युधिष्ठिर उवाच अहिंसा वैदिकं कर्म ध्यानमिन्द्रियसंयमः। तपोऽथ गुरुशुश्रूषा किं श्रेयः पुरुषं प्रति॥
Yudhishthira said Which amongst these is more efficacious to a person, namely abstention from injury, the observance of the Vedic, ritual, meditation, control over the senses, penances and obedient services rendered to the preceptors.
बृहस्पति रुवाच सर्वाण्येतानि धाणि पृथग्द्वाराणि सर्वशः। शृणु संकीर्त्यमानानि षडेव भरतर्षभ॥
Brihaspati said All these six are meritorious. They are different doors of virtue. I shall discourse upon them now. Do you listen to them O chief of the Bharatas!
हन्त निःश्रेयसं जन्तोरहं वक्ष्याम्यनुत्तमम्। अहिंसापाश्रयं धर्मं यः साधयति वै नरः॥
I shall tell you what forms the highest good of a human being. That man who practises the religion of universal mercy, acquires his highest good.
त्रीन् दोषान् सर्वभूतेषु निधाय पुरुषः सदा। कामक्रोधौ च संयम्य ततः सिद्धिमवाप्नुते॥
That man who keeps under restraint the three passions, viz., lust, anger and avarice by throwing them upon all creatures, acquires success.
अहिंसकानि भूतानि दण्डेन विनिहन्ति यः। आत्मनः सुखमन्विच्छन् स प्रेत्य न सुखी भवेत्॥
He who, for his own happiness, kills other innocent creatures with the rod of punishment never acquires happiness in the next world.
आत्मोपमस्तु भूतेषु यो वै भवति पुरुषः। न्यस्तदण्डो जितक्रोधः स प्रेत्य सुखमेधते॥
That man who considers all creatures as his own self, and treats them as his own self, laying aside the rod of punishment and completely controlling his anger, succeeds in acquiring happiness.
सर्वभूतात्मभूतस्य सर्वभूतानि पश्यतः। देवाऽपि मार्गे मुह्यन्ति अपदस्य पदैषिणः॥
in The very celestials who are desirous of a fixed habitation, become stupefied ascertaining the road of that person who forms himself the soul of all creatures and considers them all as his own self, for such a person leaves no track behind.
न तत् परस्य संदध्यात् प्रतिकूलं यदात्मनः। एष संक्षेपतो धर्मः कामादन्यः प्रवर्तते॥
One should never do that to another which he considers as injurious to his own self. This in brief, is the rule of virtue. One by acting in a different way by giving way to desire, becomes guilty of sin.
प्रत्याख्याने च दाने च सुखदुःखे प्रियाप्रिये। आत्मौपम्येन पुरुषः प्रमाणमधिगच्छति॥
In refusing and giving, in weal and woe, in the agrecable and the disagreeable, one should judge of their effects by considering his own self.
यथाऽपरः प्रक्रमते परेषु तथापरे प्रक्रमन्ते परस्मिन्। तथैव तेऽस्तूपमा जीवलोके यथा धर्मो नैपुणेनोपदिष्ट॥१०
When one injures another, the injured in return injures the injurer. Likewise, when one cherishes another, that other cherishes the cherisher. One should forin his own rule of conduct according to this, I have told you what virtue is even by this subtile way.
वैशम्पायन उवाच इत्युक्त्वा तं सुरगुरुर्धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरम्। दिवमाचक्रमे धीमान् पश्यतामेव नस्तदा॥
Vaishampayana continued: The preceptor of the celestials endued with great intelligence, having said this to king, Yudhishthira the just, ascended upwards for proceeding to the celestial region before our eyes.