Yudhishthira Questions the Authority of Dharma

Verse 1 (12.266.1)

सूक्ष्मं साधु समादिष्टं भवता धर्मलक्षणम् । प्रतिभा त्वस्ति मे काचित्तां ब्रूयामनुमानतः ॥

sūkṣmaṃ sādhu samādiṣṭaṃ bhavatā dharmalakṣaṇam | pratibhā tvasti me kācittāṃ brūyāmanumānataḥ

“You have set out the mark of dharma subtly and well. But I have some insight of my own, and I shall state it by way of inference.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रतिभा त्यस्ति → प्रतिभा त्वस्ति (misprint in Wikisource; य for व — तु + अस्ति gives त्वस्ति; the critical edition reads tv asti).

Verse 2 (12.266.2)

भूयांसो हृदये ये मे प्रश्नास्ते व्याहृतास्त्वया । इदं त्वन्यत्प्रवक्ष्यामि न राजन्निग्रहादिव ॥

bhūyāṃso hṛdaye ye me praśnāste vyāhṛtāstvayā | idaṃ tvanyatpravakṣyāmi na rājannigrahādiva

You have answered the many questions that were in my heart. But this other matter I shall put, O king, not as though to refute you.

Note on the text: Recension variant, kept: Wikisource इदं त्वन्यत्प्रवक्ष्यामि … निग्रहादिव against CE imam anyaṃ pravakṣyāmi … vigrahād iva.

Verse 3 (12.266.3)

इमानि हि प्राणयन्ति सृजन्त्युत्तारयन्ति च । न धर्मः परिपाठेन शक्यो भारत वेदितुम् ॥

imāni hi prāṇayanti sṛjantyuttārayanti ca | na dharmaḥ paripāṭhena śakyo bhārata veditum

For these give life, bring forth, and carry across. Dharma cannot be known by recitation, O Bharata.

Note on the text: Corrected सृदन्त्युत्तारयन्ति → सृजन्त्युत्तारयन्ति (misprint in Wikisource; द for ज, and सृदन्ति is not a word; the critical edition reads sṛjanti). Recension variant, kept: Wikisource प्राणयन्ति against CE prāpayanti. The sense of the first line is obscure and is rendered as it stands.

Verse 4 (12.266.4)

अन्यो धर्मः समस्थस्य विषमस्थस्य चापरः । आपदस्तु कथं शक्याः परिपाठेन वेदितुम् ॥

anyo dharmaḥ samasthasya viṣamasthasya cāparaḥ | āpadastu kathaṃ śakyāḥ paripāṭhena veditum

The dharma of one in a level situation is one thing, that of one in a difficult situation another; and how can times of calamity be known by recitation?

Verse 5 (12.266.5)

सदाचारो मतो धर्मः संतस्त्वाचारलक्षणाः । साध्यासाध्यं कथं शक्यं सदाचारो ह्यलक्षणः ॥

sadācāro mato dharmaḥ saṃtastvācāralakṣaṇāḥ | sādhyāsādhyaṃ kathaṃ śakyaṃ sadācāro hyalakṣaṇaḥ

Good conduct is held to be dharma, and the good are marked by their conduct; yet how can one tell what is to be done and what is not, when good conduct has no defining mark?

Note on the text: Corrected मचो → मतो (misprint in Wikisource; च for त; the critical edition reads mato).

Verse 6 (12.266.6)

दृश्यते धर्मरूपेण ह्यधर्मं प्राकृतश्चरन् । धर्मं चाधर्मरूपेण कश्चिदप्राकृतश्चरन् ॥

dṛśyate dharmarūpeṇa hyadharmaṃ prākṛtaścaran | dharmaṃ cādharmarūpeṇa kaścidaprākṛtaścaran

One sees an ordinary man practising adharma in the guise of dharma, and some extraordinary man practising dharma in the guise of adharma.

Verse 7 (12.266.7)

पुनरस्य प्रमाणं हि निर्दिष्टं शास्त्रकोविदैः । वेदवादाश्चानुयुगं ह्रसन्तीतीह नः श्रुतम् ॥

punarasya pramāṇaṃ hi nirdiṣṭaṃ śāstrakovidaiḥ | vedavādāścānuyugaṃ hrasantītīha naḥ śrutam

Moreover, its authority has been laid down by the masters of the scriptures; and here we have heard that the Vedic doctrines decline from age to age.

Note on the text: Recension variant, kept: Wikisource इतीह against CE iti ha.

Verse 8 (12.266.8)

अन्ये कृतयुगे धर्मास्त्रेतायां द्वापरे परे । अन्ये कलियुगे धर्मा यथाशक्ति कृता इव ॥

anye kṛtayuge dharmāstretāyāṃ dvāpare pare | anye kaliyuge dharmā yathāśakti kṛtā iva

The dharmas of the Krita age are one thing, those of the Treta another, those of the Dvapara another; and in the Kali age the dharmas are different again, as though made according to people's strength.

Verse 9 (12.266.9)

आम्नायवचनं सत्यमित्ययं लोकसंग्रहः । आम्नायेभ्यः पुनर्वेदाः प्रसृताः सर्वतोमुखाः ॥

āmnāyavacanaṃ satyamityayaṃ lokasaṃgrahaḥ | āmnāyebhyaḥ punarvedāḥ prasṛtāḥ sarvatomukhāḥ

“The word of tradition is true”: this is what holds the world together. And from the traditions the Vedas have spread forth, facing every way.

Note on the text: Recension variants, kept: Wikisource पुनः and प्रसृताः सर्वतोमुखाः against CE paraṃ and prasṛtā viśvatomukhāḥ.

Verse 10 (12.266.10)

ते चेत्सर्वप्रमाणं वै प्रमाणं ह्यत्र विद्यते । प्रमाणं च प्रमाणेन विरुद्ध्येच्छास्त्रता कुतः ॥

te cetsarvapramāṇaṃ vai pramāṇaṃ hyatra vidyate | pramāṇaṃ ca pramāṇena viruddhyecchāstratā kutaḥ

If these are all authority, then authority exists here; but if authority is opposed by authority, where is the standing of scripture?

Note on the text: Recension variants, kept: Wikisource सर्वप्रमाणं वै प्रमाणं ह्यत्र विद्यते and प्रमाणं च प्रमाणेन विरुद्ध्येत् against CE sarve pramāṇaṃ vai pramāṇaṃ tan na vidyate and pramāṇe cāpramāṇe ca viruddhe.

Verse 11 (12.266.11)

धर्मस्य क्रियमाणस्य बलवद्भिर्दुरात्मभिः । यदा विक्रियते संस्था ततः साऽपि प्रणश्यति ॥

dharmasya kriyamāṇasya balavadbhirdurātmabhiḥ | yadā vikriyate saṃsthā tataḥ sā'pi praṇaśyati

When the established order of dharma, as it is practised, is altered by powerful, evil-minded men, then that order too perishes.

Note on the text: Recension variant, kept: Wikisource क्रियमाणस्य … यदा विक्रियते against CE hriyamāṇasya … yā yā vikriyate.

Verse 12 (12.266.12)

विद्मश्चैनं न वा विद्मः शक्यं वा वेदितुं न वा । अणीयान्क्षुरधाराया गरीयानपि पर्वतात् ॥

vidmaścainaṃ na vā vidmaḥ śakyaṃ vā vedituṃ na vā | aṇīyānkṣuradhārāyā garīyānapi parvatāt

We know it, and we do not know it; it can be known, or it cannot. It is subtler than the edge of a razor and heavier than a mountain.

Verse 13 (12.266.13)

गन्धर्वनगराकारः प्रथमं संप्रदृश्यते । अन्वीक्ष्यमाणः कविभिः पुनर्गच्छत्यदर्शनम् ॥

gandharvanagarākāraḥ prathamaṃ saṃpradṛśyate | anvīkṣyamāṇaḥ kavibhiḥ punargacchatyadarśanam

At first it appears in the likeness of a city of the gandharvas; and when poets examine it, it passes again out of sight.

Verse 14 (12.266.14)

निपानानीव गोभ्याशे क्षेत्रे कुल्ये च भारत । स्मृतो हि शाश्वतो धर्मो विप्रहीणो न दृश्यते ॥

nipānānīva gobhyāśe kṣetre kulye ca bhārata | smṛto hi śāśvato dharmo viprahīṇo na dṛśyate

Like watering-places near cattle, in a field, and in a channel, O Bharata: eternal dharma, though remembered, is not seen once it has been lost.

Note on the text: Recension variants, kept: Wikisource कुल्ये च and स्मृतो हि against CE kulyeva and smṛto 'pi.

Verse 15 (12.266.15)

कामादन्ये भयादन्ये कारणैरपरैस्तथा । असन्तोऽपि वृथाचारं भजन्ते बहवोऽपरे ॥

kāmādanye bhayādanye kāraṇairaparaistathā | asanto'pi vṛthācāraṃ bhajante bahavo'pare

Some act from desire, some from fear, others for other reasons; even the wicked, and many besides, take to empty observances.

Note on the text: Recension variants, kept: Wikisource भयात् and असन्तोऽपि against CE kṣayāt and asanto hi.

Verse 16 (12.266.16)

धर्मो भवति स क्षिप्रं विलोमस्तेष्वसाधुषु । अथैतानाहुरुन्मत्तानपि चावहसन्त्युत ॥

dharmo bhavati sa kṣipraṃ vilomasteṣvasādhuṣu | athaitānāhurunmattānapi cāvahasantyuta

Among those wicked people dharma quickly turns into its opposite; and then they call these others madmen and even laugh at them.

Note on the text: Recension variants, kept: Wikisource विलोमस्तेष्वसाधुषु and अथैतानाहुः against CE vilīnas tv eva sādhuṣu and anye tān āhuḥ.

Verse 17 (12.266.17)

महाजना ह्युपावृत्ता राजधर्मं समाश्रिताः । न हि सर्वहितः कश्चिदाचारः संप्रवर्तते ॥

mahājanā hyupāvṛttā rājadharmaṃ samāśritāḥ | na hi sarvahitaḥ kaścidācāraḥ saṃpravartate

Great men have turned back, taking refuge in the duty of kings; for no one pattern of conduct that benefits all is found established.

Note on the text: Recension variant, kept: Wikisource संप्रवर्तते against CE saṃpradṛśyate.

Verse 18 (12.266.18)

तेनैवान्यः प्रभवति सोऽपरं बाधते पुनः । दृश्यते चैव स पुनस्तुल्यरूपो यदृच्छया ॥

tenaivānyaḥ prabhavati so'paraṃ bādhate punaḥ | dṛśyate caiva sa punastulyarūpo yadṛcchayā

By that very conduct one man prevails, and he in turn oppresses another; and then, as chance has it, the same man is seen again in just the same likeness.

Verse 19 (12.266.19)

येनैवान्यः प्रभवति सोऽपरानपि बाधते । आचाराणामनैकाग्र्यं सर्वेषामेव लक्षयेत् ॥

yenaivānyaḥ prabhavati so'parānapi bādhate | ācārāṇāmanaikāgryaṃ sarveṣāmeva lakṣayet

By the very conduct by which one man prevails, he oppresses others too. In this one may see that the ways of conduct, all of them, lack any single aim.

Verse 20 (12.266.20)

चिराभिपन्नः कविभिः पूर्वं धर्म उदाहृतः । तेनाचारेण पूर्वेण संस्था भवति शाश्वती ॥

cirābhipannaḥ kavibhiḥ pūrvaṃ dharma udāhṛtaḥ | tenācāreṇa pūrveṇa saṃsthā bhavati śāśvatī

Dharma was declared long ago by the poets as what has long been followed; by that earlier conduct the established order becomes lasting.”