Truth, Falsehood and the Nature of Happiness

Verse 1 (12.188.1)

सत्यं ब्रह्म तपः सत्यं सत्यं सृजति च प्रजाः । सत्येन धार्यते लोकः स्वर्गं सत्येन गच्छति ॥

satyaṃ brahma tapaḥ satyaṃ satyaṃ sṛjati ca prajāḥ | satyena dhāryate lokaḥ svargaṃ satyena gacchati

Truth is Brahman, truth is austerity; truth creates the creatures. By truth the world is upheld, and by truth one goes to heaven.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (12.183.1): Wikisource has no page for this adhyaya (188), so the real adhyaya 188, which falls between the end of Wikisource 187 (critical edition 12.182.17) and adhyaya 189 here (critical edition 12.184.1; Wikisource's page 189 is a stray copy of its page 191), is supplied from the critical edition (adhyaya 12.183, verses 1 to 16) and written in Devanagari with the critical edition's words unchanged. The critical edition's two lines (1a, 1c) are kept as two lines. The critical edition's heading "bhṛgur uvāca" stands before this verse. The critical edition has no star passage or Appendix I passage in this adhyaya.

Verse 2 (12.188.2)

अनृतं तमसो रूपं तमसा नीयते ह्यधः । तमोग्रस्ता न पश्यन्ति प्रकाशं तमसावृतम् ॥

anṛtaṃ tamaso rūpaṃ tamasā nīyate hyadhaḥ | tamograstā na paśyanti prakāśaṃ tamasāvṛtam

Falsehood is the form of darkness, and by darkness one is led downward. Those seized by darkness do not see the light, for it is veiled by darkness.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (12.183.2): Wikisource has no page for this adhyaya (188), so the real adhyaya 188, which falls between the end of Wikisource 187 (critical edition 12.182.17) and adhyaya 189 here (critical edition 12.184.1; Wikisource's page 189 is a stray copy of its page 191), is supplied from the critical edition (adhyaya 12.183, verses 1 to 16) and written in Devanagari with the critical edition's words unchanged. The critical edition's two lines (2a, 2c) are kept as two lines.

Verse 3 (12.188.3)

स्वर्गः प्रकाश इत्याहुर्नरकं तम एव च । सत्यानृतात्तदुभयं प्राप्यते जगतीचरैः ॥

svargaḥ prakāśa ityāhurnarakaṃ tama eva ca | satyānṛtāttadubhayaṃ prāpyate jagatīcaraiḥ

They say that heaven is light and hell is darkness itself. Beings who move upon the earth reach the one or the other through truth and falsehood.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (12.183.3): Wikisource has no page for this adhyaya (188), so the real adhyaya 188, which falls between the end of Wikisource 187 (critical edition 12.182.17) and adhyaya 189 here (critical edition 12.184.1; Wikisource's page 189 is a stray copy of its page 191), is supplied from the critical edition (adhyaya 12.183, verses 1 to 16) and written in Devanagari with the critical edition's words unchanged. The critical edition's two lines (3a, 3c) are kept as two lines.

Verse 4 (12.188.4)

तत्र त्वेवंविधा वृत्तिर्लोके सत्यानृता भवेत् । धर्माधर्मौ प्रकाशश्च तमो दुःखं सुखं तथा ॥

tatra tvevaṃvidhā vṛttirloke satyānṛtā bhavet | dharmādharmau prakāśaśca tamo duḥkhaṃ sukhaṃ tathā

In this world, therefore, conduct comes to be of this kind, a mixture of truth and falsehood: dharma and adharma, light and darkness, sorrow and happiness.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (12.183.4): Wikisource has no page for this adhyaya (188), so the real adhyaya 188, which falls between the end of Wikisource 187 (critical edition 12.182.17) and adhyaya 189 here (critical edition 12.184.1; Wikisource's page 189 is a stray copy of its page 191), is supplied from the critical edition (adhyaya 12.183, verses 1 to 16) and written in Devanagari with the critical edition's words unchanged. The critical edition's two lines (4a, 4c) are kept as two lines.

Verse 5 (12.188.5)

तत्र यत्सत्यं स धर्मो यो धर्मः स प्रकाशो यः प्रकाशस्तत्सुखमिति । तत्र यदनृतं सोऽधर्मो योऽधर्मस्तत्तमो यत्तमस्तद्दुःखमिति ॥

tatra yatsatyaṃ sa dharmo yo dharmaḥ sa prakāśo yaḥ prakāśastatsukhamiti | tatra yadanṛtaṃ so'dharmo yo'dharmastattamo yattamastadduḥkhamiti

Of these, what is truth is dharma; what is dharma is light; and what is light is happiness. What is falsehood is adharma; what is adharma is darkness; and what is darkness is sorrow.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (12.183.5): Wikisource has no page for this adhyaya (188), so the real adhyaya 188, which falls between the end of Wikisource 187 (critical edition 12.182.17) and adhyaya 189 here (critical edition 12.184.1; Wikisource's page 189 is a stray copy of its page 191), is supplied from the critical edition (adhyaya 12.183, verses 1 to 16) and written in Devanagari with the critical edition's words unchanged. The critical edition prints this verse as prose sentences (5A, 5B); each is kept as its own line.

Verse 6 (12.188.6)

शारीरैर्मानसैर्दुःखैः सुखैश्चाप्यसुखोदयैः । अत्रोच्यते । लोकसृष्टिं प्रपश्यन्तो न मुह्यन्ति विचक्षणाः ॥

śārīrairmānasairduḥkhaiḥ sukhaiścāpyasukhodayaiḥ | atrocyate | lokasṛṣṭiṃ prapaśyanto na muhyanti vicakṣaṇāḥ

Amid sorrows of body and of mind, and pleasures that end in unhappiness (on this it is said), the discerning, who clearly see how the world is made, are not bewildered.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (12.183.6): Wikisource has no page for this adhyaya (188), so the real adhyaya 188, which falls between the end of Wikisource 187 (critical edition 12.182.17) and adhyaya 189 here (critical edition 12.184.1; Wikisource's page 189 is a stray copy of its page 191), is supplied from the critical edition (adhyaya 12.183, verses 1 to 16) and written in Devanagari with the critical edition's words unchanged. The critical edition's prose line 6A ("atrocyate", "on this it is said") stands between 6a and 6c and is kept in that place as the second of three lines.

Verse 7 (12.188.7)

तत्र दुःखविमोक्षार्थं प्रयतेत विचक्षणः । सुखं ह्यनित्यं भूतानामिह लोके परत्र च ॥

tatra duḥkhavimokṣārthaṃ prayateta vicakṣaṇaḥ | sukhaṃ hyanityaṃ bhūtānāmiha loke paratra ca

The discerning man should therefore strive for release from sorrow; for the happiness of beings, both in this world and in the next, is impermanent.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (12.183.7): Wikisource has no page for this adhyaya (188), so the real adhyaya 188, which falls between the end of Wikisource 187 (critical edition 12.182.17) and adhyaya 189 here (critical edition 12.184.1; Wikisource's page 189 is a stray copy of its page 191), is supplied from the critical edition (adhyaya 12.183, verses 1 to 16) and written in Devanagari with the critical edition's words unchanged. The critical edition's two lines (7a, 7c) are kept as two lines.

Verse 8 (12.188.8)

राहुग्रस्तस्य सोमस्य यथा ज्योत्स्ना न भासते । तथा तमोभिभूतानां भूतानां भ्रश्यते सुखम् ॥

rāhugrastasya somasya yathā jyotsnā na bhāsate | tathā tamobhibhūtānāṃ bhūtānāṃ bhraśyate sukham

As moonlight does not shine when the moon is seized by Rahu, so happiness slips away from beings overcome by darkness.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (12.183.8): Wikisource has no page for this adhyaya (188), so the real adhyaya 188, which falls between the end of Wikisource 187 (critical edition 12.182.17) and adhyaya 189 here (critical edition 12.184.1; Wikisource's page 189 is a stray copy of its page 191), is supplied from the critical edition (adhyaya 12.183, verses 1 to 16) and written in Devanagari with the critical edition's words unchanged. The critical edition's two lines (8a, 8c) are kept as two lines.

Verse 9 (12.188.9)

तत्खलु द्विविधं सुखमुच्यते शारीरं मानसं च । इह खल्वमुष्मिंश्च लोके सर्वारम्भप्रवृत्तयः सुखार्था अभिधीयन्ते । न ह्यतस्त्रिवर्गफलं विशिष्टतरमस्ति । स एष काम्यो गुणविशेषो धर्मार्थयोरारम्भस्तद्धेतुरस्योत्पत्तिः सुखप्रयोजना ॥

tatkhalu dvividhaṃ sukhamucyate śārīraṃ mānasaṃ ca | iha khalvamuṣmiṃśca loke sarvārambhapravṛttayaḥ sukhārthā abhidhīyante | na hyatastrivargaphalaṃ viśiṣṭataramasti | sa eṣa kāmyo guṇaviśeṣo dharmārthayorārambhastaddheturasyotpattiḥ sukhaprayojanā

That happiness is said to be of two kinds, bodily and mental. In this world and in the next, all undertakings and activities are said to be for the sake of happiness. For there is no fruit of the three aims of life more excellent than this. This is the desirable excellence; the pursuit of dharma and wealth is its cause, and its coming into being serves happiness as its end.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (12.183.9): Wikisource has no page for this adhyaya (188), so the real adhyaya 188, which falls between the end of Wikisource 187 (critical edition 12.182.17) and adhyaya 189 here (critical edition 12.184.1; Wikisource's page 189 is a stray copy of its page 191), is supplied from the critical edition (adhyaya 12.183, verses 1 to 16) and written in Devanagari with the critical edition's words unchanged. The critical edition prints this verse as prose sentences (9A, 9B, 9C, 9D); each is kept as its own line.

Verse 10 (12.188.10)

यदेतद्भवताभिहितं सुखानां परमाः स्त्रिय इति तन्न गृह्णीमः । न ह्येषामृषीणां महति स्थितानामप्राप्य एष गुणविशेषो न चैनमभिलषन्ति । श्रूयते च भगवांस्त्रिलोककृद्ब्रह्मा प्रभुरेकाकी तिष्ठति । ब्रह्मचारी न कामसुखेष्वात्मानमवदधाति । अपि च भगवान्विश्वेश्वर उमापतिः काममभिवर्तमानमनङ्गत्वेन शममनयत् । तस्माद्ब्रूमो न महात्मभिरयं प्रतिगृहीतो न त्वेष तावद्विशिष्टो गुण इति नैतद्भगवतः प्रत्येमि । भगवता तूक्तं सुखानां परमाः स्त्रिय इति । लोकप्रवादोऽपि च भवति द्विविधः फलोदयः सुकृतात्सुखमवाप्यते दुष्कृताद्दुःखमिति । अत्रोच्यताम् ॥

yadetadbhavatābhihitaṃ sukhānāṃ paramāḥ striya iti tanna gṛhṇīmaḥ | na hyeṣāmṛṣīṇāṃ mahati sthitānāmaprāpya eṣa guṇaviśeṣo na cainamabhilaṣanti | śrūyate ca bhagavāṃstrilokakṛdbrahmā prabhurekākī tiṣṭhati | brahmacārī na kāmasukheṣvātmānamavadadhāti | api ca bhagavānviśveśvara umāpatiḥ kāmamabhivartamānamanaṅgatvena śamamanayat | tasmādbrūmo na mahātmabhirayaṃ pratigṛhīto na tveṣa tāvadviśiṣṭo guṇa iti naitadbhagavataḥ pratyemi | bhagavatā tūktaṃ sukhānāṃ paramāḥ striya iti | lokapravādo'pi ca bhavati dvividhaḥ phalodayaḥ sukṛtātsukhamavāpyate duṣkṛtādduḥkhamiti | atrocyatām

What you have declared, that women are the supreme of pleasures, we do not accept. For this special quality is not out of reach of these sages who stand in greatness, and yet they do not long for it. It is heard that the Lord Brahma, maker of the three worlds, the sovereign, dwells alone; a celibate, he does not set his mind on the pleasures of desire. And the Lord of the universe, the husband of Uma, brought Desire to stillness as it came against him, by making it bodiless. Therefore we say that the great-souled have not taken this up, and that this quality is not, after all, a superior one; I do not accept this from you, venerable sir. Yet you have said that women are the supreme of pleasures. There is also a common saying that the rise of fruit is twofold: from good deeds happiness is gained, and from evil deeds, sorrow. Let this be explained here.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (12.183.10): Wikisource has no page for this adhyaya (188), so the real adhyaya 188, which falls between the end of Wikisource 187 (critical edition 12.182.17) and adhyaya 189 here (critical edition 12.184.1; Wikisource's page 189 is a stray copy of its page 191), is supplied from the critical edition (adhyaya 12.183, verses 1 to 16) and written in Devanagari with the critical edition's words unchanged. The critical edition prints this verse as prose sentences (10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E, 10F, 10G, 10H, 10I); each is kept as its own line. The critical edition's heading "bharadvāja uvāca" stands before this verse.

Verse 11 (12.188.11)

अनृतात्खलु तमः प्रादुर्भूतं तमोग्रस्ता अधर्ममेवानुवर्तन्ते न धर्मम् । क्रोधलोभमोहमानानृतादिभिरवच्छन्ना न खल्वस्मिंल्लोके न चामुत्र सुखमाप्नुवन्ति । विविधव्याधिगणोपतापैरवकीर्यन्ते । वधबन्धरोगपरिक्लेशादिभिश्च क्षुत्पिपासाश्रमकृतैरुपतापैरुपतप्यन्ते । चण्डवातात्युष्णातिशीतकृतैश्च प्रतिभयैः शारीरैर्दुःखैरुपतप्यन्ते । बन्धुधनविनाशविप्रयोगकृतैश्च मानसैः शोकैरभिभूयन्ते जरामृत्युकृतैश्चान्यैरिति ॥

anṛtātkhalu tamaḥ prādurbhūtaṃ tamograstā adharmamevānuvartante na dharmam | krodhalobhamohamānānṛtādibhiravacchannā na khalvasmiṃlloke na cāmutra sukhamāpnuvanti | vividhavyādhigaṇopatāpairavakīryante | vadhabandharogaparikleśādibhiśca kṣutpipāsāśramakṛtairupatāpairupatapyante | caṇḍavātātyuṣṇātiśītakṛtaiśca pratibhayaiḥ śārīrairduḥkhairupatapyante | bandhudhanavināśaviprayogakṛtaiśca mānasaiḥ śokairabhibhūyante jarāmṛtyukṛtaiścānyairiti

From falsehood, indeed, darkness arose, and those seized by darkness follow adharma alone, not dharma. Veiled by anger, greed, delusion, pride, falsehood and the like, they find happiness neither in this world nor in the next. They are beset by the torments of hosts of diseases of many kinds. They are scorched by afflictions such as slaughter, bondage and sickness, and by the torments that hunger, thirst and weariness bring. They are scorched by the terrors and bodily pains that fierce winds, excessive heat and excessive cold produce. And they are overcome by mental griefs born of the loss of kinsmen and wealth and of separation, and by others born of old age and death.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (12.183.11): Wikisource has no page for this adhyaya (188), so the real adhyaya 188, which falls between the end of Wikisource 187 (critical edition 12.182.17) and adhyaya 189 here (critical edition 12.184.1; Wikisource's page 189 is a stray copy of its page 191), is supplied from the critical edition (adhyaya 12.183, verses 1 to 16) and written in Devanagari with the critical edition's words unchanged. The critical edition prints this verse as prose sentences (11A, 11B, 11C, 11D, 11E, 11F); each is kept as its own line. The critical edition's heading "bhṛgur uvāca" stands before this verse.

Verse 12 (12.188.12)

यस्त्वेतैः शारीरैर्मानसैर्दुःखैर्न स्पृश्यते स सुखं वेद । न चैते दोषाः स्वर्गे प्रादुर्भवन्ति । तत्र भवति खलु ॥

yastvetaiḥ śārīrairmānasairduḥkhairna spṛśyate sa sukhaṃ veda | na caite doṣāḥ svarge prādurbhavanti | tatra bhavati khalu

But he who is not touched by these sorrows of body and mind knows happiness. And these afflictions do not arise in heaven. Of that place, indeed, it is said:

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (12.183.12): Wikisource has no page for this adhyaya (188), so the real adhyaya 188, which falls between the end of Wikisource 187 (critical edition 12.182.17) and adhyaya 189 here (critical edition 12.184.1; Wikisource's page 189 is a stray copy of its page 191), is supplied from the critical edition (adhyaya 12.183, verses 1 to 16) and written in Devanagari with the critical edition's words unchanged. The critical edition prints this verse as prose sentences (12A, 12B, 12C); each is kept as its own line.

Verse 13 (12.188.13)

सुसुखः पवनः स्वर्गे गन्धश्च सुरभिस्तथा । क्षुत्पिपासाश्रमो नास्ति न जरा न च पापकम् ॥

susukhaḥ pavanaḥ svarge gandhaśca surabhistathā | kṣutpipāsāśramo nāsti na jarā na ca pāpakam

In heaven the breeze is most pleasant and the fragrance sweet. There is no hunger, thirst or weariness there, no old age and no evil.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (12.183.13): Wikisource has no page for this adhyaya (188), so the real adhyaya 188, which falls between the end of Wikisource 187 (critical edition 12.182.17) and adhyaya 189 here (critical edition 12.184.1; Wikisource's page 189 is a stray copy of its page 191), is supplied from the critical edition (adhyaya 12.183, verses 1 to 16) and written in Devanagari with the critical edition's words unchanged. The critical edition's two lines (13a, 13c) are kept as two lines.

Verse 14 (12.188.14)

नित्यमेव सुखं स्वर्गे सुखं दुःखमिहोभयम् । नरके दुःखमेवाहुः समं तु परमं पदम् ॥

nityameva sukhaṃ svarge sukhaṃ duḥkhamihobhayam | narake duḥkhamevāhuḥ samaṃ tu paramaṃ padam

In heaven there is happiness always; here on earth there is both happiness and sorrow; in hell, they say, there is sorrow alone. The supreme state, however, is one of evenness.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (12.183.14): Wikisource has no page for this adhyaya (188), so the real adhyaya 188, which falls between the end of Wikisource 187 (critical edition 12.182.17) and adhyaya 189 here (critical edition 12.184.1; Wikisource's page 189 is a stray copy of its page 191), is supplied from the critical edition (adhyaya 12.183, verses 1 to 16) and written in Devanagari with the critical edition's words unchanged. The critical edition's two lines (14a, 14c) are kept as two lines.

Verse 15 (12.188.15)

पृथिवी सर्वभूतानां जनित्री तद्विधाः स्त्रियः । पुमान्प्रजापतिस्तत्र शुक्रं तेजोमयं विदुः ॥

pṛthivī sarvabhūtānāṃ janitrī tadvidhāḥ striyaḥ | pumānprajāpatistatra śukraṃ tejomayaṃ viduḥ

The earth is the mother of all beings, and women are of her kind. There the male is Prajapati, and the seed, they know, is made of radiant energy.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (12.183.15): Wikisource has no page for this adhyaya (188), so the real adhyaya 188, which falls between the end of Wikisource 187 (critical edition 12.182.17) and adhyaya 189 here (critical edition 12.184.1; Wikisource's page 189 is a stray copy of its page 191), is supplied from the critical edition (adhyaya 12.183, verses 1 to 16) and written in Devanagari with the critical edition's words unchanged. The critical edition's two lines (15a, 15c) are kept as two lines.

Verse 16 (12.188.16)

इत्येतल्लोकनिर्माणं ब्रह्मणा विहितं पुरा । प्रजा विपरिवर्तन्ते स्वैः स्वैः कर्मभिरावृताः ॥

ityetallokanirmāṇaṃ brahmaṇā vihitaṃ purā | prajā viparivartante svaiḥ svaiḥ karmabhirāvṛtāḥ

Such is the making of the world, as Brahma ordained it long ago. Creatures turn round and round, each bound about by his own deeds.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (12.183.16): Wikisource has no page for this adhyaya (188), so the real adhyaya 188, which falls between the end of Wikisource 187 (critical edition 12.182.17) and adhyaya 189 here (critical edition 12.184.1; Wikisource's page 189 is a stray copy of its page 191), is supplied from the critical edition (adhyaya 12.183, verses 1 to 16) and written in Devanagari with the critical edition's words unchanged. The critical edition's two lines (16a, 16c) are kept as two lines.