Panchashikha Tells Janaka That Old Age and Death Cannot Be Escaped

Verse 1 (12.324.1)

ऐश्वर्यं वा महत्प्राप्य धनं वा भरतर्षभ । दीर्घमायुरवाप्याथ कथं मृत्युमतिक्रमेत् ॥

aiśvaryaṃ vā mahatprāpya dhanaṃ vā bharatarṣabha | dīrghamāyuravāpyātha kathaṃ mṛtyumatikramet

O best of the Bharatas, how can a man pass beyond death, after he has gained great lordship or wealth, or a long life?

Verse 2 (12.324.2)

तपसा वा सुमहता कर्मणा वा श्रुतेन वा । रसायनप्रयोगैर्वा कैर्नाप्नोति जरान्तकौ ॥

tapasā vā sumahatā karmaṇā vā śrutena vā | rasāyanaprayogairvā kairnāpnoti jarāntakau

By what means is a man not overtaken by old age and death: by great austerity, by rites, by learning, or by the use of rejuvenating elixirs?

Verse 3 (12.324.3)

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । भिक्षोः पञ्चशिखस्येह संवादं जनकस्य च ॥

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam | bhikṣoḥ pañcaśikhasyeha saṃvādaṃ janakasya ca

On this point they recount an ancient tradition, the conversation between the mendicant Panchashikha and Janaka.

Verse 4 (12.324.4)

वैदेहो जनको राजा महर्षिं वेदवित्तमम् । पर्यपृच्छत्पञ्चशिखं छिन्नधर्मार्थसंशयम् ॥

vaideho janako rājā maharṣiṃ vedavittamam | paryapṛcchatpañcaśikhaṃ chinnadharmārthasaṃśayam

Janaka, king of the Videhas, questioned the great sage Panchashikha, foremost among those who know the Veda, whose doubts about dharma and artha had been cut away.

Note on the text: Corrected महर्षि वेदवित्तमम् → महर्षिं वेदवित्तमम् (misprint in Wikisource; the accusative anusvara is dropped; CE 12.307.4 has maharṣiṃ). Corrected यर्यपृच्छत् → पर्यपृच्छत् (misprint in Wikisource; यर्य is not a word; CE 12.307.4 has paryapṛcchat).

Verse 5 (12.324.5)

केन वृत्तेन भगवन्नतिक्रामेज्जरान्तकौ । तपसा वाऽथवा बुद्ध्या कर्मणा वा श्रुतेन वा ॥

kena vṛttena bhagavannatikrāmejjarāntakau | tapasā vā'thavā buddhyā karmaṇā vā śrutena vā

"Blessed One, by what conduct can one go beyond old age and death: by austerity, or by understanding, by action, or by learning?"

Note on the text: Janaka's question fills the whole verse, so it is given to him (Wikisource prints no heading).

Verse 6 (12.324.6)

एवमुक्तः स वैदेहं प्रत्युवाचापरोक्षवित् । निवृत्तिर्नैतयोरस्ति नातिवृत्तिः कथंचन ॥

evamuktaḥ sa vaidehaṃ pratyuvācāparokṣavit | nivṛttirnaitayorasti nātivṛttiḥ kathaṃcana

Thus addressed, he whose sight was direct replied to the king of the Videhas: "There is no turning back from these two, nor any passing beyond them by any means."

Note on the text: Corrected प्रत्युवाचापरेक्षवित् → प्रत्युवाचापरोक्षवित् (misprint in Wikisource; अपरेक्ष is not a word; the epithet is अपरोक्षवित्, "one with direct vision" (CE 12.307.6 has parokṣavit)). Line 1 is narration (Bhishma); Panchashikha's reply begins in line 2, and the speech continues without a printed heading through the rest of the adhyaya.

Verse 7 (12.324.7)

न ह्यहानि निवर्तन्ते न मासा न पुनः क्षपाः । सोयं प्रपद्यतेऽध्वानं चिराय ध्रुवमध्रुवः ॥

na hyahāni nivartante na māsā na punaḥ kṣapāḥ | soyaṃ prapadyate'dhvānaṃ cirāya dhruvamadhruvaḥ

The days do not turn back, nor the months, nor the nights. This transient creature surely enters upon a long road.

Verse 8 (12.324.8)

सर्वभूतसमुच्छेदः स्रोतसेवोह्यते सदा । ऊह्यमानं निमज्जन्तमप्लवे कालसागरे ॥

sarvabhūtasamucchedaḥ srotasevohyate sadā | ūhyamānaṃ nimajjantamaplave kālasāgare

The utter destruction of all creatures is ever carried onward as if by a current. Carried along, they sink in the sea of Time, where there is no boat.

Note on the text: Corresponds to CE 12.307.8a and 8c.

Verse 9 (12.324.9)

जरामृत्युमहाग्राहे न कश्चिदतिवर्तते । नैवास्य कश्चिद्भवति नासौ भवति कस्यचित् ॥

jarāmṛtyumahāgrāhe na kaścidativartate | naivāsya kaścidbhavati nāsau bhavati kasyacit

In that great crocodile of old age and death none gets across. No one belongs to him, and he belongs to no one.

Note on the text: Line 1 is CE 12.307.8e (na kaś cid abhipadyate for na kaścidativartate); line 2 corresponds to CE 12.307.9a (worded differently).

Verse 10 (12.324.10)

पथि संगतमेवेदं दारैरन्यैश्च बन्धुभिः । नायमत्यन्तसंवासो लब्धपूर्वो हि केनचित् ॥

pathi saṃgatamevedaṃ dārairanyaiśca bandhubhiḥ | nāyamatyantasaṃvāso labdhapūrvo hi kenacit

This meeting with wives, other kin and relatives is only a meeting on the road. No one has ever had unending companionship before.

Note on the text: Corresponds to CE 12.307.9c and 9e.

Verse 11 (12.324.11)

क्षिप्यन्ते तेनतेनैव निष्टनन्तः पुनः पुनः । कालेन जाता याता हि वायुनेवाभ्रसंचयाः ॥

kṣipyante tenatenaiva niṣṭanantaḥ punaḥ punaḥ | kālena jātā yātā hi vāyunevābhrasaṃcayāḥ

They are tossed about by one force after another, crying out again and again; by Time they are born and go, like masses of cloud driven by the wind.

Verse 12 (12.324.12)

जरामृत्यू हि भूतानां खादितारौ वृकाविव । बलिनां दुर्बलानां च ह्रस्वानां महतामपि ॥

jarāmṛtyū hi bhūtānāṃ khāditārau vṛkāviva | balināṃ durbalānāṃ ca hrasvānāṃ mahatāmapi

Old age and death devour beings like two wolves: the strong and the weak, the small and the great.

Verse 13 (12.324.13)

एवंभूतेषु भूतेषु नित्यभूताध्रुवेषु च । कथं हि हृष्येज्जातेषु मृतेषु च न संज्वरेत् ॥

evaṃbhūteṣu bhūteṣu nityabhūtādhruveṣu ca | kathaṃ hi hṛṣyejjāteṣu mṛteṣu ca na saṃjvaret

Among such creatures, who are always coming into being and are never lasting, how could one rejoice at births and not burn with grief at deaths?

Note on the text: Corrected नित्यभूताध्रवेषु → नित्यभूताध्रुवेषु (misprint in Wikisource; ध्रव is not a word; CE 12.307.12 has adhruveṣu).

Verse 14 (12.324.14)

कुतोऽहमागतः कोऽस्मि क्व गमिष्यामि कस्य वा । कस्मिन्स्थितः क्व भविता कस्मात्किमनुशोचसि ॥

kuto'hamāgataḥ ko'smi kva gamiṣyāmi kasya vā | kasminsthitaḥ kva bhavitā kasmātkimanuśocasi

Whence have I come? Who am I? Where shall I go, and whose am I? On what do I stand, and what shall I become? Why, then, do you grieve?

Verse 15 (12.324.15)

द्रष्टा स्वर्गस्य न ह्यस्ति तथैव नरकस्य च । आगमास्त्वनतिक्रम्य दद्याच्चैव यजेत च ॥

draṣṭā svargasya na hyasti tathaiva narakasya ca | āgamāstvanatikramya dadyāccaiva yajeta ca

No one has seen heaven, nor hell either. Without transgressing the scriptures, one should give and should sacrifice.