Why the Dead Can Return

Verse 1 (15.36.1)

एतच्छ्रुत्वा नृपो विद्वान्हृष्टोऽभूज्जनमेजयः । पितामहानां सर्वेषां गमनागमनं तदा ॥

etacchrutvā nṛpo vidvānhṛṣṭo'bhūjjanamejayaḥ | pitāmahānāṃ sarveṣāṃ gamanāgamanaṃ tadā

Hearing this, the learned King Janamejaya was delighted at the going and coming of all his forefathers at that time.

Verse 2 (15.36.2)

अब्रवीच्च मुदा युक्तः पुनरागमनं प्रति । कथं न त्यक्तदेहानां पुनस्तद्रूपदर्शनम् ॥

abravīcca mudā yuktaḥ punarāgamanaṃ prati | kathaṃ na tyaktadehānāṃ punastadrūpadarśanam

And, filled with joy, he spoke of their return: "How is it that those who have cast off their bodies are seen again in those same forms?"

Verse 3 (15.36.3)

इत्युक्तः स द्विजश्रेष्ठो व्यासशिष्यः प्रतापवान् । प्रोवाच वदतांश्रेष्ठस्तं नृपं जनमेजयम् ॥

ityuktaḥ sa dvijaśreṣṭho vyāsaśiṣyaḥ pratāpavān | provāca vadatāṃśreṣṭhastaṃ nṛpaṃ janamejayam

Thus addressed, that foremost of the twice-born, Vyasa's mighty disciple, best of speakers, answered King Janamejaya.

Verse 4 (15.36.4)

अविप्रणाशः सर्वेषां कर्मणामिति निश्चयः । कर्मजानि शरीराणि शरीराकृतयस्तथा ॥

avipraṇāśaḥ sarveṣāṃ karmaṇāmiti niścayaḥ | karmajāni śarīrāṇi śarīrākṛtayastathā

It is certain that no action is ever lost. Bodies are born of action, and so are the shapes of bodies.

Note on the text: Recension variant ('शरीराकृतयस्तथा' for CE 'tathaivākṛtayo nṛpa'); kept.

Verse 5 (15.36.5)

महाभूतानि नित्यानि भूताधिपतिसंश्रयात् । तेषां च नित्यसंवासो न विनाशो वियुज्यताम् ॥

mahābhūtāni nityāni bhūtādhipatisaṃśrayāt | teṣāṃ ca nityasaṃvāso na vināśo viyujyatām

The great elements are eternal, resting on the Lord of beings; they dwell together for ever, and what comes to them is separation, not destruction.

Verse 6 (15.36.6)

अनाशाय कृतं कर्म तस्य चेष्टः फलागमः । आत्मा चैभिः समायुक्तः सुखदुःखमुपाश्नुते ॥

anāśāya kṛtaṃ karma tasya ceṣṭaḥ phalāgamaḥ | ātmā caibhiḥ samāyuktaḥ sukhaduḥkhamupāśnute

Action is not done in order to perish; its fruit is sure to follow for the doer. The self, joined with these, experiences pleasure and pain.

Note on the text: Corrected अनाशया → अनाशाय (misprint in Wikisource; CE reads 'anāśāya', 'not for perishing').

Verse 7 (15.36.7)

अविनाश्यस्तथा नित्यं क्षेत्रज्ञ इति निश्चयः । भूतानामात्मभावो यो ध्रुवोऽसौ संविजानताम् ॥

avināśyastathā nityaṃ kṣetrajña iti niścayaḥ | bhūtānāmātmabhāvo yo dhruvo'sau saṃvijānatām

So too it is certain that the knower of the field is indestructible and everlasting; for those who truly understand, the inner nature of beings is fixed.

Note on the text: Corrected ध्रुवोसौ → ध्रुवोऽसौ (missing avagraha in Wikisource; CE 'dhruvo 'sau'). Recension variant ('अविनाश्यः' for CE 'avināśī'); kept.

Verse 8 (15.36.8)

यावन्न क्षीयते कर्म तावत्तस्य स्वरूपता । क्षीणकर्मा नरो लोके रूपान्यत्वमुपाश्नुते ॥

yāvanna kṣīyate karma tāvattasya svarūpatā | kṣīṇakarmā naro loke rūpānyatvamupāśnute

As long as action is not exhausted, so long a being keeps its form; when his action is spent, a man in the world takes on a different form.

Note on the text: Recension variant (second line 'क्षीणकर्मा नरो लोके रूपान्यत्वमुपाश्नुते' for CE 'saṃkṣīṇakarmā puruṣo rūpānyatvaṃ niyacchati'); kept.

Verse 9 (15.36.9)

नानाभूतास्तथैकत्वं शरीरं प्राप्य संहताः । भवन्ति ते तथा नित्याः पृथग्भावं विजानताम् ॥

nānābhūtāstathaikatvaṃ śarīraṃ prāpya saṃhatāḥ | bhavanti te tathā nityāḥ pṛthagbhāvaṃ vijānatām

The many elements, joined together and attaining unity in a body, remain eternal even so, for those who recognise their distinct existence.

Verse 10 (15.36.10)

अश्वमेधश्रुतिश्चेयमश्वसंज्ञपनं प्रति । लोकान्तरगता नित्यं प्राणा नित्या हि वाजिनः ॥

aśvamedhaśrutiśceyamaśvasaṃjñapanaṃ prati | lokāntaragatā nityaṃ prāṇā nityā hi vājinaḥ

This is the scriptural text on the Ashvamedha concerning the killing of the horse: the vital breaths, the "horses", go on to other worlds and are everlasting.

Verse 11 (15.36.11)

अहं हितं वदाम्येतत्प्रियं चेत्तव पार्थिव । देवयाना हि पन्थानः श्रुतास्ते यज्ञसंस्तरे ॥

ahaṃ hitaṃ vadāmyetatpriyaṃ cettava pārthiva | devayānā hi panthānaḥ śrutāste yajñasaṃstare

I tell you this for your good, O king, if it is pleasing to you: you have heard of the paths that lead to the gods, in the rites of the sacrifice.

Verse 12 (15.36.12)

सुकृतो यत्र यज्ञस्ते तत्र देवा हितास्तव । यदा समन्विता देवाः पशूनां गमनेश्वराः ॥

sukṛto yatra yajñaste tatra devā hitāstava | yadā samanvitā devāḥ paśūnāṃ gamaneśvarāḥ

Where your sacrifice is well performed, the gods are favourable to you, whenever the gods are present as lords over the passing of the animals,

Note on the text: CE 15.42.12 is a three-line verse (12a, 12c, 12e); Wikisource divides it so that this verse = 12a, 12c, the next verse = 12e + 13a, and the verse after = 13c, 13e. Not an addition or omission.

Verse 13 (15.36.13)

गतिमन्तश्च तेनेष्ट्वा नान्ये नित्या भवन्त्युत । नित्येऽस्मिन्पञ्चके वर्गे नित्ये चात्मनि पूरुषः ॥

gatimantaśca teneṣṭvā nānye nityā bhavantyuta | nitye'sminpañcake varge nitye cātmani pūruṣaḥ

and those who have sacrificed by that means go on to a destination; others do not become eternal. In this eternal group of five and in the eternal self, a person —

Note on the text: Corrected गमिमन्तश्च → गतिमन्तश्च (misprint in Wikisource; 'गमिमत्' is not a word here; CE 'gatimantaś ca'). Lines = CE 15.42.12e + 13a.

Verse 14 (15.36.14)

अस्य नाशं समायोगं यः पश्यति वृथामतिः । वियोगे शोचतेऽत्यर्थं स बाल इति मे मतिः ॥

asya nāśaṃ samāyogaṃ yaḥ paśyati vṛthāmatiḥ | viyoge śocate'tyarthaṃ sa bāla iti me matiḥ

who in his folly sees destruction in it, or sees its mere coming together, and grieves greatly at separation, is a child — so I judge.

Note on the text: Lines = CE 15.42.13c + 13e.

Verse 15 (15.36.15)

वियोगे दोषदर्शी यः संयोगं स विसर्जयेत् । असङ्गे सङ्गमो नास्ति दुःखं भावि वियोगजम् ॥

viyoge doṣadarśī yaḥ saṃyogaṃ sa visarjayet | asaṅge saṅgamo nāsti duḥkhaṃ bhāvi viyogajam

He who sees fault in separation should give up attachment itself; where there is no attachment there is no union, and the sorrow that is to come is born of separation.

Note on the text: Corrected वियोगजम → वियोगजम् (misprint in Wikisource; dropped virama; CE 'viyogajam'). Recension variants ('स विसर्जयेत्', 'भावि' for CE 'iha varjayet', 'bhuvi'); kept.

Verse 16 (15.36.16)

परापरज्ञस्त्वपरो नाभिमानादुदीक्षितः । अपरज्ञः परां बुद्धिं स्पृष्ट्वा मोहाद्विमुच्यते ॥

parāparajñastvaparo nābhimānādudīkṣitaḥ | aparajñaḥ parāṃ buddhiṃ spṛṣṭvā mohādvimucyate

One who knows both the higher and the lower, being apart from them, is not looked upon through pride; but one who knows only the lower, on touching the higher understanding, is freed from delusion.

Note on the text: Recension variant of CE 15.42.15a ('परापरज्ञस्त्वपरो नाभिमानादुदीक्षितः' for 'parāparajñas tu naro nābhimānād udīritaḥ'); kept.

Verse 17 (15.36.17)

अदर्शनादापतितः पुनश्चादर्शनं गतः । नाहं तं वेद्मि नासौ मां न च मेऽस्ति विरागता ॥

adarśanādāpatitaḥ punaścādarśanaṃ gataḥ | nāhaṃ taṃ vedmi nāsau māṃ na ca me'sti virāgatā

Come from the unseen, he has gone again to the unseen: "I do not know him, nor does he know me, and yet I feel no estrangement."

Verse 18 (15.36.18)

येनयेन शरीरेण करोत्ययमनीश्वरः । तेनतेन शरीरेण तदवश्यमुपाश्नुते । मानसं मनसाऽऽप्नोति शरीरं च शरीरवान् ॥

yenayena śarīreṇa karotyayamanīśvaraḥ | tenatena śarīreṇa tadavaśyamupāśnute | mānasaṃ manasā''pnoti śarīraṃ ca śarīravān

Whatever body this helpless one acts through, through that very body he must undergo its result; the embodied one gains with the mind what belongs to the mind, and with the body what belongs to the body.

Note on the text: Corrected शरीरेणि → शरीरेण (misprint in Wikisource; stray vowel sign; CE 'śarīreṇa'). Three lines (CE 15.42.17a, 17c, 17e).