युधिष्ठिर उवाच न वै निगुणमात्मानं मन्ये देवर्षिसत्तम। तथास्मि दुःखसंतप्तो यथा नान्यो महीपतिः॥
Yudhishthira said : O foremost of celestials Rishis, I do not think that I am not endued with some merit. But I am still afflicted with so much sorrow that (I believe) there is no other king like me.
परांश्च निर्गुणान् मन्ये न चधर्मगतानपि। ते च लोमश लोकेऽस्मिन्नृध्यन्ते केन हेतुना॥
O Lomasha, I think my enemies have no merit and no virtuous tendencies. Why then do they proper in this world?
लोमश उवाच नात्र दुःखं त्वया राजन् कार्यं पार्थ कथंचन। यदधर्मेण वर्धेयुरधर्मरुचयो जनाः॥
Lomasha said : O king, O Partha, never grieve that sinful men should prosper in consequence of the sins they commit.
वर्धत्यधर्मेण नरस्ततो भद्राणि पश्यति। ततः सपत्नाञ्जयति समूलस्तु विनश्यति॥
A man may be seen to prosper by his sins, obtain good fruits or vanquish his enemies, but he is finally destroyed to the root.
मया हि दृष्टा दैतेया दानवाश्च महीपते। वर्धमाना ह्यधर्मेण क्षयं चोपगताः पुनः॥
O ruler of earth, I have seen many Daityas and Danavas prosper by sin, but I have also seen that destruction has again ever taken them.
पुरा देवयुगे चैव हृष्टं सर्वं मया विभो। अरोचयन् सुराधर्मधर्म तत्यजिरेऽसुराः॥
O lord, I have seen all this formerly in the Deva Yuga. The celestials practised virtue whereas the Asuras practised sin.
तीर्थानि देवा विविशु विशन् भारतासुराः। तानधर्मकृतो दर्पः पूर्वमेव समाविशत्॥
O descendant of Bharata, the celestials visited the Tirthas whereas the Asuras did not visit them. Those sinful ones were first filled with pride.
दर्पान्मानः समभवन्मानात् क्रोधो व्यजायत। क्रोधादह्रीस्ततोऽलज्जा वृत्तं तेषां ततोऽनशत्॥
Pride begot vanity and vanity begot wealth. From wealth arose every king of evil propensity and from evil propensities arose shamelessness.
तानलज्जान् गतह्रीकान् हीनवृत्तान् वृथाव्रतान्। क्षमा लक्ष्मीः स्वधर्मश्च न चिरात् प्रजहुस्ततः॥
From shamelessness good behaviour disappeared from among them. From their shamelessness, from their evil propensities, from their want of good conduct and virtuous vows, forgiveness, propensity and morality all forsook them.
लक्ष्मीस्तु देवानगमदलक्ष्मीरसुरान् नृप। तानलक्ष्मी समाविष्टान् दर्पोपहतचेतसः॥
O king, Lakshmi (the goddess of prosperity) then sought the celestials while a Lakshmi (goddess of adversity) sought the Asuras. When they were possessed by adversity they became senseless out of pride.
दैतेयान् दानवांश्चैव कलिरप्याविशत् ततः। तानलक्ष्मीसमाविष्टान् दानवान् कलिना हतान्॥
Then Kali possessed the Daityas and the Danavas. Being thus possessed by adversity, the Danavas were destroyed by Kali.
दभिभूतान् कौन्तेय क्रियाहीनानचेतसः। मानाभिभूतानचिराद् विनाशः समपद्यत॥
O son of Kunti, as they were filled with pride they became destitute of rites and sacrifices, devoid of reason, overwhelmed with vanity and they soon met with their destruction.
निर्यशस्कास्तथा दैत्याः कृत्स्नशो विलयं गताः। देवास्तु सागरांश्चैव सरितश्च सरांसि च॥ अभ्यगच्छन्धर्मशीला: पुण्यान्यायतनानि च। तपोभिः क्रतुभिर्दानैराशीर्वादैश्च पाण्डव॥ प्रजहुः सर्वपापानि श्रेयश्च प्रतिपेदिरे। एवमादानवन्तश्च निरादानाश्च सर्वशः॥
Covered with infamy the Daityas were soon destroyed. O son of Pandu, the celestials, however, who were all of virtuous character, going to the seas, rivers and lakes and other sacred places, cleansed themselves of all their sins by means of asceticism and sacrifices, by gifts and blessings; and O Pandava, they obtained great prosperity. Because they thus abandoned all evil deeds and practised all good deeds,
तीर्थान्यगच्छन् विबुधास्तेनापुभूतिमुत्तमाम्। तथा त्वमपि राजेन्द्र स्नात्वा तीर्थेषु सानुजः॥ पुनर्वेत्स्यसि तां लक्ष्मीमेष पन्थाः सनातनः।
And visited all the Tirthas, they obtained great good fortune. O king of kings, you will too therefore, bathing with your younger brothers in the Tirthas, obtain again great good fortune. This is the eternal road.
यथेव हि नृगो राजा शिबिरौशीनरो यथा॥ भगीरथो वसुमना गयः पूरुः पुरूरवाः। चरमाणास्तपो नित्यं स्पर्शनादम्भसश्च ते॥ तीर्थाभिगमनात् पूता दर्शनाच्च महात्मनाम्। अलभन्त यशः पुण्यंधनानि च विशाम्पते॥
As kings, Nriga, Shibi, Ushinara, Bhagiratha, Vasumana, Gaya, Puru and Pururava, by always practising austerities and touching the sacred waters and visiting the Tirthas and seeing the illustrious holy men, O king, obtained fame, virtue and great wealth.
तथा त्वमपि राजेन्द्र लब्धासि विपुलां श्रियन्त। यथा चेक्ष्वाकुरभवत् सपुत्रजनबान्धवः॥ मुचुकुन्दोऽथ मान्धाता मरुत्तश्च महीपतिः। कीर्ति पुण्यामविन्दन्त यथा देवास्तपोबलात्॥ देवर्षयश्च कात्स्न्येन तथा त्वमपि वेत्स्यसि। धार्तराष्ट्रास्त्वधर्मेण मोहेन च वशीकृताः। न चिराद् वै विनइक्ष्यन्ति दैत्या इव न संशयः॥
So will you obtain by acquiring exceedingly great prosperity. As Ikshvaku with his sons, friends and followers, Muchukunda, Mandhata and king Maruta, as the celestials through their power of asceticism, as the celestials Rishis also have obtained fame, so will you also obtain great fame. The sons of Dhritarashtra, enslaved as they are by sin and ignorance, will certainly be destroyed like Daityas. as