The Householder Asks the Way; the Guest Shares His Doubt

Verse 1 (12.364.1)

समुत्पन्ने विधानेऽस्मिन्वाङ्माधुर्येण तेऽनघ । मित्रत्वमभिसंपन्नः किंचिद्वक्ष्यामि तच्छृणु ॥

samutpanne vidhāne'sminvāṅmādhuryeṇa te'nagha | mitratvamabhisaṃpannaḥ kiṃcidvakṣyāmi tacchṛṇu

Since this occasion has arisen, and through the sweetness of your speech, O blameless one, I have become your friend. I will say something to you; listen.

Note on the text: Corrected वाङ्भाधुर्येण → वाङ्माधुर्येण (misprint in Wikisource; भा for मा; the CE reads vāṅmādhuryeṇa). Line 1 otherwise differs from the CE (samutpannābhidhāno 'smi); the page footnote records the CE-type reading as झ. पाठः. Recension variant, kept.

Verse 2 (12.364.2)

गृहस्थधर्मं विप्रेन्द्र श्रुत्वा धर्मगतं त्वहम् । धर्मं परमकं कुर्यां को हि मार्गो भवेद्द्विज ॥

gṛhasthadharmaṃ viprendra śrutvā dharmagataṃ tvaham | dharmaṃ paramakaṃ kuryāṃ ko hi mārgo bhaveddvija

O best of Brahmins, I have heard the dharma of the householder and what belongs with dharma. By what path, O twice-born, could I now practise the highest dharma?

Note on the text: Wikisource श्रुत्वा धर्मगतम् for the CE kṛtvā putragatam (the page footnote gives कृत्वा पुत्रगतम् as झ. पाठः); recension variant, kept.

Verse 3 (12.364.3)

अहमात्मानमास्थाय एक एवात्मनि स्थितम् । द्रष्टुमिच्छन्न पश्यामि बद्धः साधारणैर्गुणैः ॥

ahamātmānamāsthāya eka evātmani sthitam | draṣṭumicchanna paśyāmi baddhaḥ sādhāraṇairguṇaiḥ

Resting on myself, I wish to see the self that stands alone within itself, but I do not see it, bound as I am by common qualities.

Note on the text: Matches CE 12.342.3 (aham ātmānam ātmastham eka evātmani sthitaḥ / kartuṃ kāṅkṣāmi necchāmi baddhaḥ sādhāraṇair guṇaiḥ), which the automatic alignment left unmatched; line 2 differs (द्रष्टुमिच्छन्न पश्यामि for kartuṃ kāṅkṣāmi necchāmi), a recension variant, kept.

Verse 4 (12.364.4)

यावदेतदतीतं मे वयः पुत्रफलाश्रितम् । तावदिच्छामि पाथेयमादातुं पारलौकिकम् ॥

yāvadetadatītaṃ me vayaḥ putraphalāśritam | tāvadicchāmi pātheyamādātuṃ pāralaukikam

While this age of mine, which rests on the fruit of sons, has not yet passed, I want to take up provisions for the journey to the next world.

Verse 5 (12.364.5)

अस्मिन्हि लोकसंभारे परं पारमभीप्सतः । उत्पन्ना मे मतिरियं कुतो धर्ममयः प्लवः ॥

asminhi lokasaṃbhāre paraṃ pāramabhīpsataḥ | utpannā me matiriyaṃ kuto dharmamayaḥ plavaḥ

I long for the farther shore beyond this great mass of worldly things, and this thought has risen in me: where is the raft made of dharma?

Note on the text: Wikisource लोकसंभारे for the CE lokasaṃtāne; recension variant, kept.

Verse 6 (12.364.6)

संयुज्यमानानि निशाम्य लोके । निर्यात्यमानानि च सात्विकानि । दृष्ट्वा तु धर्मध्वजकेतुमालां । प्रकीर्यमाणामुपरि प्रजानाम् ॥

saṃyujyamānāni niśāmya loke | niryātyamānāni ca sātvikāni | dṛṣṭvā tu dharmadhvajaketumālāṃ | prakīryamāṇāmupari prajānām

Seeing how, in the world, beings are joined together and again driven out, even the sattvic ones, and seeing the garland of banners and flags of dharma strewn above the people,

Note on the text: Four-line verse, as on the page. The CE reads samuhyamānāni for संयुज्यमानानि; recension variant, kept. The sentence is completed in the next verse.

Verse 7 (12.364.7)

न मे मनो रज्यति भोगरागै । र्दृष्ट्वा गतिं प्रार्थयतः परत्र । तेनातिथे बुद्धिबलाश्रयेण । धर्मेण धर्मे विनियुङ्क्ष्व मां त्वम् ॥

na me mano rajyati bhogarāgai | rdṛṣṭvā gatiṃ prārthayataḥ paratra | tenātithe buddhibalāśrayeṇa | dharmeṇa dharme viniyuṅkṣva māṃ tvam

my mind takes no delight in the passions of enjoyment, seeing the course of those who seek the world beyond. Therefore, O guest, with the strength of understanding, set me by dharma upon dharma.

Note on the text: Four-line verse, as on the page. Lines 1 and 2 split the sandhi भोगरागैः + दृष्ट्वा across the line break exactly as printed (भोगरागै / र्दृष्ट्वा). Line 1 reads भोगरागैः where the CE has bhogakāle, and line 4 dharmeṇa dharme for the CE dharmārthatattve; recension variants, kept.

Verse 8 (12.364.8)

सोऽतिथिर्वचनं तस्य श्रुत्वा धर्माभिभाषिणः । प्रोवाच वचनं श्लक्षणं प्राज्ञो मधुरया गिरा ॥

so'tithirvacanaṃ tasya śrutvā dharmābhibhāṣiṇaḥ | provāca vacanaṃ ślakṣaṇaṃ prājño madhurayā girā

Hearing the words of that speaker of dharma, the wise guest replied in gentle words, with a sweet voice.

Note on the text: Narration, assigned to Bhishma (the page prints a ब्राह्मण heading at the head of the adhyaya only). Wikisource धर्माभिभाषिणः for the CE dharmābhilāṣiṇaḥ; recension variant, kept.

Verse 9 (12.364.9)

अहमप्यत्र मुह्यामि ममाप्येष मनोरथः । न च संनिश्चयं यामि बहुद्वारे त्रिविष्टपे ॥

ahamapyatra muhyāmi mamāpyeṣa manorathaḥ | na ca saṃniścayaṃ yāmi bahudvāre triviṣṭape

I too am bewildered here, and this very longing is mine as well. In this heaven of many doors I cannot come to a settled conclusion.

Note on the text: Corrected चामि → यामि (misprint in Wikisource; चामि is not a word; the CE reads yāmi). Corrected त्रिविष्टये → त्रिविष्टपे (misprint in Wikisource; the CE reads triviṣṭape, "heaven"). Speaker: the guest, replying to the householder (the page prints no new heading after the narration of verse 8).

Verse 10 (12.364.10)

केचिन्मोक्षं प्रशंसन्ति केचिद्यज्ञफलं द्विजाः । वानप्रस्थाश्रयाः केचिद्गार्हस्थ्यं केचिदाश्रिताः ॥

kecinmokṣaṃ praśaṃsanti kecidyajñaphalaṃ dvijāḥ | vānaprasthāśrayāḥ kecidgārhasthyaṃ kecidāśritāḥ

Some praise liberation, some the fruit of sacrifice, O twice-born; some have taken refuge in the forest hermit's life, and some in the householder's.

Note on the text: Speaker: the guest, continuing.

Verse 11 (12.364.11)

राजधर्माश्रयाः केचित्केचिदात्मफलाश्रयाः । गुरुधर्माश्रयाः केचित्केचिद्वाक्संयमाश्रयाः ॥

rājadharmāśrayāḥ kecitkecidātmaphalāśrayāḥ | gurudharmāśrayāḥ kecitkecidvāksaṃyamāśrayāḥ

Some rely on the dharma of kings, some on the fruit won for the self; some on the dharma of service to the teacher, some on the restraint of speech.

Note on the text: Speaker: the guest, continuing. Wording differs from the CE (rājadharmāśrayaṃ ke cit … gurucaryāśrayaṃ … vākyaṃ yam āśrayam); recension variant, kept.

Verse 12 (12.364.12)

मातरं पितरं केचिच्छुश्रूषन्तो दिवं गताः । अहिंसया परे स्वर्गं सत्येन च तथाऽपरे ॥

mātaraṃ pitaraṃ kecicchuśrūṣanto divaṃ gatāḥ | ahiṃsayā pare svargaṃ satyena ca tathā'pare

Some, serving their mother and father, have gone to heaven; others by non-violence, and still others by truth.

Note on the text: Speaker: the guest, continuing.

Verse 13 (12.364.13)

आहवेऽभिमुखाः केचिन्निहतास्त्रिदिवं गताः । केचिदुञ्छव्रतैः सिद्धाः स्वर्गमार्गं समाश्रिताः ॥

āhave'bhimukhāḥ kecinnihatāstridivaṃ gatāḥ | keciduñchavrataiḥ siddhāḥ svargamārgaṃ samāśritāḥ

Some, slain facing the enemy in battle, have gone to heaven; some, made perfect by the gleaning vow, have taken the road to heaven.

Note on the text: Corrected आहवेऽभिमुखः → आहवेऽभिमुखाः (misprint in Wikisource; the plural निहताः needs a plural subject; the CE reads abhimukhāḥ). Speaker: the guest, continuing.

Verse 14 (12.364.14)

केचिदध्ययने युक्ता वेदव्रतपराः शुभाः । बुद्धिमन्तो गताः स्वर्गं तुष्टात्मानो जितेन्द्रियाः ॥

kecidadhyayane yuktā vedavrataparāḥ śubhāḥ | buddhimanto gatāḥ svargaṃ tuṣṭātmāno jitendriyāḥ

Some, devoted to study and intent on the vows of the Veda, blessed, wise, contented in soul and with senses subdued, have gone to heaven.

Note on the text: Speaker: the guest, continuing.

Verse 15 (12.364.15)

आर्जवेनापरे युक्ता निहतानार्जवैर्जनैः । ऋजवो नाकपृष्ठे वै शुद्धात्मानः प्रतिष्ठिताः ॥

ārjavenāpare yuktā nihatānārjavairjanaiḥ | ṛjavo nākapṛṣṭhe vai śuddhātmānaḥ pratiṣṭhitāḥ

Others, devoted to uprightness, were slain by crooked men; yet those upright, pure-souled ones stand firm on the heights of heaven.

Note on the text: Speaker: the guest, continuing.

Verse 16 (12.364.16)

एवं बहुविधैर्लोकैर्धर्मद्वारैरनावृतैः । ममापि मतिराविद्धा मेघलेखेव वायुना ॥

evaṃ bahuvidhairlokairdharmadvārairanāvṛtaiḥ | mamāpi matirāviddhā meghalekheva vāyunā

So with so many worlds and so many open doors of dharma, my own mind too is tossed about, like a streak of cloud by the wind.

Note on the text: Speaker: the guest, concluding. Wikisource आविद्धा for the CE āvignā, and लोकैः for loke; recension variants, kept.