युधिष्ठिर उवाच कथं भवति पापात्मा कथं धर्मं करोति वा। केन निर्वेदमादत्ते मोक्षं वा केन गच्छति॥
Yudhisthira said By what means does a man become sinful, by what does he acquire virtue, by what does he acquire renunciation, and by what does he acquire Liberation.
भीष्म उवाच विदिताः सर्वधर्मास्ते स्थित्यर्थं त्वं तु पृच्छसि। शृणु मोक्षं सनिर्वेदं पापं धर्मं च मूलतः॥
Bhishma said now You know all duties. This question which you have put to me is only for confirmation of your conclusions. Listen fully to Liberation, and Renunciation, and Sin, and Virtue.
विज्ञानार्थं हि पञ्चानामिच्छा पूर्वं प्रवर्तते। प्राप्यैकं जायते कामो द्वेषो वा भरतर्षभ॥
Perceiving any one of the five objects, desire runs after it at first. Indeed, obtaining them within the pale of the senses, O foremost of Bharata's family, desire or hatred originates.
ततस्तदर्थं यतते कर्म चारभते महत्। इष्टानां रूपगन्धानामभ्यासं स चिकीर्षति॥
One then, for the sake of that object, trics and begins acts that require much labour. One tries his best for enjoying again and again those forms and scents that appear very sweet.
ततो रागः प्रभवति द्वेषश्च तदनन्तरम्। ततो लोभः प्रभवति मोहश्च तदनन्तरम्॥
Gradually, attachment, hatred, greed and errors of judgement originate, answer
ततो रागः प्रभवति द्वेषश्च तदनन्तरम्। ततो लोभः प्रभवति मोहश्च तदनन्तरम्॥
The mind of one possessed by greed and mistake and affected by attachment and hatred is never bent to virtue. One then begins with hypocrisy to do deeds which are good.
व्याजेन चरते धर्ममर्थ व्याजेन रोचते। व्याजेन सिद्ध्यमानेषु धनेषु कुरुनन्दन॥ तत्रैव कुरुते बुद्धिं ततः पापं चिकीर्षति। सुहृद्भिर्वार्यमाणोऽपि पण्डितैश्चापि भारत॥ उत्तरं न्याससम्बद्धं ब्रवीति विधिचोदितम्।
Indeed, with hypocrisy one then tries to acquire virture and with hypocrisy one likes to acquire riches. When one succeeds, O son of Kuru's family, in acquiring riches with hypocrisy, one gives his heart to such acquisition wholly. It is then that a person begins to do sinful acts, despite the admonitions of well-wishers and the wise, to all whom he makes reasonable conformable to the scriptural injunctions.
अधर्मस्त्रिविधस्तस्य वर्धते रागमोहजः॥ पापं चिन्तयते चैव प्रब्रवीति करोति च।
Begotten of attachment and mistake, his sins of three sorts, rapidly multiply for he thinks sinfully, speaks sinfully, and acts sinfully.
तस्याधर्मप्रवृत्तस्य दोषान पश्यन्ति साधवः॥ एकशीलाश्च मित्रत्वं भजन्ते पापकर्मिणः।
When he clearly begins to commit sin, the good notice his wickedness. Those, however, who are sinfully disposed contract friendship with him.
स नेह सुखमाप्नोति कुत एव परत्र वै॥ एवं भवति पापात्मा धर्मात्मानं तु मे शृणु।
He cannot acquire happiness even here. Whence then would he succeed in acquiring happiness hereafter? It is thus that one becomes sinful. Listen now to me as I describe to you one who is righteous.
यथा कुशलधर्मा स कुशलं प्रतिपद्यते॥ कुशलेनैव धर्मेण गतिमिष्टां प्रपद्यते।
Such a man, seeking, as he does, the wellbeing of others, succeeds in acquiring good for himself. By doing duties which are fraught with other people's well-being, he attains at last to a highly agreeable end.
य एतान् प्रज्ञया दोषान् पूवमेवानुपश्यति॥ कुशलः सुखदुःखानां साधूंश्चाप्यथ सेवते। तस्य साधुसमाचारादभ्यासाच्चैव वर्धते॥
He who, helped by his wisdom, succeeds beforehand seeing the faults referred to above, who is skilled in determining what is happiness and what is sorrow and how each is engendered, and who waits respectfully upon the good, makes progress in acquiring virtue, both on account of his habit and such companionship of the good. The mind of such a person finds pleasure in virtue, and he live on, making virtue his stay.
प्रज्ञा धर्मे च रमते धर्मं चैवोपजीवति। सोऽथ धर्मादवाप्तेषु धनेषु कुरुते मनः॥
If he wishes to acquire riches, he wishes only such wealth as inay be gained in righteous ways.
तस्यैव सिञ्चते मूलं गुणान् पश्यति तत्र वै। धर्मात्मा भवति ह्येवं मित्रं च लभते शुभम्॥
In fact, he waters the roots of only thosc objects in which he sees merit. Thus does not become righteous and make friends with the good.
स मित्रधनलाभात् तु प्रेत्य चेह च नन्दति। शब्दे स्पर्शे रसे रूपे तथा गन्धे च भारत॥ प्रभुत्व लभते जन्तुर्धर्मस्यैतत् फलं विदुः। स तु धर्मफलं लध्वा न हृष्यति युधिष्ठिर॥
On account of his acquisition of friends, of riches, and of children, he sports happily both here and hereafter. The mastery that a living being acquires over sound, touch, taste, forin, and scent, O Bharata, represents the fruit of virtue. Remember this. Having acquired the fruit of virtue, O Yudhishthira, such a man does not yield to joy.
अतृप्यमाणो निर्वेदमादत्ते ज्ञानचक्षुषा। प्रज्ञाचक्षुर्यदा कामे रसे गन्धे न रज्यते॥ शब्दे स्पर्श तथा रूपे न च भावयते मनः। विमुच्यते तदा कामान्न च धर्मं विमुञ्चति॥
Without being satisfied with such fruits of virtue he follows Renunciation, led on by the eye of knowledge, When, having gained the eye of knowledge he ceases to find pleasure in the gratification of desire, in taste and in scent, when he does not allow his mind to run towards sound, touch and form, it is then that he succeeds in freeing himself from desire. He does not, however, even then renounce virtue or righteous acts.
सर्वत्यागे च यतते दृष्ट्वा लोकं क्षयात्मकम्। ततो मोक्षाय यतते नानुपायादुपायतः॥
Seeing then all the worlds as being subject top destruction, he tries to renounce virtue and tries to attain to Liberation by the (well-known) means.
शनैर्निर्वेदमादत्ते पापं कर्म जहाति च। धर्मात्मा चैव भवति मोक्षं च लभते परम्॥
Gradually renouncing all sinful deeds he follows Renunciation, and becoming righteoussouled succeeds at last in acquiring Liberation.
एतत् ते कथितं तात यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि। पापं धर्मस्तथा मोक्षो निर्वेदश्चैव भारत॥
I have now told you, O Son, of that about which you had asked me, viz., the topics of Sin, Righteousness, Renunciation, and Liberation, O Bharata.
तस्माद् धर्मे प्रवर्तेथाः सर्वावस्थं युधिष्ठिर। धर्मे स्थितानां कौन्तेय सिद्धिर्भवति शाश्वती॥
You should, therefore, O Yudhishthira, follow virtue under all circumstances. Eternal is the success, O son of Kunti, of you who follow righteousness.