The Road to Sin and the Elements of the World

Verse 1 (3.214.1)

एवमुक्तस्तु विप्रेण धर्मव्याधो युधिष्ठिर । प्रत्युवाच यथा विप्रं तच्छृणुष्व नराधिप ॥

evamuktastu vipreṇa dharmavyādho yudhiṣṭhira | pratyuvāca yathā vipraṃ tacchṛṇuṣva narādhipa

Thus addressed by the brahmin, Yudhishthira, the righteous hunter answered him. Hear, lord of men, how he replied to the brahmin.

Note on the text: Speaker heading misprinted in Wikisource as मार्कण्येय; settled as मार्कण्डेय.

Verse 2 (3.214.2)

विज्ञानार्थं मनुष्याणां मनः पूर्वं प्रवर्तते । तत्प्राप्य कामं भजतेक्रोधं च द्विजसत्तम ॥

vijñānārthaṃ manuṣyāṇāṃ manaḥ pūrvaṃ pravartate | tatprāpya kāmaṃ bhajatekrodhaṃ ca dvijasattama

In men the mind first goes out toward knowing. Having attained it, best of the twice-born, it gives way to desire and anger.

Verse 3 (3.214.3)

ततस्तदर्थं यतते कर्म चारभते महत् । इष्टानां रूपगन्धानामभ्यासं च निषेवते ॥

tatastadarthaṃ yatate karma cārabhate mahat | iṣṭānāṃ rūpagandhānāmabhyāsaṃ ca niṣevate

Then for the sake of that he strives and sets about great undertakings, and dwells again and again on the forms and scents he likes.

Verse 4 (3.214.4)

ततो रागः प्रभवति द्वेषश्च तदनन्तरम् । ततो लोभः प्रभवति मोहश्च तदनन्तरम् ॥

tato rāgaḥ prabhavati dveṣaśca tadanantaram | tato lobhaḥ prabhavati mohaśca tadanantaram

Then passion arises, and after it hatred; then greed arises, and after it delusion.

Verse 5 (3.214.5)

तस्य लोभाभिभूतस्य रागद्वेषहतस्य च । न धर्मे जायते बुद्धिर्व्याजाद्धर्मं करोति च ॥

tasya lobhābhibhūtasya rāgadveṣahatasya ca | na dharme jāyate buddhirvyājāddharmaṃ karoti ca

In one who is overcome by greed and struck down by passion and hatred, no thought for dharma arises; he practises dharma only as a pretence.

Note on the text: Corrected तस् → तस्य (misprint in Wikisource; dropped akshara, critical edition tasya).

Verse 6 (3.214.6)

व्याजेन चरते धर्ममर्थं व्याजेन रोचते । व्याजेन सिध्यमानेषु धनेषु द्विजसत्तम ॥

vyājena carate dharmamarthaṃ vyājena rocate | vyājena sidhyamāneṣu dhaneṣu dvijasattama

He follows dharma as a pretence and pursues wealth by pretence. When riches come to him through pretence, best of the twice-born,

Verse 7 (3.214.7)

तत्रैव रमते बुद्धिस्ततः पापं चिकीर्षति । सुहृद्भिर्वार्यमाणश्च पण्डितैश्च द्विजोत्तम ॥

tatraiva ramate buddhistataḥ pāpaṃ cikīrṣati | suhṛdbhirvāryamāṇaśca paṇḍitaiśca dvijottama

his mind takes delight in that alone, and then he sets about sin. Though his friends and the learned try to restrain him, best of the twice-born,

Verse 8 (3.214.8)

उत्तरं श्रुतिसंबद्धं ब्रवीत्यश्रुतियोजितम् । अधर्मस्त्रिविधस्तस्य वर्तते रागदोषजः ॥

uttaraṃ śrutisaṃbaddhaṃ bravītyaśrutiyojitam | adharmastrividhastasya vartate rāgadoṣajaḥ

he gives answers that seem grounded in scripture but have no basis in it. Born of the fault of passion, his unrighteousness takes three forms:

Verse 9 (3.214.9)

पापं चिन्तयते चैव ब्रवीति च करोति च । तस्याधर्मप्रवृत्तस्य गुणा नश्यन्ति साधवः ॥

pāpaṃ cintayate caiva bravīti ca karoti ca | tasyādharmapravṛttasya guṇā naśyanti sādhavaḥ

he thinks evil, speaks it and does it. In one so given to unrighteousness the good qualities perish,

Verse 10 (3.214.10)

एकशीलाश्च मित्रत्वं भजन्ते पापकर्मिणः । स तेन दुःखमाप्नोति परत्र च विपद्यते ॥

ekaśīlāśca mitratvaṃ bhajante pāpakarmiṇaḥ | sa tena duḥkhamāpnoti paratra ca vipadyate

and evil-doers of like character become his friends. Through that he comes to grief here, and in the next world he is ruined.

Verse 11 (3.214.11)

पापात्मा भवति ह्येवं धर्मलाभं तु मे शृणु । यस्त्वेतान्प्रज्ञया दोषान्पूर्वमेवानुपश्यति ॥

pāpātmā bhavati hyevaṃ dharmalābhaṃ tu me śṛṇu | yastvetānprajñayā doṣānpūrvamevānupaśyati

This is how a man becomes evil. Now hear from me how dharma is gained. He who by wisdom sees these faults beforehand,

Note on the text: Corrected प्रज्ञाया → प्रज्ञया (misprint in Wikisource; stray ा, critical edition prajñayā).

Verse 12 (3.214.12)

कुशलः सुखदुःखेषु साधूंश्चाप्युपसेवते । तस्य साधुसमारम्भाद्बुद्धिर्धर्मेषु राजते ॥

kuśalaḥ sukhaduḥkheṣu sādhūṃścāpyupasevate | tasya sādhusamārambhādbuddhirdharmeṣu rājate

who is skilled in meeting joy and sorrow and waits upon the good — through his association with the good, his mind shines in dharma.

Note on the text: Corrected सांधूंश्चाप्युपसेवते → साधूंश्चाप्युपसेवते (stray anusvara) and बुद्ध्रिधर्मेषु → बुद्धिर्धर्मेषु (broken conjunct; critical edition buddhir dharmeṣu) — misprints in Wikisource.

Verse 13 (3.214.13)

ब्रवीषि सूनृतंधर्मं यस्य वक्ता न विद्यते । दिव्यप्रभावः सुमहानृषिरेव मतोसि मे ॥

bravīṣi sūnṛtaṃdharmaṃ yasya vaktā na vidyate | divyaprabhāvaḥ sumahānṛṣireva matosi me

You speak of true dharma as no other teacher could. You seem to me a great seer of divine power.

Verse 14 (3.214.14)

ब्राह्मणा वै महाभागाः पितरोऽग्रभुजः सदा । तेषां सर्वात्मना कार्यं प्रियं लोके मनीषिणा ॥

brāhmaṇā vai mahābhāgāḥ pitaro'grabhujaḥ sadā | teṣāṃ sarvātmanā kāryaṃ priyaṃ loke manīṣiṇā

Brahmins are greatly blessed; like the ancestors, they always eat first. A wise man in this world should do what pleases them with all his being.

Verse 15 (3.214.15)

यत्तेषां च प्रियं तत्ते वक्ष्यामि द्विजसत्तम । नमस्कृत्वा ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ब्राह्मीं विद्यां निबोध मे ॥

yatteṣāṃ ca priyaṃ tatte vakṣyāmi dvijasattama | namaskṛtvā brāhmaṇebhyo brāhmīṃ vidyāṃ nibodha me

What is dear to them I will tell you, best of the twice-born. Bowing to the brahmins, learn from me the knowledge of Brahman.

Verse 16 (3.214.16)

इदं विश्वं जगत्सर्वमजगच्चापि सर्वशः । महाभूतात्मकं ब्रह्मन्नातः परतरं भवेत् ॥

idaṃ viśvaṃ jagatsarvamajagaccāpi sarvaśaḥ | mahābhūtātmakaṃ brahmannātaḥ parataraṃ bhavet

This whole universe, moving and unmoving alike, is made of the great elements, brahmin; there is nothing beyond them.

Verse 17 (3.214.17)

महाभूतानि खं वायुरग्निरापस्तथा च भूः । शब्दः स्पर्शश्च रूपं च रसो गन्धश्च तद्गुणाः ॥

mahābhūtāni khaṃ vāyuragnirāpastathā ca bhūḥ | śabdaḥ sparśaśca rūpaṃ ca raso gandhaśca tadguṇāḥ

The great elements are space, wind, fire, water and earth; sound, touch, form, taste and smell are their qualities.

Note on the text: Corrected गन्धश् → गन्धश्च (misprint in Wikisource; dropped akshara, critical edition gandhaś ca).

Verse 18 (3.214.18)

तेषामपि गुणाः सर्वे गुणवृत्तिः परस्परम् । पूर्वपूर्वगुणाः सर्वे क्रमशो गुणिषु त्रिषु ॥

teṣāmapi guṇāḥ sarve guṇavṛttiḥ parasparam | pūrvapūrvaguṇāḥ sarve kramaśo guṇiṣu triṣu

These elements too share their qualities, and the qualities act upon one another; in order, each of the three later elements holds all the qualities of those before it.

Verse 19 (3.214.19)

षष्ठी तु चेतना नाम मन इत्यभिधीयते । सप्तमी तु भवेद्बुद्धिरहंकारस्ततः परम् ॥

ṣaṣṭhī tu cetanā nāma mana ityabhidhīyate | saptamī tu bhavedbuddhirahaṃkārastataḥ param

The sixth is consciousness, which is called mind; the seventh is the intellect, and after it comes the sense of "I".

Verse 20 (3.214.20)

इन्द्रियाणि च पञ्चात्मा रजः सत्वं तमस्तथा । इत्येष सप्तदशको राशिरव्यक्तसंज्ञकः ॥

indriyāṇi ca pañcātmā rajaḥ satvaṃ tamastathā | ityeṣa saptadaśako rāśiravyaktasaṃjñakaḥ

Then the five senses, the self, and rajas, sattva and tamas: this group of seventeen is called the unmanifest.

Verse 21 (3.214.21)

सर्वैरिहेन्द्रियार्थैस्तु व्यक्ताव्यक्तैः सुसंवृतैः । चतुर्विंशक इत्येष व्यक्ताव्यक्तमयो गुणः । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि ॥

sarvairihendriyārthaistu vyaktāvyaktaiḥ susaṃvṛtaiḥ | caturviṃśaka ityeṣa vyaktāvyaktamayo guṇaḥ | etatte sarvamākhyātaṃ kiṃ bhūyaḥ śrotumicchasi

Together with all the objects of the senses, manifest and unmanifest, closely bound with it, this makes the twenty-fourfold, compounded of the manifest and the unmanifest. I have told you all of this; what more do you wish to hear?

Note on the text: Corrected चतुर्विंसक → चतुर्विंशक (स for श) and व्यकत्वाव्यक्तमयो → व्यक्ताव्यक्तमयो (garbled conjunct; critical edition vyaktāvyaktamayo) — misprints in Wikisource.