Critical Edition
युधिष्ठिर उवाच मोक्षः पितामहेनोक्त उपायान्नानुपायतः तमुपायं यथान्यायं श्रोतुमिच्छामि भारत
M. N. Dutt: Yudhisthira said You have said, O grand-father, that Liberation is to be acquired by means and not otherwise. I wish to hear duly what those means are.
भीष्म उवाच त्वय्येवैतन्महाप्राज्ञ युक्तं निपुणदर्शनम् यदुपायेन सर्वार्थान्नित्यं मृगयसेऽनघ
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said O you of great wisdom, this enquiry which you have made me and which is connected with a subtle topic, is really worthy of you, since you, O sinless one, always try to accomplish all your objects by the application of means.
करणे घटस्य या बुद्धिर्घटोत्पत्तौ न सानघ एवं धर्माभ्युपायेषु नान्यद्धर्मेषु कारणम्
M. N. Dutt: That state of mind which one feels when he makes an earthen jar for his use, disappears after the jar has been completed. Likewise, that cause which makes persons who regard virtue as the root of advancement and prosperity ceases to act with them who seek to acquire Liberation.
पूर्वे समुद्रे यः पन्था न स गच्छति पश्चिमम् एकः पन्था हि मोक्षस्य तन्मे विस्तरतः शृणु
M. N. Dutt: That path which leads to the Eastern Ocean is not the path by which one can go to the Western Ocean. There is only one path which leads to Liberation. Listen to me as I describe it to you in detail.
क्षमया क्रोधमुच्छिन्द्यात्कामं संकल्पवर्जनात् सत्त्वसंसेवनाद्धीरो निद्रामुच्छेतुमर्हति
M. N. Dutt: One should, by practising forgiveness, root out anger and by renouncing all purposes, root out desire. By practising the quality of goodness one should conquer sleep.
अप्रमादाद्भयं रक्षेच्छ्वासं क्षेत्रज्ञशीलनात् इच्छां द्वेषं च कामं च धैर्येण विनिवर्तयेत्
AI Translation: From heedfulness, one should protect fear, from breathing, from the training of the knower of the field. One should turn away desire, hatred, and passion by means of patience.
भ्रमं प्रमोहमावर्तमभ्यासाद्विनिवर्तयेत् निद्रां च प्रतिभां चैव ज्ञानाभ्यासेन तत्त्ववित्
AI Translation: One should turn away from delusion, confusion, and the cycle of rebirth through practice. The knower of reality should turn away from sleep and pride through the practice of knowledge.
उपद्रवांस्तथा रोगान्हितजीर्णमिताशनात् लोभं मोहं च संतोषाद्विषयांस्तत्त्वदर्शनात्
M. N. Dutt: By frugal and easily digestible food one should dispell all disorders and diseases. By contentment one should remove greed and stupefaction of judgement, and all earthly concerns should be avoided by a knowledge of the truth.
अनुक्रोशादधर्मं च जयेद्धर्ममुपेक्षया आयत्या च जयेदाशामर्थं सङ्गविवर्जनात्
M. N. Dutt: By practising benevolence one should conquer sin, and by regard for all creatures one should gain virtue. One should avoid expectation by thinking that it is connected with the future; and one should renounce riches by abandoning desire itself.
अनित्यत्वेन च स्नेहं क्षुधं योगेन पण्डितः कारुण्येनात्मनो मानं तृष्णां च परितोषतः
M. N. Dutt: The intelligent man should cast off affection by thinking that everything is fickle. He should control hunger by practising Yoga. By practising benevolence one should keep off all ideas of ego, and remove all sorts of craving by adopting contentment.
उत्थानेन जयेत्तन्द्रीं वितर्कं निश्चयाज्जयेत् मौनेन बहुभाष्यं च शौर्येण च भयं जयेत्
M. N. Dutt: By exertion should subdue procrastination, by certainty all kinds of doubt, one by taciturnity, loquaciousness, and by courage every sort of fear.
यच्छेद्वाङ्मनसी बुद्ध्या तां यच्छेज्ज्ञानचक्षुषा ज्ञानमात्मा महान्यच्छेत्तं यच्छेच्छान्तिरात्मनः
M. N. Dutt: Speech and mind are to be controlled by the Understanding, and the Understanding, in its turn, by the eye of knowledge. Knowledge, again, is to be controlled by the knowledge of the Soul, and finally the Soul it to be controlled by the Soul.
Supplementary Passages:
12.266.12 For 12cd, Dn1.n4 Ds D2.3.8 Cn.s subst.: while D7 ins. after 12cd: *722 ज्ञानमात्मावबोधेन यच्छेदात्मानमात्मना
तदेतदुपशान्तेन बोद्धव्यं शुचिकर्मणा योगदोषान्समुच्छिद्य पञ्च यान्कवयो विदुः
M. N. Dutt: This last is acquired by those who are of pure acts and endued with tranquillity of soul, the means being the subjugation of those five obstacles of Yoga of which the learned speak.
कामं क्रोधं च लोभं च भयं स्वप्नं च पञ्चमम् परित्यज्य निषेवेत तथेमान्योगसाधनान्
AI Translation: Abandoning desire, anger, greed, fear, and sleep as the fifth, one should practice these means of yoga.
ध्यानमध्ययनं दानं सत्यं ह्रीरार्जवं क्षमा शौचमाहारतः शुद्धिरिन्द्रियाणां च संयमः
AI Translation: Meditation, study, charity, truth, modesty, humility, forbearance, Purity from food, and restraint of the senses,
एतैर्विवर्धते तेजः पाप्मानमपहन्ति च सिध्यन्ति चास्य संकल्पा विज्ञानं च प्रवर्तते
M. N. Dutt: By these one's energy is increased, sins are removed, wishes crowned with success, and knowledge gained.
धूतपापः स तेजस्वी लघ्वाहारो जितेन्द्रियः कामक्रोधौ वशे कृत्वा निनीषेद्ब्रह्मणः पदम्
M. N. Dutt: When one becomes purged of sins and possessed of energy and abstemious in diet and the master of his senses, one then, having conquered both desire and anger, seeks to attain to Brahma.
अमूढत्वमसङ्गित्वं कामक्रोधविवर्जनम् अदैन्यमनुदीर्णत्वमनुद्वेगो व्यवस्थितिः
AI Translation: Non-delusion, non-attachment, avoidance of desire and anger, Non-despondency, non-agitation, non-distress, and stability,
एष मार्गो हि मोक्षस्य प्रसन्नो विमलः शुचिः तथा वाक्कायमनसां नियमः कामतोऽन्यथा
AI Translation: This is the path to liberation, clear, pure, and bright. And the restraint of speech, body, and mind, as one wishes, otherwise,