How a Man Becomes Sinful, and How He Turns to Dharma and Liberation

Verse 1 (12.279.1)

कथं भवति पापात्मा कथं धर्मं करोति वा । केन निर्वेदमादत्ते मोक्षं वा केन गच्छति ॥

kathaṃ bhavati pāpātmā kathaṃ dharmaṃ karoti vā | kena nirvedamādatte mokṣaṃ vā kena gacchati

“How does a man become sinful, and how does he practise dharma? By what means does he take up disenchantment, and by what means does he go to liberation?”

Verse 2 (12.279.2)

विदिताः सर्वधर्मास्ते स्थित्यर्थमनुपृच्छसि । शृणु मोक्षं सनिर्वेदं पापं धर्मं च मूलतः ॥

viditāḥ sarvadharmāste sthityarthamanupṛcchasi | śṛṇu mokṣaṃ sanirvedaṃ pāpaṃ dharmaṃ ca mūlataḥ

“All the dharmas are known to you; you ask only to make them firm. Listen, from the root, to liberation together with disenchantment, and to sin and dharma.

Verse 3 (12.279.3)

विज्ञानार्थं हि पञ्चानामिच्छापूर्वं प्रवर्तते । प्राप्यतां वर्तते कामो द्वेषो वा भरतर्षभ ॥

vijñānārthaṃ hi pañcānāmicchāpūrvaṃ pravartate | prāpyatāṃ vartate kāmo dveṣo vā bharatarṣabha

The five senses are set in motion first by a wish, for the sake of knowing their objects; and then, as to what can be obtained, desire or aversion arises, O best of the Bharatas.

Verse 4 (12.279.4)

ततस्तदर्थं यतते कर्म चारभते महत् । इष्टानां रूपगन्धानामभ्यासं च चिकीर्षति ॥

tatastadarthaṃ yatate karma cārabhate mahat | iṣṭānāṃ rūpagandhānāmabhyāsaṃ ca cikīrṣati

Then he strives for that object and sets about great undertakings, and he longs to enjoy again and again the forms, scents and other things he likes.

Verse 5 (12.279.5)

ततो रागः प्रभवति द्वेषश्च तदनन्तरम् । ततो लोभः प्रभवति मोहश्च तदनन्तरम् ॥

tato rāgaḥ prabhavati dveṣaśca tadanantaram | tato lobhaḥ prabhavati mohaśca tadanantaram

From that attachment arises, and aversion right after it; from that greed arises, and delusion right after it.

Verse 6 (12.279.6)

लोभमोहाभिभूतस्य रागद्वेषान्वितस्य च । न धर्मे जायते बुद्धिर्व्याजाद्धर्मं करोति च ॥

lobhamohābhibhūtasya rāgadveṣānvitasya ca | na dharme jāyate buddhirvyājāddharmaṃ karoti ca

In one overcome by greed and delusion, and bound by attachment and aversion, the mind does not turn to dharma; he practises dharma only as a pretext.

Verse 7 (12.279.7)

व्याजेन चरते धर्ममर्थं व्याजेन रोचते । व्याजेन सिद्ध्यमानेषु धर्मेषु कुरुनन्दन ॥

vyājena carate dharmamarthaṃ vyājena rocate | vyājena siddhyamāneṣu dharmeṣu kurunandana

By pretext he follows dharma, by pretext he takes pleasure in wealth; and while his duties are being carried out by pretext, O joy of the Kurus,

Verse 8 (12.279.8)

तत्रैव कुरुते बुद्धिं ततः पापं चिकीर्षति । सुहृद्भिर्वार्यमाणोऽपि पण्‍डितैश्चापि भारत ॥

tatraiva kurute buddhiṃ tataḥ pāpaṃ cikīrṣati | suhṛdbhirvāryamāṇo'pi paṇḍitaiścāpi bhārata

he sets his mind on just that, and from there he comes to wish to do sin, even when friends and the learned try to hold him back, O Bharata.

Verse 9 (12.279.9)

उत्तरं न्यायसंबद्धं ब्रवीति विधिचोदितम् । अधर्मस्त्रिविधस्तस्य वर्धते रागमोहजः ॥

uttaraṃ nyāyasaṃbaddhaṃ bravīti vidhicoditam | adharmastrividhastasya vardhate rāgamohajaḥ

He gives answers that are tied to reason and seem prompted by rule; and so his threefold unrighteousness, born of attachment and delusion, grows.

Verse 10 (12.279.10)

पापं चिन्तयते कर्म प्रब्रवीति करोति च । तस्याधर्मप्रवृत्तस्य दोषान्पश्यन्ति साधवः ॥

pāpaṃ cintayate karma prabravīti karoti ca | tasyādharmapravṛttasya doṣānpaśyanti sādhavaḥ

He thinks of sin, speaks it and does it. The good see the faults of a man engaged in unrighteousness.

Verse 11 (12.279.11)

एकशीलाश्च मित्रत्वं भजन्ते पापकर्मिणः । स नेह सुखमाप्नोति कुत एव परत्र वै ॥

ekaśīlāśca mitratvaṃ bhajante pāpakarmiṇaḥ | sa neha sukhamāpnoti kuta eva paratra vai

Evildoers of like character take up friendship with him. Such a man finds no happiness even here; how then in the world beyond?

Verse 12 (12.279.12)

एवं भवति पापात्मा धर्मात्मानं तु मे शृणु । यथा कुशलधर्मा स कुशलं प्रतिपद्यते ॥

evaṃ bhavati pāpātmā dharmātmānaṃ tu me śṛṇu | yathā kuśaladharmā sa kuśalaṃ pratipadyate

Thus a sinful man comes to be. Now hear from me of the man of dharma, and how one skilled in dharma comes to what is good.

Verse 13 (12.279.13)

कुशलेनैव धर्मेण गतिमिष्टां प्रपद्यते । य एतान्प्रज्ञया दोषान्पूर्वमेवानुपश्यति ॥

kuśalenaiva dharmeṇa gatimiṣṭāṃ prapadyate | ya etānprajñayā doṣānpūrvamevānupaśyati

By skilled dharma alone he reaches the goal he wishes for, he who with insight sees these faults beforehand.

Note on the text: The alignment found no match. Wikisource's verses 13 to 20 give the passage CE 12.265.12d* to 12.265.19 in a different arrangement, with some lines not in the CE. Line 1 is the CE star passage 12.265.12d*0720_01 (kuśalenaiva dharmeṇa gatim iṣṭāṃ prapadyate); line 2 is CE 12.265.13a (ya etān prajñayā doṣān pūrvam evānupaśyati).

Verse 14 (12.279.14)

कुशलस्तु सुखार्थाय साधूंश्चाप्युपसेवते । तस्य साधुसमाचारादभ्यासाच्चैव वर्धते ॥

kuśalastu sukhārthāya sādhūṃścāpyupasevate | tasya sādhusamācārādabhyāsāccaiva vardhate

The skilled man serves the good as well, for the sake of happiness; and from the conduct of the good and from practice he grows in this.

Note on the text: The alignment found no match. Line 1 corresponds to CE 12.265.13c (kuśalaḥ sukhaduḥkhānāṃ sādhūṃś cāpy upasevate); Wikisource has सुखार्थाय for sukhaduḥkhānāṃ. Line 2 = CE 12.265.14a (tasya sādhusamācārād abhyāsāc caiva vardhate).

Verse 15 (12.279.15)

प्राज्ञो धर्मे च रमते धर्मं चैवोपजीवति । सोऽथ धर्मादवाप्तेषु धनेषु कुरुनन्दन ॥

prājño dharme ca ramate dharmaṃ caivopajīvati | so'tha dharmādavāpteṣu dhaneṣu kurunandana

Wise, he delights in dharma and lives by dharma. Then, in the wealth won through dharma, O joy of the Kurus,

Note on the text: The alignment found no match. Line 1 corresponds to CE 12.265.14c (prajñā dharme ca ramate dharmaṃ caivopajīvati; Wikisource has प्राज्ञः for prajñā). Line 2 corresponds to CE 12.265.15a (so 'tha dharmād avāpteṣu dhaneṣu kurute manaḥ); Wikisource ends कुरुनन्दन for kurute manaḥ.

Verse 16 (12.279.16)

तस्यैव सिञ्चते मूलं गुणान्पश्यति यत्र वै । धर्मात्मा भवति ह्येवं मित्रं च लभते शुभम् ॥

tasyaiva siñcate mūlaṃ guṇānpaśyati yatra vai | dharmātmā bhavati hyevaṃ mitraṃ ca labhate śubham

he waters the very root where he sees merit. In this way he becomes a man of dharma and gains good friends.

Note on the text: The alignment found no match. Line 1 = CE 12.265.15c (tasyaiva siñcate mūlaṃ guṇān paśyati yatra vai); line 2 = CE 12.265.16a (dharmātmā bhavati hy evaṃ mitraṃ ca labhate śubham).

Verse 17 (12.279.17)

स मित्रधनलाभात्तु प्रेत्य चेह च नन्दति । शब्दे स्पर्शे रसे रूपे तथा गन्धे च भारत ॥

sa mitradhanalābhāttu pretya ceha ca nandati | śabde sparśe rase rūpe tathā gandhe ca bhārata

Through the gain of friends and wealth he rejoices both here and after death; and in sound, touch, taste, form and smell, O Bharata,

Note on the text: The alignment found no match. Line 1 = CE 12.265.16c (sa mitradhanalābhāt tu pretya ceha ca nandati); line 2 = CE 12.265.17a (śabde sparśe tathā rūpe rase gandhe ca bhārata), with the words rasa and rūpa in the other order.

Verse 18 (12.279.18)

प्रभुत्वं लभते जन्तुर्धर्मस्यैतत्फलं विदुः । स तु धर्मफलं लब्ध्वा न तृष्यति युधिष्ठिर ॥

prabhutvaṃ labhate janturdharmasyaitatphalaṃ viduḥ | sa tu dharmaphalaṃ labdhvā na tṛṣyati yudhiṣṭhira

a creature gains mastery; the wise call this the fruit of dharma. But having gained the fruit of dharma, he is not satisfied, Yudhishthira.

Note on the text: The alignment found no match. Line 1 = CE 12.265.17c (prabhutvaṃ labhate jantur dharmasyaitat phalaṃ viduḥ); line 2 = CE 12.265.18a (sa dharmasya phalaṃ labdhvā na tṛpyati yudhiṣṭhira).

Verse 19 (12.279.19)

धर्मे स्थितानां कौन्तेय सर्वभोगक्रियासु च । अतृप्यमाणो निर्वेदमादत्ते ज्ञानचक्षुषा । प्रज्ञाचक्षुर्यदा कामे दोषमेवानुपश्यति ॥

dharme sthitānāṃ kaunteya sarvabhogakriyāsu ca | atṛpyamāṇo nirvedamādatte jñānacakṣuṣā | prajñācakṣuryadā kāme doṣamevānupaśyati

Among those established in dharma, O son of Kunti, in all acts of enjoyment, he is never satisfied, and he takes up disenchantment through the eye of knowledge, when with the eye of wisdom he sees only fault in desire.

Note on the text: The alignment found no match. Three lines, as on the page (labelled 12-279-19a, b, c): line 1 is the CE star line 12.265.18b*0721_01 (dharme sthitānāṃ kaunteya sarvabhogakriyāsu ca); line 2 = CE 12.265.18c (atṛpyamāṇo nirvedam ādatte jñānacakṣuṣā); line 3 = CE 12.265.19a (prajñācakṣur yadā kāme doṣam evānupaśyati).

Verse 20 (12.279.20)

शब्दे स्पर्शे तथा रूपे न च भावयते मनः । विमुच्यते तदा कामान्न च धर्मं विमुञ्चति ॥

śabde sparśe tathā rūpe na ca bhāvayate manaḥ | vimucyate tadā kāmānna ca dharmaṃ vimuñcati

His mind no longer dwells on sound, touch and form; then he is freed from desires, yet he does not give up dharma.

Note on the text: The alignment found no match. Line 1 (शब्दे स्पर्शे तथा रूपे न च भावयते मनः) is not in the critical edition (main text, star passages and Appendix I all lack it): vulgate only. Line 2 corresponds to CE 12.265.19c (virajyate tadā kāmān na ca dharmaṃ vimuñcati); Wikisource has विमुच्यते for virajyate (the page's own note cites virajyate as a reading of other manuscripts).

Verse 21 (12.279.21)

सर्वत्यागे च यतते दृष्ट्वा लोकं क्षयात्मकम् । ततो मोक्षाय यतते नानुपायादुपायतः ॥

sarvatyāge ca yatate dṛṣṭvā lokaṃ kṣayātmakam | tato mokṣāya yatate nānupāyādupāyataḥ

He strives for complete renunciation, having seen the world to be perishable; then he strives for liberation, by the right means and not by a wrong one.

Verse 22 (12.279.22)

शनैर्निर्वेदमादत्ते पापं कर्म जहाति च । धर्मात्मा चैव भवति मोक्षं च लभते परम् ॥

śanairnirvedamādatte pāpaṃ karma jahāti ca | dharmātmā caiva bhavati mokṣaṃ ca labhate param

Slowly he takes up disenchantment and gives up sinful action; he becomes a man of dharma and gains the highest liberation.

Verse 23 (12.279.23)

एतत्ते कथितं तात यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि । पापं धर्मस्तथा मोक्षो निर्वेदश्चैव भारत ॥

etatte kathitaṃ tāta yanmāṃ tvaṃ paripṛcchasi | pāpaṃ dharmastathā mokṣo nirvedaścaiva bhārata

This I have told you, dear child, what you asked me: sin, dharma, liberation and disenchantment, O Bharata.

Verse 24 (12.279.24)

तस्माद्धर्मे प्रवर्तेथाः सर्वावस्थं युधिष्ठिर । धर्मे स्थितानां कौन्तेय सिद्धिर्भवति शाश्वती ॥

tasmāddharme pravartethāḥ sarvāvasthaṃ yudhiṣṭhira | dharme sthitānāṃ kaunteya siddhirbhavati śāśvatī

Therefore, Yudhishthira, keep to dharma in every condition of life; for those who stand in dharma, O son of Kunti, lasting success comes.”