Bhishma on Right Conduct

Verse 1 (12.191.1)

आचारस्य विधिं तात प्रोच्यमानं त्वयाऽनघ । श्रोतुमिच्छामि धर्मज्ञ सर्वज्ञो ह्यसि मे मतः ॥

ācārasya vidhiṃ tāta procyamānaṃ tvayā'nagha | śrotumicchāmi dharmajña sarvajño hyasi me mataḥ

Father, I wish to hear from you, O sinless one who knows dharma, the rule of right conduct as you set it forth; for I hold you to be all-knowing.

Verse 2 (12.191.2)

दुराचारा दुर्विचेष्टा दुष्प्रज्ञाः प्रियसाहसाः । असन्तस्त्वभिविख्याताः सन्तश्चाचारलक्षणाः ॥

durācārā durviceṣṭā duṣprajñāḥ priyasāhasāḥ | asantastvabhivikhyātāḥ santaścācāralakṣaṇāḥ

Those of evil conduct, ill-acting, ill-judging and fond of rash deeds are known as the wicked; the good are those whose mark is right conduct.

Verse 3 (12.191.3)

पुरीषं यदि वा मूत्रं ये न कुर्वन्ति मानवाः । राजमार्गे गवां मध्ये धान्यमध्ये शिवालये । अग्न्यगारे तथा तीरे ये न कुर्वन्ति ते शुभाः ॥

purīṣaṃ yadi vā mūtraṃ ye na kurvanti mānavāḥ | rājamārge gavāṃ madhye dhānyamadhye śivālaye | agnyagāre tathā tīre ye na kurvanti te śubhāḥ

Those men who do not pass urine or excrement on the high road, among cattle, amid grain, in a temple, in the fire-house, or on a river bank: those who do not do so in these places are the good.

Note on the text: Corrected कुवन्ति → कुर्वन्ति (misprint in Wikisource; dropped र्; the critical edition reads kurvanti). Lines 1 and 2 = CE 12.186.3a and 3c (line 2 is a variant: CE dhānyamadhye ca te śubhāḥ, for धान्यमध्ये शिवालये); line 3 is the critical edition's star passage 12.186.3d*0497_01 (agnyāgāre tathā tīre ye na kurvanti te śubhāḥ).

Verse 4 (12.191.4)

शौचमावश्यकं कृत्वा देवतानां च तर्पणम् । धर्ममाहुर्मनुष्याणामुपस्पृश्य नदीं तरेत् ॥

śaucamāvaśyakaṃ kṛtvā devatānāṃ ca tarpaṇam | dharmamāhurmanuṣyāṇāmupaspṛśya nadīṃ taret

Having done what is needful for cleanliness and the offering of water to the gods, which they call the dharma of men, and having rinsed the mouth, let him bathe in the river.

Verse 5 (12.191.5)

सूर्यं सदोपतिष्ठेत न स्वपेद्भास्करोदये । सायंप्रातर्जपेत्सन्ध्यां तिष्ठन्पूर्वां तथेतराम् ॥

sūryaṃ sadopatiṣṭheta na svapedbhāskarodaye | sāyaṃprātarjapetsandhyāṃ tiṣṭhanpūrvāṃ tathetarām

Let him always worship the sun, and not sleep at sunrise. At dusk and at dawn let him recite the twilight prayer, standing for the morning one, and likewise for the other.

Note on the text: Corrected सदोपतिष्ठेन → सदोपतिष्ठेत (misprint in Wikisource; final त garbled into न; the critical edition reads sadopatiṣṭheta).

Verse 6 (12.191.6)

पञ्चार्द्रो भोजनं भुञ्ज्यात्प्राङ्मुखो मौनमास्थितः । न निन्द्यादन्नभक्ष्यांश्च स्वादुस्वादु च भक्षयेत् ॥

pañcārdro bhojanaṃ bhuñjyātprāṅmukho maunamāsthitaḥ | na nindyādannabhakṣyāṃśca svādusvādu ca bhakṣayet

Let him eat his meal with his hands, feet and mouth wet, facing east and keeping silent. Let him not find fault with the food, and let him eat it with relish.

Note on the text: Corrected प्राद्भुखो → प्राङ्मुखो (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads prāṅmukho).

Verse 7 (12.191.7)

नार्द्रपाणिः समुत्तिष्ठेन्नार्द्रपादः स्वपेन्निशि । देवर्षिर्नारदः प्राह एतदाचारलक्षणम् ॥

nārdrapāṇiḥ samuttiṣṭhennārdrapādaḥ svapenniśi | devarṣirnāradaḥ prāha etadācāralakṣaṇam

He should not rise with wet hands, nor lie down to sleep at night with wet feet. The divine sage Narada declared this to be the mark of right conduct.

Verse 8 (12.191.8)

शोचिष्केशमनड्वाहं देवगोष्ठं चतुष्पथम् । ब्राह्मणं धार्मिकं चैव नित्यं कुर्यात्प्रदक्षिणम् ॥

śociṣkeśamanaḍvāhaṃ devagoṣṭhaṃ catuṣpatham | brāhmaṇaṃ dhārmikaṃ caiva nityaṃ kuryātpradakṣiṇam

Let him always walk around, keeping them on his right, the fire, a bull, a shrine of the gods, a crossroads, and a righteous Brahmana.

Verse 9 (12.191.9)

अतिथीनां च सर्वेषां प्रेष्याणां स्वजनस्य च । सामान्यं भोजनं भृत्यैः पुरुषस्य प्रशस्यते ॥

atithīnāṃ ca sarveṣāṃ preṣyāṇāṃ svajanasya ca | sāmānyaṃ bhojanaṃ bhṛtyaiḥ puruṣasya praśasyate

It is praised in a man that he takes the same meal as all his guests, his servants and his own people, together with his dependants.

Note on the text: Corrected सामात्यं → सामान्यं (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads sāmānyaṃ, and the page's own gloss to this verse reads सामान्यं साधारणम्).

Verse 10 (12.191.10)

सायंप्रातर्मनुष्याणामशनं वेदनिर्मितम् । नान्तरा भोजनं दृष्टमुपवासी तथा भवेत् ॥

sāyaṃprātarmanuṣyāṇāmaśanaṃ vedanirmitam | nāntarā bhojanaṃ dṛṣṭamupavāsī tathā bhavet

For men the meal of evening and morning is ordained by the Veda; no meal in between is seen to be allowed, and thus one becomes as one who fasts.

Verse 11 (12.191.11)

होमकाले तथा जुह्वन्नृतुकाले तथा व्रजन् । अनन्यस्त्रीजनः प्राज्ञो ब्रह्मचारी तथा भवेत् ॥

homakāle tathā juhvannṛtukāle tathā vrajan | ananyastrījanaḥ prājño brahmacārī tathā bhavet

At the time of the offering let him pour the oblation; at the proper season let him approach his wife; wise, and with no other woman, let him be a celibate in this way too.

Note on the text: Corrected तथ्ना → तथा (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads tathā juhvann).

Verse 12 (12.191.12)

अमृतं ब्राह्मणोच्छिष्टं जनन्या हृदयं कृतम् । तज्जनाः पर्युपासन्ते सत्यं सन्तः समासते ॥

amṛtaṃ brāhmaṇocchiṣṭaṃ jananyā hṛdayaṃ kṛtam | tajjanāḥ paryupāsante satyaṃ santaḥ samāsate

What a Brahmana leaves of his meal is nectar; it has been made like a mother's heart. People revere it, and the good abide in truth.

Verse 13 (12.191.13)

लोष्टमर्दी तृणच्छेदी नखखादी तु यो नरः । नित्योच्छिष्टः संकसुको नेहायुर्विन्दते महत् ॥

loṣṭamardī tṛṇacchedī nakhakhādī tu yo naraḥ | nityocchiṣṭaḥ saṃkasuko nehāyurvindate mahat

A man who crushes clods, plucks grass, bites his nails, is always soiled with leftovers and is unsteady does not gain a long life in this world.

Note on the text: Corrected लोष्टमदीं → लोष्टमर्दी (misprint in Wikisource; dropped र् and long ई; the critical edition reads loṣṭhamardī). Not in the main text of the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the two lines occur there as the star passage 12.186.12d*0498_01–02 (… nityocchiṣṭaḥ śaṅkuśuko …, CE śaṅkuśuka for संकसुक).

Verse 14 (12.191.14)

यजुषा संस्कृतं मांसं निवृत्तो मांसभक्षणात् । भक्षयेन्न वृथामांसं पृष्ठमांसं च वर्जयेत् ॥

yajuṣā saṃskṛtaṃ māṃsaṃ nivṛtto māṃsabhakṣaṇāt | bhakṣayenna vṛthāmāṃsaṃ pṛṣṭhamāṃsaṃ ca varjayet

Let one who has turned away from the eating of meat eat only meat consecrated with the Yajus formula; let him not eat flesh for no purpose, and let him avoid meat of the back.

Verse 15 (12.191.15)

स्वदेशे परदेशे वा अतिथिं नोपवासयेत् । काम्यकर्मफलं लब्ध्वा गुरूणामुपपादयेत् ॥

svadeśe paradeśe vā atithiṃ nopavāsayet | kāmyakarmaphalaṃ labdhvā gurūṇāmupapādayet

Whether in his own land or in a foreign land, let him not leave a guest unfed. Having obtained the fruit of a desired act, let him offer it to his elders.

Note on the text: Corrected अतिर्थि → अतिथिं (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads atithiṃ).

Verse 16 (12.191.16)

गुरूणामासनं देयं कर्तव्यं चाभिवादनम् । गुरूनभ्यर्च्य युज्येत आयुषा यशसा श्रिया ॥

gurūṇāmāsanaṃ deyaṃ kartavyaṃ cābhivādanam | gurūnabhyarcya yujyeta āyuṣā yaśasā śriyā

A seat should be given to one's elders and a salutation made to them. By honouring elders one is joined with long life, fame and prosperity.

Verse 17 (12.191.17)

नेक्षेतादित्यमुद्यन्तं न च नग्नां परस्त्रियम् । मैथुनं सततं धर्म्यं गुह्ये चैव समाचरेत् ॥

nekṣetādityamudyantaṃ na ca nagnāṃ parastriyam | maithunaṃ satataṃ dharmyaṃ guhye caiva samācaret

Let him not look at the rising sun, nor at a naked woman who is another's wife. Let him always practise union with his wife lawfully and in private.

Verse 18 (12.191.18)

तीर्थानां हृदयं तीर्थं शुचीनां हृदयं शुचिः । सर्वमार्यकृतं धर्म्यं वालसंस्पर्शनानि च ॥

tīrthānāṃ hṛdayaṃ tīrthaṃ śucīnāṃ hṛdayaṃ śuciḥ | sarvamāryakṛtaṃ dharmyaṃ vālasaṃsparśanāni ca

The heart of holy places is itself a holy place, and the heart of the pure is itself pure. Whatever the noble have done is lawful, and so is the touching of hair.

Verse 19 (12.191.19)

दर्शनेदर्शने नित्यं सुखप्रश्नमुदाहरेत् । सायं प्रातश्च विप्राणां प्रदिष्टमभिवादनम् ॥

darśanedarśane nityaṃ sukhapraśnamudāharet | sāyaṃ prātaśca viprāṇāṃ pradiṣṭamabhivādanam

At each meeting let him always ask after the other's welfare; salutation of Brahmanas is prescribed for evening and morning.

Verse 20 (12.191.20)

देवगोष्ठे गवां मध्ये ब्राह्मणानां क्रियापथे । स्वाध्याये भोजने चैव दक्षिणं पाणिमुद्धरेत् ॥

devagoṣṭhe gavāṃ madhye brāhmaṇānāṃ kriyāpathe | svādhyāye bhojane caiva dakṣiṇaṃ pāṇimuddharet

In a shrine of the gods, among cows, on the path of the Brahmanas' rites, at study and at meals, let him raise his right hand.

Verse 21 (12.191.21)

सायं प्रातश्च विप्राणां पूजनं च यथाविधि । पण्यानां शोभते पण्यं कृषीणामृद्ध्यतां कृषिः । बहुकारं च सस्यानां वाह्ये वाहो गवां तथा ॥

sāyaṃ prātaśca viprāṇāṃ pūjanaṃ ca yathāvidhi | paṇyānāṃ śobhate paṇyaṃ kṛṣīṇāmṛddhyatāṃ kṛṣiḥ | bahukāraṃ ca sasyānāṃ vāhye vāho gavāṃ tathā

Let him honour Brahmanas, evening and morning, as the rule requires. It shines as the best of wares among wares, as the farming of those farmers who prosper, as an abundant yield among crops, and as the bearer of loads among cattle.

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's star passage 12.186.19d*0499_01 (sāyaṃprātaś ca viprāṇāṃ pūjanaṃ ca yathāvidhi); lines 2 and 3 are variants of CE 12.186.20 (CE kṛṣīṇāṃ bādyate kṛṣiḥ, vāhye vāhyaṃ tathā gavām). The alignment found no match.

Verse 22 (12.191.22)

संपन्नं भोजने नित्यं पानीये तर्पणं तथा । सुशृतं पायसे ब्रूयाद्यवाग्वां कृसरे तथा ॥

saṃpannaṃ bhojane nityaṃ pānīye tarpaṇaṃ tathā | suśṛtaṃ pāyase brūyādyavāgvāṃ kṛsare tathā

At a meal let him always say "It is excellent"; of water, "It satisfies"; of milk-rice, "Well cooked"; and likewise of barley gruel and of kṛsara, a dish of rice and sesame.

Verse 23 (12.191.23)

श्मश्रुकर्मणि संप्राप्ते क्षुते स्नानेऽथ भोजने । व्याधितानां च सर्वेषामायुष्यमभिनन्दनम् ॥

śmaśrukarmaṇi saṃprāpte kṣute snāne'tha bhojane | vyādhitānāṃ ca sarveṣāmāyuṣyamabhinandanam

When a shave is at hand, at a sneeze, at bathing and at meals, and to all who are ill, the greeting is a wish for long life.

Note on the text: Corrected आयुष्ममभिनन्दनम् → आयुष्यमभिनन्दनम् (misprint in Wikisource; ष्म for ष्य; the critical edition reads āyuṣyam abhinandanam).

Verse 24 (12.191.24)

प्रत्यादित्यं न मेहेत न पश्येदात्मनः शकृत् । सुतैः स्त्रिया च शयनं सह भोज्यं च वर्जयेत् ॥

pratyādityaṃ na meheta na paśyedātmanaḥ śakṛt | sutaiḥ striyā ca śayanaṃ saha bhojyaṃ ca varjayet

Let him not urinate facing the sun, nor look at his own excrement. Let him avoid sleeping together with his sons and his wife, and eating together with them.

Verse 25 (12.191.25)

त्वंकारं नामधेयं च ज्येष्ठानां परिवर्जयेत् । अवराणां समानानामुभयं नैव दुष्यति ॥

tvaṃkāraṃ nāmadheyaṃ ca jyeṣṭhānāṃ parivarjayet | avarāṇāṃ samānānāmubhayaṃ naiva duṣyati

Let him avoid the familiar "thou" and the use of names toward his elders. Toward inferiors and equals, both are no fault.

Verse 26 (12.191.26)

हृदयं पापवृत्तानां पापमाख्याति वैकृतम् । ज्ञानपूर्वं विनश्यन्ति गूहमाना महाजने ॥

hṛdayaṃ pāpavṛttānāṃ pāpamākhyāti vaikṛtam | jñānapūrvaṃ vinaśyanti gūhamānā mahājane

The heart of those of sinful conduct proclaims their sin by its distortion; those who knowingly hide it from the multitude perish.

Verse 27 (12.191.27)

ज्ञानपूर्वकृतं पापं छादयन्त्यबहुश्रुताः । नैनं मनुष्याः पश्यन्ति पश्यन्त्येव दिवौकसः ॥

jñānapūrvakṛtaṃ pāpaṃ chādayantyabahuśrutāḥ | nainaṃ manuṣyāḥ paśyanti paśyantyeva divaukasaḥ

The ill-learned conceal the sin they have done knowingly. Men do not see it, but the dwellers in heaven do.

Verse 28 (12.191.28)

पापेनापिहितं पापं पापमेवानुवर्तते । धर्मेणापिहितो धर्मो धर्ममेवानुवर्तते । धार्मिकेण कृतो धर्मो धर्ममेवानुवर्तते ॥

pāpenāpihitaṃ pāpaṃ pāpamevānuvartate | dharmeṇāpihito dharmo dharmamevānuvartate | dhārmikeṇa kṛto dharmo dharmamevānuvartate

Sin concealed by sin pursues only sin. Dharma covered by dharma follows only dharma. Dharma done by a righteous man follows only dharma.

Note on the text: Line 1 is a variant of CE 12.186.27a (CE pāpena hi kṛtaṃ pāpam, for पापेनापिहितं पापम्); line 2 is the critical edition's star passage 12.186.27b*0500_01 (dharmeṇāpihito dharmo dharmam evānuvartate); line 3 is a variant of CE 12.186.27c (CE kartāram anuvartate, for धर्ममेवानुवर्तते). The alignment found no match.

Verse 29 (12.191.29)

पापं कृतं न स्मरतीह मूढो । विवर्तमानस्य तदेति कर्तुः । राहुर्यथा चन्द्रमुपैति चापि । तथाऽबुधं पापमुपैति कर्म ॥

pāpaṃ kṛtaṃ na smaratīha mūḍho | vivartamānasya tadeti kartuḥ | rāhuryathā candramupaiti cāpi | tathā'budhaṃ pāpamupaiti karma

The fool does not remember the sin he has done, yet it comes back to the doer as he turns through the round of life. As Rahu comes to the moon, so the deed of sin comes to the unwise.

Verse 30 (12.191.30)

आशया संचितं द्रव्यं दुःखेनैवोपभुज्यते । तद्बुधा न प्रशंसन्ति मरणं न प्रतीक्षते ॥

āśayā saṃcitaṃ dravyaṃ duḥkhenaivopabhujyate | tadbudhā na praśaṃsanti maraṇaṃ na pratīkṣate

Wealth gathered through hope is enjoyed only with pain. The wise do not praise it, and death does not wait.

Verse 31 (12.191.31)

मानसं सर्वभूतानां धर्ममाहुर्मनीषिणः । तस्मात्सर्वेषु भूतेषु मनसा शिवमाचरेत् ॥

mānasaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ dharmamāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ | tasmātsarveṣu bhūteṣu manasā śivamācaret

The wise say that dharma belongs to the mind in all beings. Therefore let him do good to all beings with his mind.

Verse 32 (12.191.32)

एक एव चरेद्धर्मं नास्ति धर्मे सहायता । केवलं विधिमासाद्य सहायः किं करिष्यति ॥

eka eva careddharmaṃ nāsti dharme sahāyatā | kevalaṃ vidhimāsādya sahāyaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati

Let one practise dharma alone; in dharma there is no help from others. What can a helper do for one who has taken up the bare rule?

Verse 33 (12.191.33)

धर्मो योनिर्मनुष्याणां देवानाममृतं दिवि । प्रेत्यभावे सुखं धर्माच्छश्वत्तैरुपभुज्यते ॥

dharmo yonirmanuṣyāṇāṃ devānāmamṛtaṃ divi | pretyabhāve sukhaṃ dharmācchaśvattairupabhujyate

Dharma is the source of men, and for the gods it is the nectar in heaven. In the life beyond, the happiness that comes of dharma is enjoyed by them for ever.

Note on the text: Corrected धर्माच्न्छश्वत् → धर्माच्छश्वत् (misprint in Wikisource; stray न् in the conjunct; the critical edition reads dharmāc chaśvat).