Critical Edition
वैशंपायन उवाच इत्युक्तवति वाक्यं तु कृष्णे देवकिनन्दने भीष्मं शांतनवं भूयः पर्यपृच्छद्युधिष्ठिरः
AI Translation: Vaishampayana said: When Krishna, the son of Devaki, had spoken these words, Yudhishthira again asked Shantanu's son, Bhishma,
निर्णये वा महाबुद्धे सर्वधर्मभृतां वर प्रत्यक्षमागमो वेति किं तयोः कारणं भवेत्
AI Translation: O you who are wise in making decisions, O best of those who uphold all teachings, What is the reason for the two, namely direct perception and scripture?
भीष्म उवाच नास्त्यत्र संशयः कश्चिदिति मे वर्तते मतिः शृणु वक्ष्यामि ते प्राज्ञ सम्यक्त्वमनुपृच्छसि
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said I think there is no doubt in this. Listen to me, O you of great wisdom. I shall answer you. The question you have asked is indeed proper. It is easy to entertain doubt. But the solution of that doubt is difficult.
संशयः सुगमो राजन्निर्णयस्त्वत्र दुर्गमः दृष्टं श्रुतमनन्तं हि यत्र संशयदर्शनम्
AI Translation: O king, doubt is easy to understand, but the decision here is difficult to understand. Where there is doubt in seeing and hearing the infinite,
प्रत्यक्षं कारणं दृष्टं हेतुकाः प्राज्ञमानिनः नास्तीत्येवं व्यवस्यन्ति सत्यं संशयमेव च तदयुक्तं व्यवस्यन्ति बालाः पण्डितमानिनः
M. N. Dutt: They assert that nothing, however true, exists which is not directly perceivable; or, at least, they doubt the existence of those objects. Such assertions however are absurd and they who make them are fools, whatever their pride of learning.
अथ चेन्मन्यसे चैकं कारणं किं भवेदिति शक्यं दीर्घेण कालेन युक्तेनातन्द्रितेन च प्राणयात्रामनेकां च कल्पयानेन भारत
M. N. Dutt: If, on the other hand, you entertain any doubt how the one indivisible Brahman could be the cause, I answer that one would understand it only after many years and with the help of Yoga practised assiduously.
तत्परेणैव नान्येन शक्यं ह्येतत्तु कारणम् हेतूनामन्तमासाद्य विपुलं ज्ञानमुत्तमम् ज्योतिः सर्वस्य लोकस्य विपुलं प्रतिपद्यते
M. N. Dutt: When one gets to the very end of reasons, he attains to that excellent and all comprehending knowledge—that vast mass of effulgence, which illumines all the universe (called Brahma).
Supplementary Passages:
13.147.7 For 7cd, D10 S subst.: *680 हेतुनामन्त्रिते वापि धर्मशास्त्रेण चोत्तमम्
तत्त्वेनागमनं राजन्हेत्वन्तगमनं तथा अग्राह्यमनिबद्धं च वाचः संपरिवर्जनम्
M. N. Dutt: That knowledge, O king, which is derived from can hardly be said to be knowledge. Such knowledge should rejected. It should be understood, that it is not defined or comprehended by the word. It should, therefore, be rejected.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच प्रत्यक्षं लोकतः सिद्धं लोकाश्चागमपूर्वकाः शिष्टाचारो बहुविधो ब्रूहि तन्मे पितामह
M. N. Dutt: Yudhishthira said Tell me, O grandfather, which among these (four) is most authoritative, viz., direct reason be perception, Inference from observation, the science of scriptures, and various kinds of practices which distinguish the good.
भीष्म उवाच धर्मस्य ह्रियमाणस्य बलवद्भिर्दुरात्मभिः संस्था यत्नैरपि कृता कालेन परिभिद्यते
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said While virtue is sought to be destroyed by wicked persons possessed of great power, it is capable of being protected for the time being by those who are good if they work with care and earnestness. Such protection, however, is of no use in the long run, for destruction does overtake virtue at the end.
अधर्मा धर्मरूपेण तृणैः कूपा इवावृताः ततस्तैर्भिद्यते वृत्तं शृणु चैव युधिष्ठिर
M. N. Dutt: Then, again, virtue often proves a mark for covering sin, like grass and straw covering the mouth of a deep pit and concealing it from the view. Hear, again, O Yudhishthira. On account of this, the practices of the good are interfered with and destroyed by the wicked.
अवृत्त्या ये च भिन्दन्ति श्रुतत्यागपरायणाः धर्मविद्वेषिणो मन्दा इत्युक्तस्तेषु संशयः
M. N. Dutt: Those persons who are evildoers, who discard the Shrutis, indeed, those wicked persons who are haters of virtue destroy that good conduct, hence, doubts attach to direct perception, Inference, and good conduct.
अतृप्यन्तस्तु साधूनां य एवागमबुद्धयः परमित्येव संतुष्टास्तानुपास्स्व च पृच्छ च
M. N. Dutt: Those, therefore, among the good who are possessed of understanding purified by the scriptures and who are ever contented, are to be considered as the foremost. Let those who are anxious and deprived of tranquility of soul, approach these. Indeed, O Yudhishthira, do you seek them and ask them for the solutions of your doubts.
कामार्थौ पृष्ठतः कृत्वा लोभमोहानुसारिणौ धर्म इत्येव संबुद्धास्तानुपास्स्व च पृच्छ च
M. N. Dutt: Disregarding both Pleasure and Profit which always follow cupidity and cherishing the condition that only virtues should be sought, do you, O Yudhishthira, wait upon and ask those persons.
न तेषां भिद्यते वृत्तं यज्ञस्वाध्यायकर्मभिः आचारः कारणं चैव धर्मश्चैव त्रयं पुनः
M. N. Dutt: The conduct of those persons never goes wrong or meets with destruction, as also their sacrifices and Vedic study and rites. Indeed, these three, viz., good conduct, mental purity, and the Vedas together form virtue.
Supplementary Passages:
13.147.15 After 15ab, D10 T G ins.: *681 मूलाचारस्तु साधूनां यज्ञस्वाध्यायवृत्ततः
युधिष्ठिर उवाच पुनरेवेह मे बुद्धिः संशये परिमुह्यते अपारे मार्गमाणस्य परं तीरमपश्यतः
M. N. Dutt: Yudhishthira said O grandfather, my understanding is once more stupefied by doubt. I am on this side of the ocean, engaged in searching after the ineans of crossing it. I do not, however, see the other shore of the ocean.
वेदाः प्रत्यक्षमाचारः प्रमाणं तत्त्रयं यदि पृथक्त्वं लभ्यते चैषां धर्मश्चैकस्त्रयं कथम्
M. N. Dutt: If these three, viz., the Vedas, direct perception and behaviour (or mental purity) together form what is to be considered as authority, it can be alleged that there is difference between each. Virtue then becomes really of three kinds although it is one and indivisible.
भीष्म उवाच धर्मस्य ह्रियमाणस्य बलवद्भिर्दुरात्मभिः यद्येवं मन्यसे राजंस्त्रिधा धर्मविचारणा
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said Virtue is sometimes seen to be destroyed by a wicked man of great power. If you think, O king, that virtue should really be of three sorts. I answer that your conclusion is supported by reason.
एक एवेति जानीहि त्रिधा तस्य प्रदर्शनम् पृथक्त्वे चैव मे बुद्धिस्त्रयाणामपि वै तथा
M. N. Dutt: The truth is that virtue is one and indivisible, although it is capable of being scen from three different points.
उक्तो मार्गस्त्रयाणां च तत्तथैव समाचर जिज्ञासा तु न कर्तव्या धर्मस्य परितर्कणात्
M. N. Dutt: The paths, of those three, which form the foundation of virtue have each been laid down. Do you act according to the instructions laid down. You should never wrangle about virtue and then seek to have those doubts of yours removed.
सदैव भरतश्रेष्ठ मा ते भूदत्र संशयः अन्धो जड इवाशङ्को यद्ब्रवीमि तदाचर
M. N. Dutt: O chief of the Bharatas, let no doubts like these ever take possession of your mind. Do you obey unhesitatingly what I say. Follow me like a blind man or like one who, having no sense himself, has to depend upon that of another.
अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधो दानमेतच्चतुष्टयम् अजातशत्रो सेवस्व धर्म एष सनातनः
M. N. Dutt: Abstention from injury, truth, absence of anger (or forgiveness), and liberality or gifts, these four, O king do you practise, for these four form eternal virtue.
ब्राह्मणेषु च वृत्तिर्या पितृपैतामहोचिता तामन्वेहि महाबाहो स्वर्गस्यैते हि देशिकाः
M. N. Dutt: Do you also, O mightyarmed prince, follow that conduct towards the Brahmanas which is consistent with what has been observed towards them by your father and grandfather. These are the principal marks of virtue.
प्रमाणमप्रमाणं वै यः कुर्यादबुधो नरः न स प्रमाणतामर्हो विवादजननो हि सः
M. N. Dutt: That foolish wight, who would destroy the weight of authority by denying that to be a standard which has always been accepted as such, would himself fail to become an authority among men. Such a man becomes the cause of much sorrow in the world.
ब्राह्मणानेव सेवस्व सत्कृत्य बहुमन्य च एतेष्वेव त्विमे लोकाः कृत्स्ना इति निबोध तान्
M. N. Dutt: Do you respect the Brahmanas and treat them with hospitality. Do you always serve them in this way. The universe rests on them. Do you understand them to be such.
Supplementary Passages:
13.147.25 After 25ab, T3 ins.: *682 ये धर्ममभ्यसूयन्ते ते धर्मं पर्युपासते