सौतिरुवाच एतच्छुत्वा नृपो विद्वान् हृष्टोऽभूज्जनमेजयः। पितामहानां सर्वेषां गमनागमनं तदा॥
Santi said Hearing this story of the reappearance and departure of his forefathers, the highly intelligent king Janamejaya became greatly pleased.
अब्रवीच्च मुदा युक्तः पुनरागमनं प्रति। कथं नु त्यक्तदेहानां पुनस्तद्रूपदर्शनम्॥
Filled with joy, he once more asked Vaishampayana the subject of the reappearance of dead men, saying of the reappearance of dead men, saying-How is it possible for persons whose bodies have been destroyed to reappear in those very forms?
इत्युक्तः स द्विजश्रेष्ठो व्यासशिष्यः प्रतापवान्। प्रोवाच वदतां श्रेष्ठस्तं नृपं जनमेजयम्॥
Thus asked, that foremost of twice-born persons, viz., the disciple of Vyasa, that first of speakers, possessed of great energy, thus answered Janamejaya.
वैशम्पायन उवाच अविप्रणाशः सर्वेषां कर्मणामिति निश्चयः। कर्मजानि शरीराणि तथैवाकृतयो नृप॥
This is certain, viz., that acts are never destroyed. Bodies, o king, are born of acts; so also are features.
महाभूतानि नित्यानि भूताधिपतिसंश्रयात्। तेषां च नित्यसंवासो न विनाशो वियुज्यताम्॥
The great primal elements are eternal on account of the union with them of the Lord of all beings. They exist with what is eternal. Accordingly, they have no destruction when the non-eternal are destroyed.
अनायासकृतं कर्म सत्यः श्रेष्ठः फलागमः। आत्मा चैभिः समायुक्तः सुखदुःखमुपाश्नुते॥
Acts done without exertion are true, and foremost, and yield real fruit. The soul, united, however, with such acts as require exertion for their performance, enjoys pleasure and pain.
अविनाश्यस्तथायुक्तः श्रेत्रज्ञ इति निश्चयः। भूतानामात्मको भावो यथासौ न वियुज्यते॥
Though united so, yet it is a certain internee that the soul is never modified by them, like the reflection of creatures in a mirror. It is never destroyed.
यावन्न क्षीयते कर्म तावत् तस्य स्वरूपता। क्षीणकर्मा नरो लोके रूपान्यत्वं नियच्छति॥
As long as one's deeds are not exhausted (by enjoyment or endurance of their fruits good and bad), so long does he consider the body to be his ownself. The man, however, whose acts have been exhausted, without considering body to be self, takes the self to be something otherwise.
नानाभावास्तथैकत्वं शरीरं प्राप्य संहताः। भवन्ति ते तथा नित्याः पृथग्भावं विजानताम्॥
Various existent objects, attaining to a body, become united as one. Those very objects become eternal to men of knowledge who understand the difference.
अश्वमेधे श्रुतिश्चयमश्वसंज्ञपनं प्रति। लोकान्तरगता नित्यं प्राणा नित्यं शरीरिणाम्॥
In the Horse-Sacrifice, this Shruti is heard in the matter of the killing of the horse. The certain possessions of embodied creatures, viz., their vital airs (and the senses, etc.) exist eternally even when they are borne to the other world.
अहं हितं वदाम्येतत् प्रियं चेत् तव पार्थिव। देवयाना हि पन्थानः श्रुतास्ते यज्ञसंस्तरे॥
I shall, you what is beneficial, if it be agreeable to you, O king. You have while employed in our sacrifices, heard of the celestial paths.
आहृतो यत्र यज्ञस्ते तत्र देवा हितास्तव। यदा समन्विता देवाः पशूनां गमनेश्वराः॥
When preparations were made for any sacrifice of yours, the celestials became beneficially inclined to you. When, indeed, the celestials were thus disposed and came to your sacrifice, they were lords in the matter of the passage.
गतिमन्तश्च तेनेष्टा नान्ये नित्या भवन्त्युत। नित्येऽस्मिन् पञ्चके वर्गे नित्ये चात्मनि पूरुषः॥
Therefore, the eternal ones (viz., Jivas), by adoring the deities in sacrifices, succeed in attaining to excellent ends. When the five primal elements are eternal, when he soul also is eternal, he called Purusha is equally so.
अस्य नानासमायोगं यः पश्यति वृथामतिः। वियोगे शोचतेऽत्यर्थं स बाल इति मे मतिः॥
When such is the case he who sees a creature as disposed to take various forms, is considered as having an erroneous understanding. He who indulges in too much grief at separation, is, I think, a foolish person.
वियोगे दोषदर्शी यः संयोगं स विसर्जयेत्। असङ्गे सङ्गमो नास्ति दुःखं भुवि वियोगजम्॥
He who sees evil in separation should give up union. By standing aloof, no unions are formed, and sorrow is renounced, for sorrow in the worlds is born of separation.
परापरज्ञस्त्वपरो नाभिमानादुदीरितः। अपरज्ञः परां बुद्धिं ज्ञात्वा मोहाद् विमुच्यते॥
Only he who understands the distinction between body and self, and not another becomes freed from the erroneous belief. He who knows the other viz., self attains to the highest understanding and becomes freed from error.
अदर्शनादापतितः पुनश्चादर्शनं गतः। नाहं तं वेद्मि नासौ मां न च मेऽस्ति विरागता॥
As regards creatures, they appear from an invisible state, and once more disappears into invisibleness. I do not know him. He also does not know me. As regards myself renunciation is not yet mine.
येन येन शरीरेण करोत्ययमनीश्वरः।
He, who is not possessed of power, enjoys or endures the fruits of all his deeds in those bodies in which he does them.
तेन तेन शरीरेण तदवश्यमुपाश्नुते। मानसं मनसाऽऽप्नोति शरीरं च शरीरवान्॥
If the act be a mental one, its fruits are enjoyed or endured mentally; if it be done with the body, its results are to be enjoyed or endured in the body.