धृतराष्ट्र उवाच सुभाषितैर्महाप्राज्ञ शोकोऽयं विगतो मम। भूय एव तु वाक्यानि श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः॥
Dhritarashtra said "O you of great wisdom, by grief has been removed by your excellent words. I wish you, however, to speak again.
अनिष्टानां च संसर्गादिष्टानां च विसर्जनात्। कथं हि मानसैर्दुःखै प्रमुच्यन्ते तु पण्डिताः॥
How, indeed, do the wise free themselves from mental grief begotten by evil deeds and the bereavement of dear objects."
विदुर उवाच यतो यतो मनो दुःखात् सुखाद् वा विप्रमुच्यते। ततस्ततो नियम्यैतच्छान्तिं विन्देत वै बुधः॥ अशाश्वतमिदं सर्वं चिन्त्यमानं नरर्षभ। कदलीसंनिभो लोकः सारो ह्यस्य न विद्यते॥
Vidura said He that is wise enjoys peace by subduing both grief and joy by means by which one may escape from grief and joy.
यदा प्राज्ञाश्चे मूढाश्च धनवन्तोऽथ निर्धनाः। सर्वे पितृवनं प्राप्य स्वपन्ति विगतज्वराः॥
Every thing we are anxious for, O foremost of men, is ephemeral. The world is like a weak plantain tree.
निर्मासैरस्थिभूयिष्ठैर्गात्रैःस्नायुनिबन्धनैः। किं विशेष प्रपश्यन्ति तत्र तेषां परे जनाः॥ येन प्रत्यवगच्छेयुः कुलरूपविशेषणम्। कस्मादन्योन्यमिच्छन्ति विप्रलब्धधियो नराः॥
Since the wise and the ignorant the rich and the poor, all, shorn of their anxieties, sleep on the crematorium, with bodies devoid of flesh and full of naked bones, and sinews, whom amongst them will the survivors regard as possessed of distinguishing marks by which the attributes of birth and beauty may be determined? Since every thing is equal in death why should men, whose understandings are always deceived covet one another's rank and position.
गृहाणीव हि मानामाहुर्देहानि पण्डिताः। कालेन विनियुज्यन्ते सत्त्वमेकं तु शाश्वतम्॥
The learned say that the bodies of men are like house, which are destroyed in time. There is one being, however, that is eternal.
यथा जीर्णमजीर्णं वा वस्त्रं त्यक्त्वा तु पूरुषः। अन्यद् रोचयते वस्त्रमेवं देहाः शरीरिणाम्॥
As a person casting off an old cloth puts on a fresh one, so is the case with the bodies of all embodied beings.
वैचित्रवीर्य प्राप्यं हि दुःखं वा यदि वा सुखम्। प्राप्नुवन्तीह भूतानि स्वकृतेनैव कर्मणा॥
O son of Vichitravirja creatures reap happiness or misery, as the fruit of their own acts.
कर्मणा प्राप्यते स्वर्गः सुखं दुःखं च भारत। ततो वहति तं भारमवशः स्ववशोऽपि वा॥
By their acts they secure heaven, O Bharata, or happiness, or misery. Whether competent or otherwise, they have to bear their burdens which are the result of their own acts.
यथा च मृन्मयं भाण्डं चक्रारूढं विपद्यते। किंचित् प्रक्रियमाणं वा कृतमात्रमथापि वा॥ छिन्नं वाप्यवरोप्यन्तमवतीर्णमथापि वा। आर्द्र वाप्यथवा शुष्कं पच्यमानमथापि वा॥ उत्तार्यमाणमापाकादुद्धृतं चापि भारत। अथवा परिभुज्यन्तमेवं देहाः शरीरिणाम्॥
As amongst earthen pots some break while still on the potter's wheel, some while partially shaped, some as soon as shaped, some after removal from the wheel, some while in course of being removed, some after removal, some while wet, some while dry, some while being burnt, some while being removed from the kiln, some after removal therefrom, and some while being used, so is the case with the bodics of embodied creatures.
गर्भस्थो वा प्रसूतो वाप्यथ वा दिवसान्तरः। अर्धमासगतो वापि मासमात्रगतोऽपि वा॥ संवत्सरगतो वापि द्विसंवत्सर एव वा। यौवनस्थोऽथ मध्यस्थो वृद्धो वापि विपद्यते॥
Some are destroyed while in embryo, some after coming out of the womb, some on the day after, some after a fortnight or a month, some on after a year or two, some in youth, some in middle age, and some when old.
प्राक्कर्मभिस्तु भूतानि भवन्ति न भवन्ति च। एवं सांसिद्धिके लोके किमर्थमनुतप्यसे॥
Creatures are born or destroyed according to their pristine acts. When such is the course of the world, why do you grieve?
यथा तु सलिलं राजन् क्रीडार्थमनुसंतरत्। उन्मजेच निमज्जेच किंचित् सत्त्वं नराधिप॥ एवं संसारगहने उन्मजननिमजने। कर्मभोगेन बध्यन्ते किश्यन्ते चाल्पबुद्धयः॥
As men, while swimming, sometimes dive and sometimes emerge, so, O king, creatures sink and emerge in life's stream. They that are of limited under standing suffer or meet with death as the result of their own acts.
ये तु प्राज्ञाः स्थिताः सत्त्वे संसारेऽस्मिन् हितैषिणः। समागमज्ञा भूतानां ते यान्ति परमां गतिम्॥
They, however, that are wise, virtuous and desirous of doing good to all living creatures, who are acquainted with the real nature of beings in this world, attain at last to the highest end."