युधिष्ठिर उवाच धन्या धन्या इति जनाः सर्वेऽस्मान् प्रवदन्त्युत। न दुःखिततरः कश्चित् पुमानस्माभिरस्ति ह॥
All men describe ourselves as highly fortunate. In sooth, however, there is no person more wretched than ourselves.
लोकसम्भावितैर्दुःखं यत् प्राप्तं कुरुसत्तम। प्राप्य जाति मनुष्येषु देवैरपि पितामह॥ कदा वयं करिष्यामः संन्यासं दुःखसंज्ञकम्। दुःखमेतच्छरीराणां धारणं कुरुसत्तम॥
Though respected of all the world, O best of the Kurus, and though we have been born among men, O grandfather, having been begotten by the very gods, yet when so much sorrow has come to us, it appears, O reverened chief, that birth in an embodied form is the root of all sorrow! Alas, when shall we adopt a life of Renunciation which dissipates sorrow?
विमुक्ताः सप्तदशभिर्हेतुभूतैश्च पञ्चभिः। इन्द्रियार्थैर्गुणैश्चैव अष्टाभिश्च पितामह॥ न गच्छन्ति पुनर्भावं मुनयः संशितव्रताः। कदा वयं गमिष्यामो राज्यं हित्वा परंतप॥
Sages of rigid vows freed from the seventeen (i.e., the five vital airs, mind, understanding, and the ten organs of knowledge and action), from the five shortcomings of Yoga (viz., desire, anger, covetousness, fear, and sleep), which form the chief causes (for subjugating man to repeated re-birth), and from the other eight, (viz., the five objects of the senses and the three qualities), have never to incur rebirth. When, O scorcher of enemies, shall we succeed in renouncing sovereignty for adopting a life of Renunciation.
भीष्म उवाच नास्त्यनन्तं महाराज सर्वं संख्यानगोचरः। पुनर्भावोऽपि विख्यातो नास्ति किंचिदिहाचलम्॥
Bhishma said Everything, O great king, has an end. Everything has limits assigned to it! Even rebirth, it is well known, has an end. In this world there is nothing unchangeable.
न चापि मन्यसे राजन्नेष दोषः प्रसङ्गतः। उद्योगादेव धर्मज्ञा कालेनैव गमिष्यथ।॥
You think, O king, that this portion is a fault. that it is not true, regarding our present subject of discussion. You, however, know virtue, and have readiness. It is certain, therefore, that you will go to the end of your sorrow in time.
नरेशेऽयं सततं देही नृपते पुण्यपापयोः। तत एव समुत्थेन तमसा रुध्यतेऽपि च॥
Individual with body, O king, is not the author of his merits and demerits. On the other hand, he becomes covered with the Darkness that is begotten by his merits and demerits.
यथाञ्जमनयो वायुः पुनर्मानःशिलं रजः। अनुप्रविश्य तद्वर्णो दृश्यते रञ्जयन् दिशः॥ तथा कर्मफलैर्देही रञ्जितस्तमसाऽऽवृतः। विवर्णो वर्णमाश्रित्य देहेषु परिवर्तते॥
As the wind (having no colour of its own) assumes the colour of the substances which it has seized and tinges the different points of the horizon, similarly Individual Soul, though himself colourless, assumes a colour on account of its being enveloped by Darkness and variegated by the fruits of action, and passes from body to body.
ज्ञानेन हि यदा जन्तुरज्ञानप्रभवं तमः। व्यपोहति तदा ब्रह्म प्रकाशति सनातनम्॥
When Individual Soul succeeds in removing by means of Knowledge the Darkness which covers him in consequence of Ignorance, then immutable Brahma becomes manifest.
अयत्नसाध्यं मुनयो वदन्ति ये चापि मुक्तास्त उपासितव्याः। त्वया च लोकेन च सामरेण तस्मान्नमस्यामि महर्षिसङ्घान्॥
The Sages say that return to Immutable Brahma cannot be attained by Acts. Yourself, others in the world, and the gods too, should respect them who have acquired Liberation. All the great Rishis never desist from culture of Brahma.
अस्मिन्नर्थे पुरा गीतं शृणुष्वैकमना नृप। यथा दैत्येन वृत्रेण भ्रष्टैश्वर्येण चेष्टितम्॥
Regarding it is cited that discourse which was recited (by Shukra) in days of old. Listen, O king, with rapt attention to the course of conduct that was followed by the Daitya Vritra after he was shorn of all his prosperity.
निर्जितेनासहायेन हृतराज्येन भारत। अशोचता शत्रुमध्ये बुद्धिमास्थाय केवलाम्॥
Depending only upon his intelligence, he did not grieve in the midst of his enemies, although he had been defeated, although he was friendless, and although he was deprived of sovereignty, O Bharata!
भ्रष्टैश्वर्यं पुरा वृत्रमुशना वाक्यमब्रवीत्। काचित् पराजितस्याद्य न व्यथा तेऽस्ति दानव।१५।।
When in days of old Vritra was reft of sovereignty, (his preceptor) Ushanas said to him, I hope, O Danava, that on account of your defeat your cherish no grief.
वृत्र उवाच सत्येन तपसा चैव विदित्वासंशयं ह्यहम्। न शोचामि न हृष्यामि भूतानामागतिं गतिम्॥
Vritra said Forsooth, having understood, by the help of truth and penances, the coming and going of all living creatures, I have ceased to grieve or joy.
कालसंचोदिता जीवा मज्जन्ति नरकेऽवशाः। परितुष्टानि सर्वाणि दिव्यान्याहुर्मनीषिणः॥
Urged by Times creatures sink helplessly in hell. Some again, the sages hold, go to heaven. All these pass their time happily.
क्षपयित्वा तु तं कालं गणितं कालचोदिताः। सावशेषेण कालेन सम्भवन्ति पुनः पुनः॥
Passing their fixed time in heaven and hell, and with some portion of their merits and demerits unexhausted, they again and again take birth, moved by Time.
तिर्यग्योनिसहस्राणि गत्वा नरकमेव च। निर्गच्छन्त्यवशा जीवाः कामबन्धनबन्धनाः॥
Fettered by the bonds of Desire, creatures pass through numberless intermediate lives and fall helplessly into hell.
एवं संसरमाणानि जीवान्यहमदृष्टवान्। यथा कर्म तथ लाभ इति शास्त्रनिदर्शनम्॥
I have seen that creatures come and go even thus. The lesson taught in the Scriptures is that one's acquisitions tally with his acts.
तिर्यग् गच्छन्ति नरकं मानुष्यं दैवमेव च। सुखदुःखे प्रिये द्वेष्ये चरित्वा पूर्वमेव ह॥ कृतान्तविधिसंयुक्तः सर्वो लोकः प्रपद्यते। गतं गच्छन्ति चाध्वानं सर्वभूतानि सर्वदा॥ कालसंख्यानसंख्यातं सृष्टिस्थितिपरायणम्। तं भाषमाणं भगवानुशना प्रत्यभाषत। धीमान् दुष्टप्रलापांस्त्वं तात कस्मात् प्रभाषसे॥
Creatures are born as men or as intermediate animals or as gods and go to hell. Having acted in pristine lives in such a way as to deserve them, all creatures subject to the ordinances of the Destroyer, experience happiness and misery, the agreeable and the disagreeable. Having enjoyed the measure of happiness or misery commensurate with their acts, creatures always return by the old path, which is measured by the measure of acts. Then the illustrious Ushanas said to the Asura Vritra who was thus talking of the highest refuge of the creation, saying,-0 intelligent Daitya, why, O child, do you utter such foolish rhapsodies?
वृत्र उवाच प्रत्यक्षमेतद् भवतस्तथान्येषां मनीषिणाम्। मया यज्जयलुब्धेन पुरा तप्तं महत् तपः॥
Vritra said You and also other sages know full well the severe penances which I practised from greed of victory.
गन्धानादाय भूतानां रसांश्च विविधानपि। अवर्धं त्रीन् समाक्रम्य लोकान् वै स्वेन तेजसा॥
Appropriating various scents and various sorts of tastes that other creatures had for enjoying, I swelled up with my own energy, assailing the three worlds.
ज्वालामालापरिक्षिप्तो वैहायसचरस्तथा। अजेयः सर्वभूतानामासं नित्यमपेतभीः॥
Decked with numberless effulgent rays I used to pass through the skies incapable of being defeated by any creature and fearing none.
ऐश्वर्यं तपसा प्राप्तं भ्रष्टं तच्च स्वकर्मभिः। धृतिमास्थाय भगवन् न शोचामि ततस्त्वहम्॥
I acquired great prosperity through my penenaces and lost it again through my own deeds. Depending on my fortitude, however, I do not grieve for this change.
युयुत्सुना महेन्द्रेण पुंसा सार्धं महात्मना। ततो मे भगवान् दृष्टो हरिर्नारायणः प्रभुः॥ वैकुण्ठः पुरुषोऽनन्तः शुक्लो विष्णुः सनातनः। मुञ्जकेशो हरिश्मश्रुः सर्वभूतपितामहः॥
Desirous of fighting the great Indra, the great ruler of the celestial region, I beheld in that battle the illustrious Hari, the powerful Narayana, He who is called Vaikuntha, Purusha, Ananta, Shukla, Vishnu, Sanatana, Munjakesha, Harishmashru, and the Grandsire of all creatures.
नूनं तु तस्य तपसः सावशेषमिहास्ति वै। यदहं प्रष्टुमिच्छामि भगवन् कर्मणः फलम्॥
Forsooth, there is still a residue of the rewards of that penance represented by a sight of the great Hari! On account of this unspent residue that I have become desirous of asking you, O illustrious one, about the fruits of action.
ऐश्वर्यं वै महद् ब्रह्म वर्णे कस्मिन् प्रतिष्ठितम्। निवर्तते चापि पुनः कथमैश्वर्यमुत्तमम्॥
Upon which order (of men) has been placed high Brahma prosperity? In what manner, again, does high prosperity fall off?
कस्माद् भूतानि जीवन्ति प्रवर्तन्ते तथा पुनः। किंवा फलं परं प्राप्य जीवस्तिष्ठति शाश्वतः॥
From whom do creatures originate and live? Through whom again do they act? What is that great Fruit by acquiring which a creature succeeds in living for good as Brahma?
केन वा कर्मणा शक्यमथ ज्ञानेन केन वा। तदवाप्तुं फलं विप्र तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि॥
By what Act or by what Knowledge can that fruit be acquired? You should, O learned Brahmana, expound these to me!
इतीदमुक्तः स मुनिस्तदानीं प्रत्याह यत्तच्छृणु राजसिंह। मनन्यचित्तः सह सोदरीयैः॥
Described by me, O foremost of kings, listen, with rapt attention, O best of men, with all your brothers, to what the sage Ushanas then said after he had been thus addressed by that king of Danavas.
इतीदमुक्तः स मुनिस्तदानीं प्रत्याह यत्तच्छृणु राजसिंह। मनन्यचित्तः सह सोदरीयैः॥
Described by me, O foremost of kings, listen, with rapt attention, O best of men, with all your brothers, to what the sage Ushanas then said after he had been thus addressed by that king of Danavas.