Greed, the Root of Sin

Verse 1 (12.156.1)

पापस्य यदधिष्ठानं यतः पापं प्रवर्तते । एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं तत्त्वेन भरतर्षभ ॥

pāpasya yadadhiṣṭhānaṃ yataḥ pāpaṃ pravartate | etadicchāmyahaṃ śrotuṃ tattvena bharatarṣabha

I wish to hear in truth, O best of the Bharatas, what is the foundation of sin and from what sin arises.

Verse 2 (12.156.2)

पापस्य यदधिष्ठानं तच्छृणुष्व नराधिप । एको लोभो महाग्राहो लोभात्पापं प्रवर्तते ॥

pāpasya yadadhiṣṭhānaṃ tacchṛṇuṣva narādhipa | eko lobho mahāgrāho lobhātpāpaṃ pravartate

Hear, O lord of men, what is the foundation of sin: greed alone is the great devourer, and from greed sin arises.

Verse 3 (12.156.3)

अतः पापमधर्मश्च तथा दुःखमनुत्तमम् । निकृत्या मूलमेतद्धि येन पापकृतो जनाः ॥

ataḥ pāpamadharmaśca tathā duḥkhamanuttamam | nikṛtyā mūlametaddhi yena pāpakṛto janāḥ

From it come sin and unrighteousness and sorrow beyond compare; it is the root of wickedness, through which men become sinners.

Verse 4 (12.156.4)

लोभात्क्रोधः प्रभवति लोभात्कामः प्रवर्तते । लोभान्मोहश्च माया च मानस्तम्भः परासुता ॥

lobhātkrodhaḥ prabhavati lobhātkāmaḥ pravartate | lobhānmohaśca māyā ca mānastambhaḥ parāsutā

From greed springs anger, and from greed desire proceeds; from greed come delusion and deceit, rigid pride and dependence on others.

Verse 5 (12.156.5)

अक्षमा ह्रीपरित्यागः श्रीनाशो धर्मसंक्षयः । अभिध्याऽप्रख्यता चैव सर्वं लोभात्प्रवर्तते ॥

akṣamā hrīparityāgaḥ śrīnāśo dharmasaṃkṣayaḥ | abhidhyā'prakhyatā caiva sarvaṃ lobhātpravartate

Impatience, loss of shame, ruin of prosperity, decay of righteousness, covetous brooding and obscurity: all of it arises from greed.

Verse 6 (12.156.6)

अत्यागश्च कुतर्कश्च विकर्मसु च याः क्रियाः । कुलविद्यामदश्चैव रूपैश्वर्यमदस्तथा ॥

atyāgaśca kutarkaśca vikarmasu ca yāḥ kriyāḥ | kulavidyāmadaścaiva rūpaiśvaryamadastathā

Unwillingness to give, false reasoning, and all actions that are evil deeds; pride of family and learning, and likewise pride of beauty and power.

Note on the text: Corrected क्रियः → क्रियाः (misprint in Wikisource; क्रियः is not a form of क्रिया; the critical edition reads kriyāḥ). Wikisource अत्यागश्च कुतर्कश्च and कुलविद्यामदः against CE anyāyaś cāvitarkaś ca and kūṭavidyādayaḥ are variants, kept.

Verse 7 (12.156.7)

सर्वभूतेष्वभिद्रोहः सर्वभूतेष्वसत्कृतिः । सर्वभूतेष्वविश्वासः सर्वभूतेष्वनार्जवम् ॥

sarvabhūteṣvabhidrohaḥ sarvabhūteṣvasatkṛtiḥ | sarvabhūteṣvaviśvāsaḥ sarvabhūteṣvanārjavam

Hostility to all beings, disrespect to all beings, mistrust of all beings, crookedness toward all beings,

Note on the text: Lines = CE 12.152.7c (sarvabhūteṣv abhidrohaḥ …; Wikisource असत्कृतिः against CE ayuktatā is a variant) and 12.152.7a (sarvabhūteṣv aviśvāsaḥ sarvabhūteṣv anārjavam); Wikisource reverses their order. The alignment found no match.

Verse 8 (12.156.8)

हरणं परवित्तानां परदाराभिमर्शनम् । वाग्वेगो मनसो वेगो निन्दावेगस्तथैव च ॥

haraṇaṃ paravittānāṃ paradārābhimarśanam | vāgvego manaso vego nindāvegastathaiva ca

taking the wealth of others, touching the wives of others; the urge of speech, the urge of the mind, the urge to slander,

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.152.7e; line 2 = CE 12.152.8a (Wikisource मनसो वेगः against CE mānaso vegaḥ is a variant). The alignment found no match.

Verse 9 (12.156.9)

उपस्थोदरयोर्वेगो मृत्युवेगश्च दारुणः । ईर्ष्यावेगश्च बलवान्मिथ्यावेगश्च दुर्जयः ॥

upasthodarayorvego mṛtyuvegaśca dāruṇaḥ | īrṣyāvegaśca balavānmithyāvegaśca durjayaḥ

the urge of belly and loins, and the dreadful urge of death; the mighty urge of envy and the unconquerable urge of falsehood,

Note on the text: Lines = CE 12.152.8c and 12.152.9a. The alignment found no match.

Verse 10 (12.156.10)

रसवेगश्च दुर्वार्यः श्रोत्रवेगश्च दुःसहः । कुत्सा विकत्था मात्सर्यं पापं दुष्कर्मकारिता । साहसानां च सर्वेषामकार्याणां क्रियास्तथा ॥

rasavegaśca durvāryaḥ śrotravegaśca duḥsahaḥ | kutsā vikatthā mātsaryaṃ pāpaṃ duṣkarmakāritā | sāhasānāṃ ca sarveṣāmakāryāṇāṃ kriyāstathā

the urge of taste that is hard to restrain and the urge of hearing that is hard to bear; contempt, boasting, jealousy, sin, the doing of evil deeds, and the committing of every rash and forbidden act.

Note on the text: Corrected दुःसह → दुःसहः (misprint in Wikisource; dropped visarga; the critical edition reads duḥsahaḥ). Three-line verse, as on the page (labelled 12-156-10a/b/c): line 1 = CE 12.152.9c, line 2 = CE 12.152.10a, line 3 = CE 12.152.10c. The alignment found no match.

Verse 11 (12.156.11)

जातौ बाल्ये च कौमारे यौवने चापि मानवाः । न त्यजन्त्यात्मकर्मैकं यन्न जीर्यति जीर्यतः ॥

jātau bālye ca kaumāre yauvane cāpi mānavāḥ | na tyajantyātmakarmaikaṃ yanna jīryati jīryataḥ

At birth, in childhood, in youth and in manhood, men do not give up this one trait of their own, which does not grow old though they grow old.

Note on the text: Corrected आतौ → जातौ (misprint in Wikisource; आ for ज; आतौ is not a Sanskrit word; the critical edition reads jātau, and the page's footnote glosses जातौ जन्मनि). Wikisource न त्यजन्त्यात्मकर्मैकं (plural) against CE na saṃtyajaty ātmakarma is a variant.

Verse 12 (12.156.12)

यो न पूरयितुं शक्यो लोभः प्रीत्या कथंचन । नित्यं गम्भीरतोयाभिरापगाभिरिवोदधिः ॥

yo na pūrayituṃ śakyo lobhaḥ prītyā kathaṃcana | nityaṃ gambhīratoyābhirāpagābhirivodadhiḥ

That greed can in no way be filled by gratification, like the ocean by deep-flowing rivers,

Note on the text: Lines = CE 12.152.12a (Wikisource प्रीत्या कथंचन against CE prāptyā kurūdvaha, a variant) and 12.152.12c.

Verse 13 (12.156.13)

न प्रहृष्यति यो लोभैः कामैर्यश्च न तृप्यति । यो न देवैर्न गन्धर्वैर्नासुरैर्न महोरगैः ॥

na prahṛṣyati yo lobhaiḥ kāmairyaśca na tṛpyati | yo na devairna gandharvairnāsurairna mahoragaiḥ

that greed which is not made glad by gains and is not sated by desires, which is not truly known by gods, gandharvas, asuras or great serpents,

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.152.12e; line 2 = CE 12.152.13a. The alignment found no match.

Verse 14 (12.156.14)

ज्ञायते नृप तत्त्वेन सर्वैर्भूतगणैस्तथा । स लोभः सह मोहेन विजेतव्यो जितात्मना ॥

jñāyate nṛpa tattvena sarvairbhūtagaṇaistathā | sa lobhaḥ saha mohena vijetavyo jitātmanā

nor any of the hosts of beings, O king: that greed, together with delusion, must be conquered by one who has conquered himself.

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.152.13c; line 2 = CE 12.152.13e. The alignment found no match.

Verse 15 (12.156.15)

दम्भो द्रोहश्च निन्दा च पैशून्यं मत्सरस्तथा । भवन्त्येतानि कौरव्य लुब्धानामकृतात्मनाम् ॥

dambho drohaśca nindā ca paiśūnyaṃ matsarastathā | bhavantyetāni kauravya lubdhānāmakṛtātmanām

Hypocrisy, malice, slander, backbiting and envy arise, O Kaurava, in the greedy, whose selves are undisciplined.

Verse 16 (12.156.16)

सुमहान्त्यपि शास्त्राणि धारयन्तो बहुश्रुताः । छेत्तारः संशयानां च क्लिश्यन्तीहाल्पबुद्धयः ॥

sumahāntyapi śāstrāṇi dhārayanto bahuśrutāḥ | chettāraḥ saṃśayānāṃ ca kliśyantīhālpabuddhayaḥ

Even though they carry vast scriptures, are learned, and resolve the doubts of others, those of small understanding still suffer here.

Verse 17 (12.156.17)

द्वेषक्रोधप्रसक्ताश्च शिष्टाचारबहिष्कृताः । अन्तःक्षुरा वाङ्मधुराः कूपाश्छन्नास्तृणैरिव ॥

dveṣakrodhaprasaktāśca śiṣṭācārabahiṣkṛtāḥ | antaḥkṣurā vāṅmadhurāḥ kūpāśchannāstṛṇairiva

Given to hatred and anger, cast out from the conduct of the good, with razors in their hearts and honey on their tongues, they are like wells covered with grass.

Note on the text: Corrected द्वेपक्रोध → द्वेषक्रोध, वाङ्भधुराः → वाङ्मधुराः and कृपाश्छन्ना → कूपाश्छन्ना (misprints in Wikisource; प for ष, भ for म, and ृ for ू, since कृपाः "compassions" does not fit "covered with grass"; the critical edition reads dveṣakrodha…, vāṅmadhurāḥ, kūpāś channās). Lines = CE 12.152.16a, 12.152.16c. The alignment found no match.

Verse 18 (12.156.18)

धर्मवैतंसिकाः क्षुद्रा मुष्णन्ति ध्वजिनो जगत् । कुर्वते च बहून्मार्गांस्तान्हेतुबलमाश्रिताः । सर्वमार्गान्विलुम्पन्ति लोभज्ञानेष्ववस्थिताः ॥

dharmavaitaṃsikāḥ kṣudrā muṣṇanti dhvajino jagat | kurvate ca bahūnmārgāṃstānhetubalamāśritāḥ | sarvamārgānvilumpanti lobhajñāneṣvavasthitāḥ

Mean men who use righteousness as a snare, flying the banners of virtue, they plunder the world. Relying on the force of arguments, they make many paths, and, grounded in the knowledge that greed gives, they obstruct every road.

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.152.16e; line 2 = CE 12.152.17a; line 3 = CE 12.152.17c (Wikisource लोभज्ञानेष्ववस्थिताः against CE lobhājñāneṣu niṣṭhitāḥ is a variant). Three-line verse, as on the page (labelled 12-156-18a/b/c). The alignment found no match.

Verse 19 (12.156.19)

धर्मस्य ह्रियमाणस्य लोभग्रस्तैर्दुरात्मभिः । याया विक्रियते संस्था ततः साऽपि प्रपद्यते ॥

dharmasya hriyamāṇasya lobhagrastairdurātmabhiḥ | yāyā vikriyate saṃsthā tataḥ sā'pi prapadyate

While righteousness is being carried off by the wicked, who are in the grip of greed, whichever rule they alter, that altered rule then comes to be accepted.

Verse 20 (12.156.20)

दर्पः क्रोधो मदः स्वप्नो हर्षः शोकोऽभिमानिता । एते हि कौरव्य दृश्यन्ते लुब्धबुद्धिषु ॥

darpaḥ krodho madaḥ svapno harṣaḥ śoko'bhimānitā | ete hi kauravya dṛśyante lubdhabuddhiṣu

Pride, anger, arrogance, sleep, joy, grief and conceit: these, O Kaurava, are seen in men whose minds are greedy.

Note on the text: Corrected दर्पः बोधो → दर्पः क्रोधो and एत हि → एते हि (misprints in Wikisource; बोधो "awareness" does not fit a list of faults, and the critical edition reads darpaḥ krodho; एत is not a word and the smallest fix is एते, "these", where the CE has tata eva hi, "from that very cause"). Lines = CE 12.152.19a, 12.152.19c. The alignment found no match.

Verse 21 (12.156.21)

एतानशिष्टान्बुद्धस्व नित्यं लोभसमन्वितान् । शिष्टांस्तु परिपृच्छेथा यान्वक्ष्यामि शुचिव्रतान् ॥

etānaśiṣṭānbuddhasva nityaṃ lobhasamanvitān | śiṣṭāṃstu paripṛcchethā yānvakṣyāmi śucivratān

Know these always to be men without discipline, bound up with greed. But consult the good, whom I shall now name, men of pure vows,

Note on the text: Corrected एताना टान्बुद्धस्व → एतानशिष्टान्बुद्धस्व (misprint in Wikisource; broken text with a space inside the word; the critical edition reads etān aśiṣṭān budhyasva). Line 1 = CE 12.152.19e; line 2 = CE 12.152.20a. The alignment found no match.

Verse 22 (12.156.22)

येष्वावृत्तिभयं नास्ति परलोकभयं न च । नामिषेषु प्रसङ्गोऽस्ति न प्रियेष्वप्रियेषु च ॥

yeṣvāvṛttibhayaṃ nāsti paralokabhayaṃ na ca | nāmiṣeṣu prasaṅgo'sti na priyeṣvapriyeṣu ca

in whom there is no fear of return to birth and no fear of the other world, who have no attachment to sensual baits, nor to the pleasant or the unpleasant,

Note on the text: Corrected नामिपेषु → नामिषेषु (misprint in Wikisource; प for ष; the critical edition reads nāmiṣeṣu). Line 1 = CE 12.152.20c (Wikisource येष्वावृत्तिभयं against CE yeṣu vṛttibhayaṃ is a variant); line 2 = CE 12.152.21a. The alignment found no match.

Verse 23 (12.156.23)

शिष्टाचारः प्रियो येषु दमो येषु प्रतिष्ठितः । सुखं दुःखं समं येषां सत्यं येषां परायणम् ॥

śiṣṭācāraḥ priyo yeṣu damo yeṣu pratiṣṭhitaḥ | sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ samaṃ yeṣāṃ satyaṃ yeṣāṃ parāyaṇam

who love good conduct and are firm in self-control, for whom pleasure and pain are the same, and truth is the final refuge,

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.152.21c; line 2 = CE 12.152.22a (Wikisource सुखं दुःखं समं येषां against CE sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ paraṃ yeṣāṃ, a variant). The alignment found no match.

Verse 24 (12.156.24)

दातारो न ग्रहीतारो दयावन्तस्तथैव च । पितृदेवातिथेयाश्च नित्योद्युक्तास्तथैव च ॥

dātāro na grahītāro dayāvantastathaiva ca | pitṛdevātitheyāśca nityodyuktāstathaiva ca

who give and do not take, who are likewise compassionate, devoted to serving ancestors, gods and guests, and ever ready to exert themselves,

Note on the text: Corrected दयावन्तस्नथैव → दयावन्तस्तथैव (misprint in Wikisource; न for त; the critical edition reads dayāvantas tathaiva). Line 1 = CE 12.152.22c; line 2 = CE 12.152.23a. The alignment found no match.

Verse 25 (12.156.25)

सर्वोपकारिणो वीराः सर्वधर्मानुपालकाः । सर्वभूतहिताश्चैव सर्वदेयाश्च भारत ॥

sarvopakāriṇo vīrāḥ sarvadharmānupālakāḥ | sarvabhūtahitāścaiva sarvadeyāśca bhārata

who do good to all, heroes, upholders of every dharma, friends of all beings, ready to give anything, O Bharata,

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.152.23c (Wikisource वीराः against CE dhīrāḥ is a variant); line 2 = CE 12.152.24a. The alignment found no match.

Verse 26 (12.156.26)

न ते चालयितुं शक्या धर्मव्याहारकारिणः । न तेषां भिद्यते वृत्तं यत्पुरा साधुभिः कृतम् ॥

na te cālayituṃ śakyā dharmavyāhārakāriṇaḥ | na teṣāṃ bhidyate vṛttaṃ yatpurā sādhubhiḥ kṛtam

those who act by the word of dharma cannot be shaken; the way of life that good men followed in the past is not broken in them.

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.152.24c (Wikisource धर्मव्याहारकारिणः against CE dharmavyāpārapāragāḥ is a variant); line 2 = CE 12.152.25a. The alignment found no match.

Verse 27 (12.156.27)

न त्रासिनो न चपला न रौद्राः सत्पथे स्थिताः । ते सेव्याः साधुभिर्नित्यमसाधूंश्च विवर्जयेत् ॥

na trāsino na capalā na raudrāḥ satpathe sthitāḥ | te sevyāḥ sādhubhirnityamasādhūṃśca vivarjayet

They are neither fearful, nor fickle, nor fierce, but stand on the right path. They are always to be served by the good, and the wicked are to be shunned.

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.152.25c; line 2 = CE 12.152.26a (Wikisource नित्यमसाधूंश्च विवर्जयेत् against CE nityaṃ yeṣv ahiṃsā pratiṣṭhitā, a variant). The alignment found no match.

Verse 28 (12.156.28)

कामक्रोधव्यपेता ये निर्ममा निरहंकृताः । सुव्रताः स्थिरमर्यादास्तानुपास्व च पृच्छ च ॥

kāmakrodhavyapetā ye nirmamā nirahaṃkṛtāḥ | suvratāḥ sthiramaryādāstānupāsva ca pṛccha ca

Those free from desire and anger, without possessiveness or egoism, firm in their vows and steady in their bounds: attend on them and ask them.

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.152.26c; line 2 = CE 12.152.26e. The alignment found no match.

Verse 29 (12.156.29)

न वागर्थं यशोर्थं वा धर्मस्तेषां युधिष्ठिर । अवश्यं कार्य इत्येव शरीरस्य क्रियास्तथा ॥

na vāgarthaṃ yaśorthaṃ vā dharmasteṣāṃ yudhiṣṭhira | avaśyaṃ kārya ityeva śarīrasya kriyāstathā

For them, Yudhishthira, dharma is not for the sake of words or fame; it is done simply because it must be done, as the body's own needs are.

Note on the text: Corrected धर्मस्तेपां → धर्मस्तेषां (misprint in Wikisource; प for ष; the critical edition reads dharmas teṣāṃ). Wikisource वागर्थं against CE gavārtham is a variant (the page's footnote gives न धनार्थम्); the stray double daṇḍa the page prints after line 1 is not kept.

Verse 30 (12.156.30)

न भयं क्रोधचापल्ये न शोकस्तेषु विद्यते । न धर्मध्वजिनश्चैव न गुह्यं किंचिदास्थिताः ॥

na bhayaṃ krodhacāpalye na śokasteṣu vidyate | na dharmadhvajinaścaiva na guhyaṃ kiṃcidāsthitāḥ

Fear, anger and fickleness are not found in them, nor is sorrow; they fly no banners of dharma, and they keep nothing hidden.

Note on the text: Corrected त भयं → न भयं (misprint in Wikisource; त for न; the critical edition reads na bhayaṃ).

Verse 31 (12.156.31)

येष्वलोभस्तथाऽमोहो ये च सत्यार्जवे स्थिताः । तेषु कौन्तेय रज्येथा येषां न भ्रश्यते पुनः ॥

yeṣvalobhastathā'moho ye ca satyārjave sthitāḥ | teṣu kaunteya rajyethā yeṣāṃ na bhraśyate punaḥ

In those who are free of greed and delusion, who stand firm in truth and uprightness, take your delight, son of Kunti; their conduct never slips.

Verse 32 (12.156.32)

ये न हृष्यन्ति लाभेषु नालाभेषु व्यथन्ति च । निर्ममा निरहंकाराः सत्वस्थाः समदर्शिनः ॥

ye na hṛṣyanti lābheṣu nālābheṣu vyathanti ca | nirmamā nirahaṃkārāḥ satvasthāḥ samadarśinaḥ

Those who do not rejoice in gains nor grieve in losses, free of possessiveness and egoism, established in goodness, seeing all alike,

Verse 33 (12.156.33)

लाभालाभौ सुखदुःखे च तात । प्रियाप्रिये मरणं जीवितं च । समानि येषां स्थिरविक्रमाणां । बुभुत्सतां सत्यपथे स्थितानाम् ॥

lābhālābhau sukhaduḥkhe ca tāta | priyāpriye maraṇaṃ jīvitaṃ ca | samāni yeṣāṃ sthiravikramāṇāṃ | bubhutsatāṃ satyapathe sthitānām

for whom gain and loss, pleasure and pain, dear one, the pleasant and the unpleasant, death and life are the same, men of steady courage, seekers of knowledge, standing on the path of truth,

Note on the text: Four lines, as on the page (labelled 12-156-33a-d). Lines 1-4 = CE 12.152.31a-d (Wikisource बुभुत्सतां सत्यपथे स्थितानाम् against CE buddhātmanāṃ sattvam avasthitānām is a variant).

Verse 34 (12.156.34)

धर्मप्रियांस्तान्सुमहानुभावान् । दान्तोऽप्रमत्तश्च समर्चयेथाः । दैवात्सर्वे गुणवन्तो भवन्ति । शुभाशुभे वाक्प्रलापास्तथाऽन्ये ॥

dharmapriyāṃstānsumahānubhāvān | dānto'pramattaśca samarcayethāḥ | daivātsarve guṇavanto bhavanti | śubhāśubhe vākpralāpāstathā'nye

revere those lovers of dharma, those men of great spirit, with self-control and care. Through destiny all come to have good qualities; and so, for others, their idle talk turns out good or ill.

Note on the text: Four lines, as on the page (labelled 12-156-34a-d); the CE has a different first line (sukhapriyais tān sumahāpratāpān) and a different last (śubhāśubhā vākpralāpā yathaiva); the Wikisource wording is kept as a variant.