Critical Edition
युधिष्ठिर उवाच कथं भवति पापात्मा कथं धर्मं करोति वा केन निर्वेदमादत्ते मोक्षं वा केन गच्छति
M. N. Dutt: Yudhisthira said By what means does a man become sinful, by what does he acquire virtue, by what does he acquire renunciation, and by what does he acquire Liberation.
भीष्म उवाच विदिताः सर्वधर्मास्ते स्थित्यर्थमनुपृच्छसि शृणु मोक्षं सनिर्वेदं पापं धर्मं च मूलतः
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said now You know all duties. This question which you have put to me is only for confirmation of your conclusions. Listen fully to Liberation, and Renunciation, and Sin, and Virtue.
विज्ञानार्थं हि पञ्चानामिच्छा पूर्वं प्रवर्तते प्राप्य ताञ्जायते कामो द्वेषो वा भरतर्षभ
M. N. Dutt: Perceiving any one of the five objects, desire runs after it at first. Indeed, obtaining them within the pale of the senses, O foremost of Bharata's family, desire or hatred originates.
ततस्तदर्थं यतते कर्म चारभते पुनः इष्टानां रूपगन्धानामभ्यासं च चिकीर्षति
M. N. Dutt: One then, for the sake of that object, trics and begins acts that require much labour. One tries his best for enjoying again and again those forms and scents that appear very sweet.
ततो रागः प्रभवति द्वेषश्च तदनन्तरम् ततो लोभः प्रभवति मोहश्च तदनन्तरम्
M. N. Dutt: Gradually, attachment, hatred, greed and errors of judgement originate, answer
लोभमोहाभिभूतस्य रागद्वेषान्वितस्य च न धर्मे जायते बुद्धिर्व्याजाद्धर्मं करोति च
AI Translation: The one who is overcome by greed and delusion, who is full of attachment and aversion, does not have understanding of Dharma. He practices Dharma out of pretense.
व्याजेन चरतो धर्ममर्थव्याजोऽपि रोचते व्याजेन सिध्यमानेषु धनेषु कुरुनन्दन
AI Translation: Even the pursuit of wealth is desirable for one who practices Dharma in a disguised manner. O descendant of the Kuru lineage, when wealth is being accomplished in a disguised manner,
तत्रैव कुरुते बुद्धिं ततः पापं चिकीर्षति सुहृद्भिर्वार्यमाणोऽपि पण्डितैश्चापि भारत
AI Translation: There he makes up his mind and then desires to do evil. Though restrained by his friends and even by the wise, O descendant of Bharata,
उत्तरं न्यायसंबद्धं ब्रवीति विधियोजितम् अधर्मस्त्रिविधस्तस्य वर्धते रागमोहजः
AI Translation: He speaks the northern (way) connected with logic, joined with the injunctions. The three kinds of unrighteousness increase from that which is born of passion and delusion.
पापं चिन्तयते चैव प्रब्रवीति करोति च तस्याधर्मप्रवृत्तस्य दोषान्पश्यन्ति साधवः
AI Translation: He thinks of evil, speaks of evil, and does evil. The virtuous see the faults of one who engages in unrighteousness.
एकशीलाश्च मित्रत्वं भजन्ते पापकर्मिणः स नेह सुखमाप्नोति कुत एव परत्र वै
AI Translation: Those who are of the same character as him, even if they are evil-doers, become his friends. He does not attain happiness here, let alone in the next world.
एवं भवति पापात्मा धर्मात्मानं तु मे शृणु यथा कुशलधर्मा स कुशलं प्रतिपद्यते
AI Translation: Thus is the evil-souled one; but hear of the good-souled one. How the good-souled one practices the good.
Supplementary Passages:
12.265.12 After 12, B0.6.7 Da3.a4 Dn1.n4 Ds D2.3.5-8 editions ins.: *720 कुशलेनैव धर्मेण गतिमिष्टां प्रपद्यते
य एतान्प्रज्ञया दोषान्पूर्वमेवानुपश्यति कुशलः सुखदुःखानां साधूंश्चाप्युपसेवते
M. N. Dutt: He who, helped by his wisdom, succeeds beforehand seeing the faults referred to above, who is skilled in determining what is happiness and what is sorrow and how each is engendered, and who waits respectfully upon the good, makes progress in acquiring virtue, both on account of his habit and such companionship of the good. The mind of such a person finds pleasure in virtue, and he live on, making virtue his stay.
तस्य साधुसमाचारादभ्यासाच्चैव वर्धते प्रज्ञा धर्मे च रमते धर्मं चैवोपजीवति
AI Translation: His wisdom grows through good conduct and practice, and he delights in the Dharma and supports himself through the Dharma.
सोऽथ धर्मादवाप्तेषु धनेषु कुरुते मनः तस्यैव सिञ्चते मूलं गुणान्पश्यति यत्र वै
AI Translation: Then, having obtained wealth from Dharma, he directs his mind to it. He waters the very same root, where he sees the qualities.
धर्मात्मा भवति ह्येवं मित्रं च लभते शुभम् स मित्रधनलाभात्तु प्रेत्य चेह च नन्दति
AI Translation: Thus one becomes one of good character and obtains a good friend. By obtaining a friend and wealth, one rejoices in this world and the next.
शब्दे स्पर्शे तथा रूपे रसे गन्धे च भारत प्रभुत्वं लभते जन्तुर्धर्मस्यैतत्फलं विदुः
AI Translation: In sound, touch, form, taste, and smell, O descendant of Bharata, the creature attains mastery. This is known to be the fruit of Dharma.
स धर्मस्य फलं लब्ध्वा न तृप्यति युधिष्ठिर अतृप्यमाणो निर्वेदमादत्ते ज्ञानचक्षुषा
AI Translation: Having obtained the fruit of Dharma, O Yudhiṣṭhira, he is not satisfied. Not being satisfied, he attains dispassion with the eye of knowledge.
Supplementary Passages:
12.265.18 After 18ab, T G1.3 ins. (cf. 23cd): *721 धर्मे स्थितानां कौन्तेय सर्वभोगक्रियासु च
प्रज्ञाचक्षुर्यदा कामे दोषमेवानुपश्यति विरज्यते तदा कामान्न च धर्मं विमुञ्चति
AI Translation: When the eye of wisdom sees only the faults in sensual pleasures, then one becomes detached from sensual pleasures, but does not abandon the Dharma.
सर्वत्यागे च यतते दृष्ट्वा लोकं क्षयात्मकम् ततो मोक्षाय यतते नानुपायादुपायतः
M. N. Dutt: Seeing then all the worlds as being subject top destruction, he tries to renounce virtue and tries to attain to Liberation by the (well-known) means.
शनैर्निर्वेदमादत्ते पापं कर्म जहाति च धर्मात्मा चैव भवति मोक्षं च लभते परम्
M. N. Dutt: Gradually renouncing all sinful deeds he follows Renunciation, and becoming righteoussouled succeeds at last in acquiring Liberation.
एतत्ते कथितं तात यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि पापं धर्मं तथा मोक्षं निर्वेदं चैव भारत
M. N. Dutt: I have now told you, O Son, of that about which you had asked me, viz., the topics of Sin, Righteousness, Renunciation, and Liberation, O Bharata.
तस्माद्धर्मे प्रवर्तेथाः सर्वावस्थं युधिष्ठिर धर्मे स्थितानां कौन्तेय सिद्धिर्भवति शाश्वती
M. N. Dutt: You should, therefore, O Yudhishthira, follow virtue under all circumstances. Eternal is the success, O son of Kunti, of you who follow righteousness.