Shamyaka on Poverty and Wealth

Verse 1 (12.175.1)

धनिनश्चाधना ये च वर्तयन्ति स्वतन्त्रिणः । सुखदुःखागमस्तेषां कः कथं वा पितामह ॥

dhaninaścādhanā ye ca vartayanti svatantriṇaḥ | sukhaduḥkhāgamasteṣāṃ kaḥ kathaṃ vā pitāmaha

For the rich and for the poor, each living by his own rule, what is the coming of happiness and sorrow, and how does it come, grandfather?

Verse 2 (12.175.2)

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । शम्याकेन विमुक्तेन गीतं शान्तिगतेन च ॥

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam | śamyākena vimuktena gītaṃ śāntigatena ca

On this subject they recount an ancient tradition: the song sung by Shamyaka, who had been freed and had found peace.

Verse 3 (12.175.3)

अब्रवीन्मां पुरा कश्चिद्ब्राह्मणस्त्यागमाश्रितः । क्लिश्यमानः कुदारेण कुचेलेन बुभुक्षया ॥

abravīnmāṃ purā kaścidbrāhmaṇastyāgamāśritaḥ | kliśyamānaḥ kudāreṇa kucelena bubhukṣayā

Long ago a certain brahmin who had taken refuge in renunciation said to me, distressed by a bad wife, tattered clothes and hunger:

Verse 4 (12.175.4)

उत्पन्नमिह लोके वै जन्मप्रभृति मानवम् । विविधान्युपवर्तन्ते दुःखानि च सुखानि च ॥

utpannamiha loke vai janmaprabhṛti mānavam | vividhānyupavartante duḥkhāni ca sukhāni ca

From birth onward, a man born into this world meets with many kinds of sorrow and joy.

Note on the text: Speaker: the page prints no heading for verses 4-22. They are the song of the brahmin Shamyaka, introduced by Bhishma in verses 2-3 and closed by Bhishma in verse 23, so they are given to Shamyaka.

Verse 5 (12.175.5)

तयोरेकतरो मार्गो यदेनमुपसन्नयेत् । न सुखं प्राप्य संहृष्येन्नासुखं प्राप्य संज्वरेत् ॥

tayorekataro mārgo yadenamupasannayet | na sukhaṃ prāpya saṃhṛṣyennāsukhaṃ prāpya saṃjvaret

If fate leads him onto one of these two paths, let him not rejoice on gaining happiness nor burn with fever on gaining unhappiness.

Verse 6 (12.175.6)

न वै चरसि यच्छ्रेय आत्मनो वा न रंस्यसे । अकामात्माऽपि हि सदा धुरमुद्यम्य चैव ह ॥

na vai carasi yacchreya ātmano vā na raṃsyase | akāmātmā'pi hi sadā dhuramudyamya caiva ha

You do not pursue what is best for yourself, nor will you find delight; for even a man who is free of desire is always taking up the yoke and striving.

Note on the text: Line 1 (आत्मनो वा न रंस्यसे) differs from CE 12.170.6a (ātmano vā yad īhase); a recension variant, kept.

Verse 7 (12.175.7)

अकिञ्चनः परिपतन्सुखमास्वादयिष्यसि । अकिञ्चनः सुखं शेते समुत्तिष्ठति चैव ह ॥

akiñcanaḥ paripatansukhamāsvādayiṣyasi | akiñcanaḥ sukhaṃ śete samuttiṣṭhati caiva ha

Owning nothing and going about freely, you will taste happiness; the man who owns nothing sleeps happily and rises happily.

Verse 8 (12.175.8)

आकिञ्चन्यं सुखं लोके पथ्यं शिवमनामयम् । अनमित्रपथो ह्येष दुर्लभः सुलभः सताम् ॥

ākiñcanyaṃ sukhaṃ loke pathyaṃ śivamanāmayam | anamitrapatho hyeṣa durlabhaḥ sulabhaḥ satām

To own nothing is happiness in the world, wholesome, auspicious and free from illness. This is a road without enemies, hard to find for others, yet easy for the good.

Verse 9 (12.175.9)

अकिञ्चनस्य शुद्धस्य उपपन्नस्य सर्वतः । अवेक्षमाणस्त्रील्लोँकान्न तुल्यमिह लक्षये ॥

akiñcanasya śuddhasya upapannasya sarvataḥ | avekṣamāṇastrīllom̐kānna tulyamiha lakṣaye

Though I look across the three worlds, I see nothing equal to the man who owns nothing, who is pure and perfected on every side.

Verse 10 (12.175.10)

आकिञ्चन्यं च राज्यं च तुलया समतोलयम् । अत्यरिच्यत दारिद्र्यं राज्यादपि गुणाधिकम् ॥

ākiñcanyaṃ ca rājyaṃ ca tulayā samatolayam | atyaricyata dāridryaṃ rājyādapi guṇādhikam

I have weighed owning nothing against kingship in the scales; poverty outweighed kingship, for it is richer in virtue.

Verse 11 (12.175.11)

आकिञ्चन्ये च राज्ये च विशेषः सुमहानयम् । नित्योद्विग्नो हि धनवान्मृत्योरास्यगतो यथा ॥

ākiñcanye ca rājye ca viśeṣaḥ sumahānayam | nityodvigno hi dhanavānmṛtyorāsyagato yathā

Between owning nothing and kingship the difference is very great: the rich man is always anxious, as if he were in the mouth of death.

Verse 12 (12.175.12)

नैवास्याग्निर्न चादित्यो न मृत्युर्न च दस्यवः । प्रभवन्ति धनं हर्तुमितरे स्युः कुतः पुनः ॥

naivāsyāgnirna cādityo na mṛtyurna ca dasyavaḥ | prabhavanti dhanaṃ hartumitare syuḥ kutaḥ punaḥ

Neither fire, nor the sun, nor death, nor robbers have power to take his wealth; how then could others?

Note on the text: Line 2 (प्रभवन्ति धनं हर्तुमितरे स्युः कुतः पुनः) differs from CE 12.170.12c (prabhavanti dhanajyāninirmuktasya nirāśiṣaḥ); the page's footnote records a related variant (धनत्यागाद्विमुक्तस्य निराशिषः). A recension variant, kept.

Verse 13 (12.175.13)

तं वै सदा कामचरमनुपस्तीर्णशायिनम् । बाहूपधानं शाम्यन्तं प्रशंसन्ति दिवौकसः ॥

taṃ vai sadā kāmacaramanupastīrṇaśāyinam | bāhūpadhānaṃ śāmyantaṃ praśaṃsanti divaukasaḥ

The gods in heaven praise that man who roams as he wishes, sleeps on bare ground with his arm for a pillow, and is at peace.

Verse 14 (12.175.14)

धनवान्क्रोधलोभाभ्यामाविष्टो नष्टचेतनः । तिर्यग्दृष्टिः शुष्कमुखः पापको भ्रुकुटीमुखः ॥

dhanavānkrodhalobhābhyāmāviṣṭo naṣṭacetanaḥ | tiryagdṛṣṭiḥ śuṣkamukhaḥ pāpako bhrukuṭīmukhaḥ

The rich man, seized by anger and greed, loses his senses; his glance is sidelong, his face dry, his look evil, his brow knitted.

Verse 15 (12.175.15)

निर्दशन्नधरोष्ठं च क्रुद्धो दारुणभाषिता । कस्तमिच्छेत्परिद्रष्टुं दातुमिच्छति चेन्महीम् ॥

nirdaśannadharoṣṭhaṃ ca kruddho dāruṇabhāṣitā | kastamicchetparidraṣṭuṃ dātumicchati cenmahīm

Biting his lower lip, enraged, harsh in speech: who would wish to look at him, even if he offered to give the earth?

Verse 16 (12.175.16)

श्रिया ह्यभीक्ष्णं संवासो मोहयत्यविचक्षणम् । सा तस्य चित्तं हरति शारदाभ्रमिवानिलः ॥

śriyā hyabhīkṣṇaṃ saṃvāso mohayatyavicakṣaṇam | sā tasya cittaṃ harati śāradābhramivānilaḥ

Constant company with Fortune bewilders the unwise; she steals his mind as the wind carries off an autumn cloud.

Verse 17 (12.175.17)

अथैनं रूपमानश्च धनमानश्च विन्दति । अभिजातोऽस्मि सिद्धोऽस्मि नास्मि केवलमानुषः । इत्येभिः कारणैस्तस्य त्रिभिश्चित्तं प्रमाद्यति ॥

athainaṃ rūpamānaśca dhanamānaśca vindati | abhijāto'smi siddho'smi nāsmi kevalamānuṣaḥ | ityebhiḥ kāraṇaistasya tribhiścittaṃ pramādyati

Then pride in beauty and pride in wealth take hold of him: 'I am high-born, I am accomplished, I am no mere mortal.' By these three reasons his mind is led astray.

Verse 18 (12.175.18)

संप्रसक्तमना भोगान्विसृज्य पितृसंचितान् । परिक्षीणः परस्वानामादानं साधु मन्यते ॥

saṃprasaktamanā bhogānvisṛjya pitṛsaṃcitān | parikṣīṇaḥ parasvānāmādānaṃ sādhu manyate

His mind clinging to pleasures, he squanders the enjoyments his fathers gathered; ruined, he comes to think that taking other people's property is right.

Verse 19 (12.175.19)

तमतिक्रान्तमर्यादमाददानं ततस्ततः । प्रतिषेधन्ति राजानो लुब्धा मृगमिवेषुभिः ॥

tamatikrāntamaryādamādadānaṃ tatastataḥ | pratiṣedhanti rājāno lubdhā mṛgamiveṣubhiḥ

Seizing here and there, he crosses the bounds of propriety, and greedy kings check him as hunters check a deer with arrows.

Verse 20 (12.175.20)

एवमेतानि दुःखानि तानि तानीह मानवम् । विविधान्युपवर्तन्ते गात्रसंस्पर्शजान्यपि ॥

evametāni duḥkhāni tāni tānīha mānavam | vividhānyupavartante gātrasaṃsparśajānyapi

Thus these and those many sorrows come upon a man, even those born of the body's touch.

Verse 21 (12.175.21)

तेषां परमदुःखानां बुद्ध्या भैषज्यमाचरेत् । लोकधर्मं समाज्ञाय ध्रुवाणामध्रुवैः सह ॥

teṣāṃ paramaduḥkhānāṃ buddhyā bhaiṣajyamācaret | lokadharmaṃ samājñāya dhruvāṇāmadhruvaiḥ saha

For these great sorrows one should apply the remedy of understanding, knowing the way of the world, in which what lasts is joined with what does not.

Verse 22 (12.175.22)

नात्यक्त्वा सुखमाप्नोति नात्यक्त्वा विन्दते परम् । नात्यक्त्वा चाभयः शेते त्यक्त्वा सर्वं सुखी भवेत् ॥

nātyaktvā sukhamāpnoti nātyaktvā vindate param | nātyaktvā cābhayaḥ śete tyaktvā sarvaṃ sukhī bhavet

Without giving up, one gains no happiness; without giving up, one finds nothing higher; without giving up, one does not sleep free of fear. Having given up everything, one becomes happy.

Verse 23 (12.175.23)

इत्येतद्धास्तिनपुरे ब्राह्मणेनोपवर्णितम् । शम्याकेन पुरा मह्यं तस्मात्त्यागः परो मतः ॥

ityetaddhāstinapure brāhmaṇenopavarṇitam | śamyākena purā mahyaṃ tasmāttyāgaḥ paro mataḥ

This is what the brahmin Shamyaka once described to me at Hastinapura; therefore renunciation is held to be the highest.