महाभारतम् — १४.३५

अर्जुन उवाच ।

ब्रह्म यत्परमं वेद्यं तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि ।
भवतो हि प्रसादेन सूक्ष्मे मे रमते मतिः ॥

M N Dutt Arjuna said You should explain Brahma to me, that which is the highest object of knowledge. Through your favour, my mind is delighted with these subtle disquisition's.

वासुदेव उवाच ।

१४.३५.२

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् ।
संवादं मोक्षसंयुक्तं शिष्यस्य गुरुणा सह ॥

M N Dutt Vasudeva said Regarding it is recited the old discourse between a preceptor and his disciple on the subject of Brahma.

१४.३५.३

कश्चिद्ब्राह्मणमासीनमाचार्यं संशितव्रतम् ।
शिष्यः पप्रच्छ मेधावी किं स्विच्छ्रेयः परंतप ॥

M N Dutt Once on a time, O destroyer of enemics, an intelligent disciple questioned certain Brahmana of rigid vows who was preceptor, as a he was scated, saying-What, indeed, is the highest good?

१४.३५.४

भगवन्तं प्रपन्नोऽहं निःश्रेयसपरायणः ।
याचे त्वां शिरसा विप्र यद्ब्रूयां तद्विचक्ष्व मे ॥

M N Dutt Desirous of acquiring that which forms the highest good, I throw myself at your fect, O holy one! O learned Brahmana, I solicit you, bending my head, to explain to me what I ask.

१४.३५.५

तमेवंवादिनं पार्थ शिष्यं गुरुरुवाच ह ।
कथयस्व प्रवक्ष्यामि यत्र ते संशयो द्विज ॥

M N Dutt To that disciple, O son of Pritha, who said So, the preceptor said, O twice-born one, I shall explain to you everything about which you may have any doubts.

१४.३५.६

इत्युक्तः स कुरुश्रेष्ठ गुरुणा गुरुवत्सलः ।
प्राञ्जलिः परिपप्रच्छ यत्तच्छृणु महामते ॥

M N Dutt Thus addressed, O foremost one of Kuru's race, by his preceptor, that disciple who was greatly devoted to his preceptor, spoke as follows, with joined hands. Do you hear what he said, O you of great intelligence.

शिष्य उवाच ।

१४.३५.७

कुतश्चाहं कुतश्च त्वं तत्सत्यं ब्रूहि यत्परम् ।
कुतो जातानि भूतानि स्थावराणि चराणि च ॥

M N Dutt Whence aim I? Whence are you? Explain that which is the highest truth. From what source have originated all creatures mobile and immobile?

१४.३५.८

केन जीवन्ति भूतानि तेषामायुः किमात्मकम् ।
किं सत्यं किं तपो विप्र के गुणाः सद्भिरीरिताः ।
के पन्थानः शिवाः सन्ति किं सुखं किं च दुष्कृतम् ॥

M N Dutt By what do creatures live? What is the limit of their life? What is truth? What is penance, O learned Brahmana? What are called qualities by the good?

१४.३५.९

एतान्मे भगवन्प्रश्नान्याथातथ्येन सत्तम ।
वक्तुमर्हसि विप्रर्षे यथावदिह तत्त्वतः ॥

वासुदेव उवाच ।

१४.३५.१०

तस्मै संप्रतिपन्नाय यथावत्परिपृच्छते ।
शिष्याय गुणयुक्ताय शान्ताय गुरुवर्तिने ।
छायाभूताय दान्ताय यतये ब्रह्मचारिणे ॥

१४.३५.११

तान्प्रश्नानब्रवीत्पार्थ मेधावी स धृतव्रतः ।
गुरुः कुरुकुलश्रेष्ठ सम्यक्सर्वानरिंदम ॥

१४.३५.१२

ब्रह्मप्रोक्तमिदं धर्ममृषिप्रवरसेवितम् ।
वेदविद्यासमावाप्यं तत्त्वभूतार्थभावनम् ॥

M N Dutt All this was declared by Brahman himself. Applauded and practised by the foreinost of Rishis, and depending on Vedic knowledge it involves a consideration of what forms the real entity.

१४.३५.१३

भूतभव्यभविष्यादिधर्मकामार्थनिश्चयम् ।
सिद्धसंघपरिज्ञातं पुराकल्पं सनातनम् ॥

M N Dutt The conclusions about the past, present, and future, etc., and religion, pleasure, and profit, which are all well known to Siddhas, which belong to remote ages, and which are, indeed, eternal, I shall declare to you. O you of great wisdom! These form what is called Good, Wise Men, understanding them in this world, acquire success.

१४.३५.१४

प्रवक्ष्येऽहं महाप्राज्ञ पदमुत्तममद्य ते ।
बुद्ध्वा यदिह संसिद्धा भवन्तीह मनीषिणः ॥

M N Dutt The conclusions about the past, present, and future, etc., and religion, pleasure, and profit, which are all well known to Siddhas, which belong to remote ages, and which are, indeed, eternal, I shall declare to you. O you of great wisdom! These form what is called Good, Wise Men, understanding them in this world, acquire success.

१४.३५.१५

उपगम्यर्षयः पूर्वं जिज्ञासन्तः परस्परम् ।
बृहस्पतिभरद्वाजौ गौतमो भार्गवस्तथा ॥

१४.३५.१६

वसिष्ठः काश्यपश्चैव विश्वामित्रोऽत्रिरेव च ।
मार्गान्सर्वान्परिक्रम्य परिश्रान्ताः स्वकर्मभिः ॥

M N Dutt Formerly, the Rishis Brihaspati Bharadvaja, Gautama Bhargava, Vasishtha, Kashyapa, Vishvamitra and Atri, assembled together for the purpose of asking one another. They thus assembled together after having travelled over all paths and after they had got tired with the deeds each of them had done.

१४.३५.१७

ऋषिमाङ्गिरसं वृद्धं पुरस्कृत्य तु ते द्विजाः ।
ददृशुर्ब्रह्मभवने ब्रह्माणं वीतकल्मषम् ॥

M N Dutt Those twice-born persons, headed by the sage son of Angirasa, proceeded to the region of the Grandfather. There they saw Brahman perfectly purged of all sin.

१४.३५.१८

तं प्रणम्य महात्मानं सुखासीनं महर्षयः ।
पप्रच्छुर्विनयोपेता निःश्रेयसमिदं परम् ॥

M N Dutt Bowing their heads to that great one who was seated at their ease, the great Rishis, gifted with humility, asked him this grave question about the highest good.

१४.३५.१९

कथं कर्म क्रियात्साधु कथं मुच्येत किल्बिषात् ।
के नो मार्गाः शिवाश्च स्युः किं सत्यं किं च दुष्कृतम् ॥

M N Dutt How should a good man act? How would one be freed from sin? What paths are: auspicious for us? What is truth, and what is sin?

१४.३५.२०

केनोभौ कर्मपन्थानौ महत्त्वं केन विन्दति ।
प्रलयं चापवर्गं च भूतानां प्रभवाप्ययौ ॥

M N Dutt By what action are the two paths, northern and southern, obtained? What is destruction? What, Liberation? What is birth and what death of all existent objects?

१४.३५.२१

इत्युक्तः स मुनिश्रेष्ठैर्यदाह प्रपितामहः ।
तत्तेऽहं संप्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु शिष्य यथागमम् ॥

M N Dutt I shall tell you. O disciple, what the Grandfather, thus addressed, said to them, according to the scriptures. Do you listen.

ब्रह्मोवाच ।

१४.३५.२२

सत्याद्भूतानि जातानि स्थावराणि चराणि च ।
तपसा तानि जीवन्ति इति तद्वित्त सुव्रताः ॥

M N Dutt It is from Truth that all creatures, mobile and immobile, have been born. They live by penance (or action). Understand this, O you of excellent vows! On account of their own actions they live, transcending their own origin.

१४.३५.२३

स्वां योनिं पुनरागम्य वर्तन्ते स्वेन कर्मणा ।
सत्यं हि गुणसंयुक्तं नियतं पञ्चलक्षणम् ॥

१४.३५.२४

ब्रह्म सत्यं तपः सत्यं सत्यं चैव प्रजापतिः ।
सत्याद्भूतानि जातानि भूतं सत्यमयं महत् ॥

१४.३५.२५

तस्मात्सत्याश्रया विप्रा नित्यं योगपरायणाः ।
अतीतक्रोधसंतापा नियता धर्मसेतवः ॥

१४.३५.२६

अन्योन्यनियतान्वैद्यान्धर्मसेतुप्रवर्तकान् ।
तानहं संप्रवक्ष्यामि शाश्वतान्लोकभावनान् ॥

१४.३५.२७

चातुर्विद्यं तथा वर्णांश्चतुरश्चाश्रमान्पृथक् ।
धर्ममेकं चतुष्पादं नित्यमाहुर्मनीषिणः ॥

१४.३५.२८

पन्थानं वः प्रवक्ष्यामि शिवं क्षेमकरं द्विजाः ।
नियतं ब्रह्मभावाय यातं पूर्वं मनीषिभिः ॥

१४.३५.२९

गदतस्तं ममाद्येह पन्थानं दुर्विदं परम् ।
निबोधत महाभागा निखिलेन परं पदम् ॥

१४.३५.३०

ब्रह्मचारिकमेवाहुराश्रमं प्रथमं पदम् ।
गार्हस्थ्यं तु द्वितीयं स्याद्वानप्रस्थमतः परम् ।
ततः परं तु विज्ञेयमध्यात्मं परमं पदम् ॥

M N Dutt The second step is domesticity. After this is the residence in the forcst. After that it should be known is the highest step, viz., that belongs to Adhyatma.

१४.३५.३१

ज्योतिराकाशमादित्यो वायुरिन्द्रः प्रजापतिः ।
नोपैति यावदध्यात्मं तावदेतान्न पश्यति ।
तस्योपायं प्रवक्ष्यामि पुरस्तात्तं निबोधत ॥

M N Dutt Light, ether, sun, wind, Indra, and Prajapati, one sees these as long as one does not acquire Adhyatma.

१४.३५.३२

फलमूलानिलभुजां मुनीनां वसतां वने ।
वानप्रस्थं द्विजातीनां त्रयाणामुपदिश्यते ॥

M N Dutt I shall declare the means. Do you first understand them. The forest mode of life that is followed by ascetics living in the forest and subsisting upon fruits and roots and air is laid down for the three twice-born classes. The domestic mode of life is ordained for all the orders.

१४.३५.३३

सर्वेषामेव वर्णानां गार्हस्थ्यं तद्विधीयते ।
श्रद्धालक्षणमित्येवं धर्मं धीराः प्रचक्षते ॥

१४.३५.३४

इत्येते देवयाना वः पन्थानः परिकीर्तिताः ।
सद्भिरध्यासिता धीरैः कर्मभिर्धर्मसेतवः ॥

M N Dutt The wise say that Religion or duty has Faith for its characteristic mark. Thus have I declared to you the paths leading to the celestials. They are adopted by the good and wise by their a 'ts. Those paihs are the causeways of picty.

१४.३५.३५

एतेषां पृथगध्यास्ते यो धर्मं संशितव्रतः ।
कालात्पश्यति भूतानां सदैव प्रभवाप्ययौ ॥

M N Dutt That persons of rigid vows who follows any one of these modes separately, always succeeds in time to understand the production and destruction of all creatures.

१४.३५.३६

अतस्तत्त्वानि वक्ष्यामि याथातथ्येन हेतुना ।
विषयस्थानि सर्वाणि वर्तमानानि भागशः ॥

M N Dutt I shall now declarc, accurately and with reasons, the elements which live in parts in all objects.

१४.३५.३७

महानात्मा तथाव्यक्तमहंकारस्तथैव च ।
इन्द्रियाणि दशैकं च महाभूतानि पञ्च च ॥

M N Dutt The great soul, the uninanifest, egoisin, the eleven organs (of knowledge and action), the five great elements, the characteristics of the five elements, these form the eternal creation. The number of clements has been said to be twenty-four and one (more).

१४.३५.३८

विशेषाः पञ्चभूतानामित्येषा वैदिकी श्रुतिः ।
चतुर्विंशतिरेषा वस्तत्त्वानां संप्रकीर्तिता ॥

१४.३५.३९

तत्त्वानामथ यो वेद सर्वेषां प्रभवाप्ययौ ।
स धीरः सर्वभूतेषु न मोहमधिगच्छति ॥

M N Dutt That wise person who understands the production and destruction of all these elements, that man among all creatures, never meets with delusion.

१४.३५.४०

तत्त्वानि यो वेदयते यथातथं
गुणांश्च सर्वानखिलाश्च देवताः ।
विधूतपाप्मा प्रविमुच्य बन्धनं
स सर्वलोकानमलान्समश्नुते ॥

M N Dutt Hc who understands the elements accurately, all the qualities, all the celestials, succeeds in purifying himself of all sin. Freed from all fetters, such a man succeeds in enjoying all regions of spotless purity.

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