Yudhishthira Answers Bhima: The Worth of Renunciation

Verse 1 (12.17.1)

असंतोषः प्रमादश्च मदो रागोऽप्रशान्तता । बलं मोहोऽभिमानश्चाप्युद्वेगश्चैव सर्वशः ॥

asaṃtoṣaḥ pramādaśca mado rāgo'praśāntatā | balaṃ moho'bhimānaścāpyudvegaścaiva sarvaśaḥ

Discontent, negligence, pride, passion, restlessness, strength, delusion, arrogance and anxiety on every side.

Verse 2 (12.17.2)

एभिः पाप्मभिराविष्टो राज्यं त्वमभिकाङ्क्षसे । निरामिषो विनिर्मुक्तः प्रशान्तः सुसुखी भव ॥

ebhiḥ pāpmabhirāviṣṭo rājyaṃ tvamabhikāṅkṣase | nirāmiṣo vinirmuktaḥ praśāntaḥ susukhī bhava

Possessed by these evils, you crave the kingdom. Be free of the lure of worldly things, released, tranquil and happy.

Verse 3 (12.17.3)

य इमामखिलां भूमिं शिष्यादेको महीपतिः । तस्याप्युदरमेकं वै किमिदं त्वं प्रशंससि ॥

ya imāmakhilāṃ bhūmiṃ śiṣyādeko mahīpatiḥ | tasyāpyudaramekaṃ vai kimidaṃ tvaṃ praśaṃsasi

Even the one king who rules this entire earth has but a single belly. Why do you praise this?

Verse 4 (12.17.4)

नाह्ना पूरयितुं शक्यां न मासैर्भरतर्षभ । अपूर्यां पूरयन्निच्छामायुषाऽपि न शक्नुयात् ॥

nāhnā pūrayituṃ śakyāṃ na māsairbharatarṣabha | apūryāṃ pūrayannicchāmāyuṣā'pi na śaknuyāt

It cannot be filled in a day or in months, best of the Bharatas. One who tries to fill the unfillable desire could not do it even in a whole lifetime.

Verse 5 (12.17.5)

यथेद्धः प्रज्वलत्यग्निरसमिद्धः प्रशाम्यति । अल्पाहारतयाग्निं त्वं शमयौदर्यमुत्थितम् ॥

yatheddhaḥ prajvalatyagnirasamiddhaḥ praśāmyati | alpāhāratayāgniṃ tvaṃ śamayaudaryamutthitam

As a fire blazes when fed and goes out when unfed, so quench the fire of the belly that has risen, by eating little.

Verse 6 (12.17.6)

आत्मोदरकृतेऽप्राज्ञः करोति विशसं बहु । जयोदरं पृथिव्या ते श्रेयो निर्जितया जितम् ॥

ātmodarakṛte'prājñaḥ karoti viśasaṃ bahu | jayodaraṃ pṛthivyā te śreyo nirjitayā jitam

A fool does much slaughter for the sake of his own belly. Conquer the belly; that is better for you than the earth, for when it is conquered, all is conquered.

Note on the text: Not auto-matched. Line 1 is the star passage *0024_01 of the critical edition (ātmodarakṛte 'thājñaḥ karoti vighasaṃ bahu, after 12.17.5d); line 2 is 12.17.5e (jayodaraṃ pṛthivyā te śreyo nirjitayā jitam).

Verse 7 (12.17.7)

मानुषान्कामभोगांस्त्वमैश्वर्यं च प्रशंससि । अभोगिनोऽबलाश्चैव यान्ति स्थानमनुत्तमम् ॥

mānuṣānkāmabhogāṃstvamaiśvaryaṃ ca praśaṃsasi | abhogino'balāścaiva yānti sthānamanuttamam

You praise human pleasures and sovereignty, yet those who enjoy nothing and are weak from austerity go to the highest state.

Verse 8 (12.17.8)

योगः क्षेमश्च राष्ट्रस्य धर्माधर्मौ त्वयि स्थितौ । मुच्यस्व महतो भारात्त्यागमेवाभिसंश्रय ॥

yogaḥ kṣemaśca rāṣṭrasya dharmādharmau tvayi sthitau | mucyasva mahato bhārāttyāgamevābhisaṃśraya

Acquiring and keeping the realm, dharma and adharma rest on you. Be free of this great burden; take refuge in renunciation alone.

Verse 9 (12.17.9)

एकोदरकृते व्याघ्रः करोति विशसं बहु । तमन्येऽप्युपजीवन्ति मन्दवेगतरा मृगाः ॥

ekodarakṛte vyāghraḥ karoti viśasaṃ bahu | tamanye'pyupajīvanti mandavegatarā mṛgāḥ

For the sake of a single belly the tiger does much slaughter, and other, slower beasts live off what he leaves.

Verse 10 (12.17.10)

विषयान्प्रतिसंगृह्य संन्यासे कुरुते मतिम् । न च तुष्यन्ति राजानः पश्य बुद्ध्यन्तरं यथा ॥

viṣayānpratisaṃgṛhya saṃnyāse kurute matim | na ca tuṣyanti rājānaḥ paśya buddhyantaraṃ yathā

Having drawn back from the objects of the senses, one sets one's mind on renunciation, yet kings are not content. See how the minds differ.

Verse 11 (12.17.11)

पत्राहारैरश्मकुट्टैर्दन्तोलूखलिकैस्तथा । अब्भक्षैर्वायुभक्षैश्च तैरयम् नरको जितः ॥

patrāhārairaśmakuṭṭairdantolūkhalikaistathā | abbhakṣairvāyubhakṣaiśca tairayam narako jitaḥ

By those who live on leaves, who crush grain with stones, who use their teeth as mortars, who live on water and on air, hell has been conquered.

Note on the text: Corrected तेरयं → तैरयम् (misprint in Wikisource; critical edition tair ayaṃ; ऐ lost its mark and the final म् was dropped).

Verse 12 (12.17.12)

यस्त्विमां वसुधां कृत्स्नां प्रशासेदखिलां नृपः । तुल्याश्मकाञ्चनो यश्च स कृतार्थो न पार्थिवः ॥

yastvimāṃ vasudhāṃ kṛtsnāṃ praśāsedakhilāṃ nṛpaḥ | tulyāśmakāñcano yaśca sa kṛtārtho na pārthivaḥ

One who rules this whole earth as king, and one who sees stone and gold as alike: it is the second who has fulfilled his aim, not the king.

Verse 13 (12.17.13)

संकल्पेषु निरारम्भो निराशीर्निर्ममो भव । अशोकं स्थानमातिष्ठ इह चामुत्र चाव्ययम् ॥

saṃkalpeṣu nirārambho nirāśīrnirmamo bhava | aśokaṃ sthānamātiṣṭha iha cāmutra cāvyayam

Be free of undertakings in your resolves, free of hope, free of 'mine'. Take your stand in the sorrowless state, imperishable here and hereafter.

Verse 14 (12.17.14)

निरामिषा न शोचन्ति शोचन्ति त्वामिषैषिणः । परित्यज्यामिषं सर्वं मृषावादात्प्रमोक्ष्यसे ॥

nirāmiṣā na śocanti śocanti tvāmiṣaiṣiṇaḥ | parityajyāmiṣaṃ sarvaṃ mṛṣāvādātpramokṣyase

Those without desire for worldly lure do not grieve; those who seek it grieve. Giving up all such lure, you will be freed from falsehood.

Verse 15 (12.17.15)

पन्थानौ पितृयानश्च देवयानश्च विश्रुतौ । ईजानाः पितृयानेन देवयानेन मोक्षिणः ॥

panthānau pitṛyānaśca devayānaśca viśrutau | ījānāḥ pitṛyānena devayānena mokṣiṇaḥ

Two paths are renowned: the path of the fathers and the path of the gods. Sacrificers go by the path of the fathers, and seekers of release by the path of the gods.

Verse 16 (12.17.16)

तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण स्वाध्यायेन महर्षयः । विमुच्य देहांस्ते यान्ति मृत्योरविषयं गताः ॥

tapasā brahmacaryeṇa svādhyāyena maharṣayaḥ | vimucya dehāṃste yānti mṛtyoraviṣayaṃ gatāḥ

By austerity, by celibacy and by study, the great sages cast off their bodies and go beyond the reach of death.

Note on the text: Corrected ब्रह्मर्येण → ब्रह्मचर्येण (misprint in Wikisource; critical edition brahmacaryeṇa; the syllable च was dropped).

Verse 17 (12.17.17)

आमिषं बन्धनं लोके कर्मेहोक्तं तथाऽऽमिषम् । ताभ्यां विमुक्तः पापाभ्यां पदमाप्नोति तत्परम् ॥

āmiṣaṃ bandhanaṃ loke karmehoktaṃ tathā''miṣam | tābhyāṃ vimuktaḥ pāpābhyāṃ padamāpnoti tatparam

Lure is a bond in the world, and action, as taught here, is likewise a lure. Freed from these two evils, one reaches the supreme state.

Verse 18 (12.17.18)

अपि गाथां पुरा गीतां जनकेन वदन्त्युत । निर्द्वन्द्वेन विमुक्तेन मोक्षं समनुपश्यता ॥

api gāthāṃ purā gītāṃ janakena vadantyuta | nirdvandvena vimuktena mokṣaṃ samanupaśyatā

They also tell of a song sung long ago by Janaka, who was free of the pairs of opposites, liberated, and beholding release.

Verse 19 (12.17.19)

अनन्तं बत मे वित्तं यस्य मे नास्ति किंचन । मिथिलायां प्रदीप्तायां न मे किंचित्प्रदह्यते ॥

anantaṃ bata me vittaṃ yasya me nāsti kiṃcana | mithilāyāṃ pradīptāyāṃ na me kiṃcitpradahyate

'Boundless indeed is my wealth, for I have nothing at all. When Mithila is in flames, nothing of mine is burned.'

Verse 20 (12.17.20)

प्रज्ञाप्रासादमारुह्य न शोचेच्छोचतो जनान् । जगतीस्थोऽथवाऽद्रिस्थो मन्दबुद्धिर्नचेक्षते ॥

prajñāprāsādamāruhya na śocecchocato janān | jagatīstho'thavā'dristho mandabuddhirnacekṣate

One who has climbed the palace of wisdom should not grieve for those who grieve. Whether standing on the ground or on a mountain, the dull-witted one does not see.

Verse 21 (12.17.21)

दृश्यं पश्यति यः पश्यन्स चक्षुष्मान्स बुद्धिमान् । अज्ञातानां च विज्ञानात्संबोधाद्बुद्धिरुच्यते ॥

dṛśyaṃ paśyati yaḥ paśyansa cakṣuṣmānsa buddhimān | ajñātānāṃ ca vijñānātsaṃbodhādbuddhirucyate

He who sees what is to be seen is the one who has eyes, and he is the wise one. Wisdom is said to come from knowledge of the unknown and from awakening.

Note on the text: Corrected संबोधाद्रुद्धिरुच्यते → संबोधाद्बुद्धिरुच्यते (misprint in Wikisource; critical edition saṃbodhād buddhir ucyate; द्रु for द्बु).

Verse 22 (12.17.22)

यस्तु मानं विजानाति बहुमानमियात्स वै । ब्रह्मभावप्रभूतानां वैद्यानां भावितात्मनाम् ॥

yastu mānaṃ vijānāti bahumānamiyātsa vai | brahmabhāvaprabhūtānāṃ vaidyānāṃ bhāvitātmanām

He who knows the measure wins great esteem among the knowers, rich in the state of Brahman, whose selves are refined.

Verse 23 (12.17.23)

यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति । तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म संपद्यते तदा ॥

yadā bhūtapṛthagbhāvamekasthamanupaśyati | tata eva ca vistāraṃ brahma saṃpadyate tadā

When one sees the separateness of beings as resting in one, and their spreading out from that very one, then one attains Brahman.

Verse 24 (12.17.24)

ते जनास्तां गतिं यान्ति नाविद्वांसोऽल्पचेतसः । नाबुद्धयो नातपसः सर्वं बुद्धौ प्रतिष्ठितम् ॥

te janāstāṃ gatiṃ yānti nāvidvāṃso'lpacetasaḥ | nābuddhayo nātapasaḥ sarvaṃ buddhau pratiṣṭhitam

Those people reach that state, not the unlearned, the small-minded, the unwise or those without austerity. All rests on the intellect.