भीष्म उवाच मृगयां विचरन् कश्चिद् विजने जनकात्मजः। वने ददर्श विप्रेन्द्रमृषि वंशधरं भृगोः॥
Bhishma said Once on a time a king of Janaka's family while roaming in the uninhabited forest in pursuit of deer, saw a superior Brahmana or Rishi of Bhrigu's race.
उपासीनमुपासीनः प्रणम्य शिरसा मुनिम्। पश्चादनुमतस्तेन पप्रच्छ वसुमानिदम्॥
Bowing with his head to the Rishi who was seated at his ease, king Vasuman sat near him and with his permission put to him this question:भगवन् किमिदं श्रेयः प्रेत्य चापीह वा भवेत्।
पुरुषस्याधुवे देहे कामस्य वशवर्तिनः॥
O holy one, what yields the highest benefit, both in this world and in the next, to man who has an unsuitable body and who is the slave of his desires?
सत्कृत्य परिपृष्टः सन् सुमहात्मा महातपाः। निजगाद ततस्तस्मै श्रेयस्करमिदं वचः॥
Duly respected by king, and and thus questioned, that great Rishi endued with ascetic merit, then said these words to him which were highly beneficial.
ऋषिरुवाच मनसोऽप्रतिकूलानि प्रेत्य चेह च वाञ्छसि। भूतानां प्रतिकूलेभ्यो निवर्तस्व यतेन्द्रियः॥
see If you seek both here and hereafter what is agreeable to your mind, do you then, with controlled senses, abstain from doing what is disagreeable to all creatures.
धर्म सतां हितः पुंसां धर्मश्चैवाश्रयः सताम्। धर्माल्लोकास्त्रयस्तात प्रवृत्ता: सचराचराः॥
Virtue is beneficial to them that are good. Virtue is the refuge of the good. From virtue have originated the three worlds with their mobile and immobile creatures.
स्वादुकामुक कामानां वैतृष्ण्यं किं न गच्छसि। मधु पश्यसि दुर्बुद्धे प्रपातं नानुपश्यसि॥
O you, who are eagerly desirous of enjoying all agreeable objects, how is it that you are not yet satiated with objects or desire? You the honey, O you of little understanding, but are blind to the fall.
यथा ज्ञाने परिचयः कर्तव्यस्तत्फलार्थिना। तथा धर्मे परिचयः कर्तव्यस्तत्फलार्थिना॥
As one desirous of acquiring the fruits of knowledge, should busy himself with the acquisition of knowledge, so one desirous of acquiring the fruits of Virtue should be busy with the acquisition of Virtue.
असता धर्मकामेन विशुद्धं कर्म दुष्करम्। सता तु धर्मकामेन सुकरं कर्म दुष्करम्॥
If a wicked men, from desire of virtue, tries to do a pure and stainless act, the fulfilment of his desire becomes impossible. If, on the other hand, a good man, moved by the desire of acquiring virtue, tries to do an act that is even difficult, its accomplishment becomes easy for him.
वने ग्राभ्यसुखाचारो यथा ग्राम्यस्तथैव सः। ग्रामे वनसुखाचारो यथा वनचरस्तथा।॥
If, while living in the forest, one acts in such a way as to enjoy all the pleasures of living amongst men in towns, one comes to be regarded not as a forest recluse but as an inhabitant of towns. Likewise, if one while living in towns, acts in such a way as to enjoy the happiness of a forest life, one is regarded not as a inhabitant of towns but as a forest recluse.
मनोवाक्कायिके धर्मे कुरु श्रद्धां समाहितः। निवृत्तौ वा प्रवृत्तौ वा सम्प्रधार्य गुणागुणान्॥
Ascertaining the merits of the religion of Karma and that of Abstention therefrom, do you, with concentrated senses, be devoted to the practices of virtue in thought, word, and deed.
नित्यं च बहु दातव्यं साधुभ्यश्चानसूयता। प्रार्थितं व्रतशौचाभ्यां सत्कृतं देशकालयोः॥
Judging of the propriety of time and place, purified by the observance of vows and other purifying rites, and solicited, do you, without malice, make large gifts to the good.
शुभने विधिना लब्धमर्हाय प्रतिपादयेत्। क्रोधमुत्सृज्य दद्याच्च नानुतप्येन्न कीर्तयेत्॥
Acquiring riches by fare means, one should give it away to worthy persons. One should make gifts, renouncing anger; and having made gifts one should never yield to sorrow nor proclaim those gifts with his own mouth.
अनृशंसः शुचिर्दान्तः सत्यवागार्जवे स्थितः। योनिकर्मविशुद्धश्च पात्रं स्याद् वेदविद् द्विजः॥
The Brahmana who is full of mercy, who is pure, who has his senses under control, who is truthful in speech, who is full of candour, and whose birth is pure, has been considered as a person deserving of gifts.
सत्कृता चैकपत्नी च जात्या योनिरिहेष्यते। ऋग्यजुः सामगो विद्वान् षट्कर्मा पात्रमुच्यते॥
A person is said to be pure in birth when he is born of a mother who has only one husband and who is of the same caste with him. Indeed, such a Brahmana, knowing the three Vedas, viz., Rich, Yajush, and Saman, endued with learning, only observant of the six duties, has been considered as deserving of gifts.
स एव धर्मः सोऽधर्मस्तं तं प्रति नरं भवेत्। पात्रकर्मविशेषेण देशकालाववेक्ष्य च॥
Virtue becomes sin and sin becomes virtue, according to the nature of the doer, of time, and of place.
लीलयाल्पं यथा गात्रात् प्रमृज्यात् तु रजः पुमान्। बहुयत्नेन च महत् पापनिर्हरणं तथा॥
Sin is renounced like the fifth on one's body,-a little with a little exertion, and a great quantity when the exertion is greater.
विरिक्तस्य यथा सम्यग् घृतं भवति भेषजम्। तथा निर्हतदोषस्य प्रेत्य धर्मः सुखावहः॥
A person, after clearing his bowels, should lake clarified butter, butter, which acts most beneficially on his system. Likewise, when one has freed himself of all faults and busies himself with the acquisition of virtue, that Virtue in the next world, brings on the highest happiness.
मानसं सर्वभूतेषु वर्तते वै शुभाशुभम्। अशुभेभ्य: सदाऽऽक्षिप्य शुभेष्वेवावतारयेत्॥
Good and evil thoughts are in the minds of all creatures. Withdrawing the mind from cvil thoughts, it should always be bent towards good thoughts.
सर्वं सर्वेण सर्वत्र क्रियमाणं च पूजय। स्वधर्मे यत्र रागस्ते कामं धर्मो विधीयताम्॥
One should always respect the practices of his own caste. Do you try, therefore, to act in such a way that you may have faith in the practices of your own caste.
अधृतात्मन् धृतौ तिष्ठ दुर्बुद्धे बुद्धिमान् भव। अप्रशान्तः प्रशाम्य त्वमप्राज्ञः प्राज्ञवच्चर॥
O you who are endued with an impatient soul, follow the practice of patience. O you of a foolish understanding try to be possessed of intelligence. Shorn of tranquillity, try to be tranquil, and shorn of wisdom as you are, try to act wisely.
तेजसा शक्यते प्राप्तुमुपाय: सहचारिणा। इह च प्रेत्य च श्रेयस्तस्य मूलं धृतिः परा॥
He who is in the company of the righteous, succeeds, by his own energy, in acquiring the means of doing what is beneficial for him both here and hereafter. Verily, the root of that benefit is unflinching firmness.
राजर्षिरधृतिः स्वर्गात् पतितो हि महाभिषः। ययातिः क्षीणपुण्योऽपि धृत्या लोकानवाप्तवान्।॥
The royal sage Mahabhisha, for want of this firinness, fell from heaven. Yayati, also, though his merits had become exhausted succeeded in regaining regions of happiness through his firmness.
तपस्विनां धर्मवतां विदुषां चोपसेवनात्। प्राप्स्यसे विपुलां बुद्धि तथा श्रेयोऽभिपत्स्यसे॥
You are sure to acquire great intelligence, as also what is for your highest good by seeing virtuous and learned persons endued with ascetic merit.
भीष्म उवाच स तु स्वभावसम्पन्नस्तच्छ्रुत्वा मुनिभाषितम्। विनिवर्त्य मनः कामाद् धर्मे बुद्धिं चकार ह॥
Hearing these words of the sage, king Vasuman, having good disposition, withdrawing his mind from the pursuits of desire, set it upon the acquisition of virtue. a