifice.
अजश्चाश्वश्च मेषश्च गौश्च पक्षिगणाश्च ये ग्राम्यारण्या ओषधयः प्राणस्यान्नमिति श्रुतिः
M. N. Dutt: Goat, horse, sheep, cow, all sorts of birds, domestic or wild, and herbs and plants, constitute the food of living creatures. We have heard this.
तथैवान्नं ह्यहरहः सायं प्रातर्निरुप्यते पशवश्चाथ धान्यं च यज्ञस्याङ्गमिति श्रुतिः
M. N. Dutt: Food again ought to be taken day after day morning and evening. Again the Shruti says that aniinals and grain form the limbs of Sacrifice.
एतानि सह यज्ञेन प्रजापतिरकल्पयत् तेन प्रजापतिर्देवान्यज्ञेनायजत प्रभुः
M. N. Dutt: The Lord of the universe created them along with Sacrifice. The powerful Lord of all creatures made the god celebrate sacrifices with their help.
ते स्मान्योन्यंचराः सर्वे प्राणिनः सप्त सप्त च यज्ञेषूपाकृतं विश्वं प्राहुरुत्तमसंज्ञितम्
M. N. Dutt: Altogether seven (domestic) and seven (wild animals are declared fit for sacrifice. Instead of all being equally fit, each succeeding one is inferior to the preceding one. The Vedas again say that the whole universe is appointed for sacrifice. The Vedas have appointed Purusha for the same purpose.
Supplementary Passages:
12.260.22 After 22ab, T1 G1.8 Kumbh. ed. ins.: *711 गौरजो मनुजो मेषः अश्वाश्वतरगर्दभाः एते ग्राम्याः समाख्याताः पशवः सप्त साधुभिः सिंहा व्याघ्रा वराहाश्च महिषा वारणास्तथा महिषी वानराश्चैव सप्तारण्यास्तथा स्मृताः
एतच्चैवाभ्यनुज्ञातं पूर्वैः पूर्वतरैस्तथा को जातु न विचिन्वीत विद्वान्स्वां शक्तिमात्मनः
M. N. Dutt: This again has been sanctioned by men of ancient times. What learned man is there who does not sclect, according to his own power, individuals from among living creatures for sacrifice?
पशवश्च मनुष्याश्च द्रुमाश्चौषधिभिः सह स्वर्गमेवाभिकाङ्क्षन्ते न च स्वर्गस्त्वृते मखम्
M. N. Dutt: The inferior animals, human beings, trees and herbs, all desire for the attainment of heaven. There is no means, however, except sacrifice, by which they can acquire the fruition of that desire.
ओषध्यः पशवो वृक्षा वीरुदाज्यं पयो दधि हविर्भूमिर्दिशः श्रद्धा कालश्चैतानि द्वादश
AI Translation: Plants, animals, trees, creepers, ghee, milk, curd, oblation, earth, directions, faith, and time - these are the twelve.
ऋचो यजूंषि सामानि यजमानश्च षोडशः अग्निर्ज्ञेयो गृहपतिः स सप्तदश उच्यते अङ्गान्येतानि यज्ञस्य यज्ञो मूलमिति श्रुतिः
AI Translation: The verses, the sacrificial formulas, the chants, and the sacrificer are the sixteen. The fire is to be known as the householder, and he is said to be the seventeenth. These are the limbs of the sacrifice, and the sacrifice is the root, according to the scripture.
आज्येन पयसा दध्ना शकृतामिक्षया त्वचा वालैः शृङ्गेण पादेन संभवत्येव गौर्मखम् एवं प्रत्येकशः सर्वं यद्यदस्य विधीयते
AI Translation: With ghee, milk, curds, dung, urine, skin, hair, horn, foot, the cow indeed becomes the sacrifice. Thus, each and every thing that is prescribed for it,
यज्ञं वहन्ति संभूय सहर्त्विग्भिः सदक्षिणैः संहत्यैतानि सर्वाणि यज्ञं निर्वर्तयन्त्युत
AI Translation: They carry the sacrifice together with the priests and with the sacrificial fees. All these together perform the sacrifice.
यज्ञार्थानि हि सृष्टानि यथा वै श्रूयते श्रुतिः एवं पूर्वे पूर्वतराः प्रवृत्ताश्चैव मानवाः
M. N. Dutt: This Shruti, quite of a piece with the truth, is heard that all things have been created for the celebration of Sacrifice. It was thus that all men of yore undertook the celebration of sacrifices.
न हिनस्ति ह्यारभते नाभिद्रुह्यति किंचन यज्ञो यष्टव्य इत्येव यो यजत्यफलेप्सया
M. N. Dutt: Regarding that person, however, who celebrates sacrifices, because of the belief that sacrifices should be celebrated not for the sake of fruit or reward, it is seen that he does not injure any creature or treat any one with hostility, or engage in the performance of any worldly work.
यज्ञाङ्गान्यपि चैतानि यथोक्तानि नसंशयः विधिना विधियुक्तानि तारयन्ति परस्परम्
M. N. Dutt: The things named above as the limbs of sacrifice, and those that have been mentioned as necessary in sacrifices and that are indicated in the ordinances, all maintain one another when used according to the approved ritual.
आम्नायमार्षं पश्यामि यस्मिन्वेदाः प्रतिष्ठिताः तं विद्वांसोऽनुपश्यन्ति ब्राह्मणस्यानुदर्शनात्
M. N. Dutt: I see also the Smritis compiled by the Rishis, into which the Vedas have been introduced. Learned men regard them as authoritative on account of their following the Brahmanas.
ब्राह्मणप्रभवो यज्ञो ब्राह्मणार्पण एव च अनु यज्ञं जगत्सर्वं यज्ञश्चानु जगत्सदा
M. N. Dutt: Sacrifices have the Brahmanas for their progenitor, and truly they depend upon the Brahmanas. The whole universe depends upon sacrifices, and sacrifice depends upon the universe.
ओमिति ब्रह्मणो योनिर्नमः स्वाहा स्वधा वषट् यस्यैतानि प्रयुज्यन्ते यथाशक्ति कृतान्यपि
AI Translation: Oṃ is the womb of Brahman, salutations, svāhā, svadhā, vaṣaṭ. Those who use these, even if they are performed according to their ability,
न तस्य त्रिषु लोकेषु परलोकभयं विदुः इति वेदा वदन्तीह सिद्धाश्च परमर्षयः
AI Translation: In the three worlds, they do not know the fear of the other world. Thus the Vedas and the Siddhas and the supreme sages speak here.
ऋचो यजूंषि सामानि स्तोभाश्च विधिचोदिताः यस्मिन्नेतानि सर्वाणि बहिरेव स वै द्विजः
M. N. Dutt: He, indeed, is a Brahmana in whom are the Riches, the Yajushes, the Samans, and the explctives necessary for completing the rhythm of the Samans according to the rules laid down in Vedic grammars.
अग्न्याधेये यद्भवति यच्च सोमे सुते द्विज यच्चेतरैर्महायज्ञैर्वेद तद्भगवान्स्वतः
M. N. Dutt: You know, O worshipful Brahmana, what are the fruits of Agnihotra, of the Somasacrifice, and of the other great sacrifices.
तस्माद्ब्रह्मन्यजेतैव याजयेच्चाविचारयन् यजतः स्वर्गविधिना प्रेत्य स्वर्गफलं महत्
M. N. Dutt: I, therefore, hold that one should sacrifice and assist at other people's sacrifices, without any hesitation whatsoever. One who celebrates sacrifices leading to heaven (such as Yotishtoma, etc.,) acquires great rewards in the next world in the form of heavenly bliss.
नायं लोकोऽस्त्ययज्ञानां परश्चेति विनिश्चयः वेदवादविदश्चैव प्रमाणमुभयं तदा
M. N. Dutt: This is certain, viz., that they who do not celebrate sacrifices have neither this world nor the next. They who are really conversant with the sayings of the Vedas consider both kinds of declarations as equally authoritative.