महाभारतम् — ११.७

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच ।

अहोऽभिहितमाख्यानं भवता तत्त्वदर्शिना ।
भूय एव तु मे हर्षः श्रोतुं वागमृतं तव ॥

M N Dutt Dhritarashtra said “Excellent is this parable which you have described. Indeed, you are acquainted with Truth. Having listened to your nectar-like speech, I desire to hear more.'

विदुर उवाच ।

११.७.२

शृणु भूयः प्रवक्ष्यामि मार्गस्यैतस्य विस्तरम् ।
यच्छ्रुत्वा विप्रमुच्यन्ते संसारेभ्यो विचक्षणाः ॥

M N Dutt Vidura said “Listen to me, O king, I shall once more fully describe the means an acquaintances with which enables the wise to free themselves from the fetters of the world.

११.७.३

यथा तु पुरुषो राजन्दीर्घमध्वानमास्थितः ।
क्वचित्क्वचिच्छ्रमात्स्थाता कुरुते वासमेव वा ॥

११.७.४

एवं संसारपर्याये गर्भवासेषु भारत ।
कुर्वन्ति दुर्बुधा वासं मुच्यन्ते तत्र पण्डिताः ॥

M N Dutt As a person, O king, who has to travel a long distance, is sometimes obliged to halt for being fatigued so, O Bharata, they that are of little understanding traveling along the long way of life, have to make frequent halts in the shape of repeated births. The wise are, however, freed from that obligation.

११.७.५

तस्मादध्वानमेवैतमाहुः शास्त्रविदो जनाः ।
यत्तु संसारगहनं वनमाहुर्मनीषिणः ॥

M N Dutt Men well read in scriptures, describe for this life's course as a long way. The wise also describe life's way with all its difficulties as a forest.

११.७.६

सोऽयं लोकसमावर्तो मर्त्यानां भरतर्षभ ।
चराणां स्थावराणां च गृध्येत्तत्र न पण्डितः ॥

M N Dutt Creatures, O Bharata-chief, whether mobile or immobile, have to repeatedly return to the world. The wise alone escape. or

११.७.७

शारीरा मानसाश्चैव मर्त्यानां ये तु व्याधयः ।
प्रत्यक्षाश्च परोक्षाश्च ते व्यालाः कथिता बुधैः ॥

M N Dutt The diseases, mental and physical, to which mortals are subject, whether visible invisible, are described as beasts of prey by the wise.

११.७.८

क्लिश्यमानाश्च तैर्नित्यं हन्यमानाश्च भारत ।
स्वकर्मभिर्महाव्यालैर्नोद्विजन्त्यल्पबुद्धयः ॥

M N Dutt Men are always assailed by them, O Bharata. Again, those dreadful beasts of prey, which are their own acts in life, never cause any, anxiety to the foolish.

११.७.९

अथापि तैर्विमुच्येत व्याधिभिः पुरुषो नृप ।
आवृणोत्येव तं पश्चाज्जरा रूपविनाशिनी ॥

M N Dutt If any person, O king, somehow escapes from diseases, Decrepitude, that destroyer of beauty, assails him after-wards.

११.७.१०

शब्दरूपरसस्पर्शैर्गन्धैश्च विविधैरपि ।
मज्जमानं महापङ्के निरालम्बे समन्ततः ॥

M N Dutt Plunged in a slough by the objects of senses, viz., sound, form, taste, touch and scent, man remains there without anything to save him from there.

११.७.११

संवत्सरर्तवो मासाः पक्षाहोरात्रसंधयः ।
क्रमेणास्य प्रलुम्पन्ति रूपमायुस्तथैव च ॥

M N Dutt Meanwhile, the years, the seasons, the mouths, the fortnights, the days and the nights, coming one after another, gradually deprive him of beauty and lessen the period of life.

११.७.१२

एते कालस्य निधयो नैताञ्जानन्ति दुर्बुधाः ।
अत्राभिलिखितान्याहुः सर्वभूतानि कर्मणा ॥

M N Dutt These all are harbingers of death. The foolish do not regard them as such. The wise say that all creatures are ruled by the Ordainer through their acts.

११.७.१३

रथं शरीरं भूतानां सत्त्वमाहुस्तु सारथिम् ।
इन्द्रियाणि हयानाहुः कर्म बुद्धिश्च रश्मयः ॥

M N Dutt The body of a creature is called the car. The vital principle is the driver of that car. The senses are the horses. Our acts and the understanding are the traces.

११.७.१४

तेषां हयानां यो वेगं धावतामनुधावति ।
स तु संसारचक्रेऽस्मिंश्चक्रवत्परिवर्तते ॥

M N Dutt He who follows after those running horses, has to come repeatedly by rebirths.

११.७.१५

यस्तान्यमयते बुद्ध्या स यन्ता न निवर्तते ।
याम्यमाहू रथं ह्येनं मुह्यन्ते येन दुर्बुधाः ॥

११.७.१६

स चैतत्प्राप्नुते राजन्यत्त्वं प्राप्तो नराधिप ।
राज्यनाशं सुहृन्नाशं सुतनाशं च भारत ॥

११.७.१७

अनुतर्षुलमेवैतद्दुःखं भवति भारत ।
साधुः परमदुःखानां दुःखभैषज्यमाचरेत् ॥

११.७.१८

न विक्रमो न चाप्यर्थो न मित्रं न सुहृज्जनः ।
तथोन्मोचयते दुःखाद्यथात्मा स्थिरसंयमः ॥

M N Dutt Neither power, nor riches, nor friends, nor well-wishers, can cure a man of his grief so successfully as the control of self. Therefore not injuring others and cherishing friendship for all creatures, be of pious behaviour, O Bharata!

११.७.१९

तस्मान्मैत्रं समास्थाय शीलमापद्य भारत ।
दमस्त्यागोऽप्रमादश्च ते त्रयो ब्रह्मणो हयाः ॥

११.७.२०

शीलरश्मिसमायुक्ते स्थितो यो मानसे रथे ।
त्यक्त्वा मृत्युभयं राजन्ब्रह्मलोकं स गच्छति ॥

M N Dutt Self-restraint, renunciation, and carefulness, are the three horses of Brahman. He who rides on the car of his soul, to which are yoked these horses with the help of traces furnished by good conduct, and drives it, shaking off all fear of death, goes, O king, to the regions of Brahman.

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