धरमस्य च पलं लब्ध्वा न तुष्यति महाद्विज। अतुष्यमाणो निर्वेदमादत्ते ज्ञानचक्षुषा
Having obtained the fruit of righteousness, the great twice-born is not satisfied; remaining unsatisfied, he adopts dispassion with the eye of knowledge.
प्रज्ञाचक्षुर्नर इह दोषं नैवानुरुध्यते। विरज्ये यथाकामं न च धर्मं विमुञ्चति
A man endowed with the eye of wisdom does not cling to faults here; withdrawing as he wishes, he does not abandon righteousness.
फलत्यागे च यतते दृष्ट्वा लोकं क्रियात्मकम्। ततो मोक्षे प्रयतते नानुपायादुपायतः
Seeing the world engaged in action, he strives for the abandonment of results; then he seeks liberation, by proper means, not by improper ones.
एवं निर्वेदमादत्ते पापं कर्म जहाति च। धार्मिकश्चापि भवति मोक्षं च लभते परम्
Thus, he adopts dispassion and abandons sinful deeds; he becomes righteous and also attains the supreme liberation.
तपो निःश्रेयसं जन्तोस्तस्य मूलं शमो दमः। तेन सर्वानवाप्नोति कामान्यान्मनसेच्छति
For a living being, asceticism is the highest good; its root is tranquility and self-control. By that, he attains all desires that his mind wishes for.
इन्द्रियाणां निरोधेन सत्येन च दमेन च। ब्रह्मणः पदमाप्नोति यत्परं द्विजसत्तम
By restraining the senses, by truth, and by self-control, O best of twice-born, one attains the supreme state of Brahman.
इन्द्रियाणीति यान्याहुः कानि तानि यतव्रत। निग्रहश्च कथं कार्यो निग्रहस्य च किं फलम्
What are those called the senses, O steadfast in vows, and which are they? How should restraint be practiced, and what is the fruit of restraint?
कथं च फलमाप्नोति तेषां धर्मभृतांवर। एतदिच्छामि तत्त्वेन धर्मं ज्ञातुं सुधार्मिक
And how does one attain the fruit of their restraint, O best upholder of righteousness? I wish to know this true dharma from you, O most righteous one.
एवमुक्तस्तु विप्रेण धर्मव्याधो युधिष्ठिर। प्रत्युवाच यथा विप्रं तच्छृणुष्व नराधिप
Thus addressed by the Brahmin, the righteous butcher replied to Yudhishthira as he had to the Brahmin; hear this, O king.
विज्ञानार्थं मनुष्याणां मनः पूर्वं प्रवर्तते। तत्प्राप्य कामं भजतेक्रोधं च द्विजसत्तम
For the sake of knowledge, the mind of men first becomes active; having obtained that, it pursues desire and anger, O best of twice-born.
ततस्तदर्थं यतते कर्म चारभते महत्। इष्टानां रूपगन्धानामभ्यासं च निषेवते
Then, for that purpose, he strives and undertakes great action; he also indulges in the enjoyment of forms and scents that are desired.
ततो रागः प्रभवति द्वेषश्च तदनन्तरम्। ततो लोभः प्रभवति मोहश्च तदनन्तरम्
From that arises attachment, and after that, aversion; from that arises greed, and after that, delusion.
तस् लोभाभिभूतस्य रागद्वेषहतस्य च। न धर्मे जायते बुद्धिर्व्याजाद्धर्मं करोति च
For one overpowered by greed and afflicted by attachment and aversion, discernment regarding righteousness does not arise, and he performs righteousness deceitfully.
व्याजेन चरते धर्ममर्थं व्याजेन रोचते। व्याजेन सिध्यमानेषु धनेषु द्विजसत्तम
He practices righteousness by deceit, seeks wealth by deceit, and when wealth is attained by deceit, O best of twice-born,
तत्रैव रमते बुद्धिस्ततः पापं चिकीर्षति। सुहृद्भिर्वार्यमाणश्च पण्डितैश्च द्विजोत्तम
His mind delights in that very thing, and then he desires to commit sin, even when restrained by friends and learned Brahmins, O best of twice-born.
उत्तरं श्रुतिसंबद्धं ब्रवीत्यश्रुतियोजितम्। अधर्मस्त्रिविधस्तस्य वर्तते रागदोषजः
He speaks what is connected to the scriptures as an answer, but applies what is not scriptural; for him, unrighteousness of three kinds, born of attachment and fault, prevails.
पापं चिन्तयते चैव ब्रवीति च करोति च। तस्याधर्मप्रवृत्तस्य गुणा नश्यन्ति साधवः
He thinks of sin, speaks of it, and does it; for one engaged in unrighteousness, his virtues, O good one, are destroyed.
एकशीलाश्च मित्रत्वं भजन्ते पापकर्मिणः। स तेन दुःखमाप्नोति परत्र च विपद्यते
Those of like conduct become his friends, though he acts wickedly; through this, he attains suffering and perishes in the next world as well.
पापात्मा भवति ह्येवं धर्मलाभं तु मे शृणु। यस्त्वेतान्प्रज्ञाया दोषान्पूर्वमेवानुपश्यति
A person becomes wicked indeed who acts thus; now hear from me about the gain of righteousness: one who perceives these faults with discernment beforehand—
कुशलः सुखदुःखेषु सांधूंश्चाप्युपसेवते। तस्य साधुसमारम्भाद्बुद्ध्रिधर्मेषु राजते
—is skilled in pleasure and pain, and also associates with the virtuous; by his noble undertakings, he shines in the path of wisdom and righteousness.
ब्रवीषि सूनृतंधर्मं यस्य वक्ता न विद्यते। दिव्यप्रभावः सुमहानृषिरेव मतोसि मे
You speak true righteousness, for whom there is no teacher; in my view, only a great sage of divine power can do so.
ब्राह्मणा वै महाभागाः पितरोऽग्रभुजः सदा। तेषां सर्वात्मना कार्यं प्रियं लोके मनीषिणा
Brahmins are indeed greatly blessed, always the foremost recipients of offerings; a wise person should strive wholeheartedly to please them in this world.
यत्तेषां च प्रियं तत्ते वक्ष्यामि द्विजसत्तम। नमस्कृत्वा ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ब्राह्मीं विद्यां निबोध मे
Now I will tell you, best of twice-born, what pleases them; after bowing to the Brahmins, listen to the Brahminical knowledge from me.
इदं विश्वं जगत्सर्वमजगच्चापि सर्वशः। महाभूतात्मकं ब्रह्मन्नातः परतरं भवेत्
This entire universe, all that moves and does not move, is composed of the great elements, O Brahmin; there is nothing higher than this.
महाभूतानि खं वायुरग्निरापस्तथा च भूः। शब्दः स्पर्शश्च रूपं च रसो गन्धश् तद्गुणाः
The great elements are: space, air, fire, water, and earth; their qualities are sound, touch, form, taste, and smell.
तेषामपि गुणाः सर्वे गुणवृत्तिः परस्परम्। पूर्वपूर्वगुणाः सर्वे क्रमशो गुणिषु त्रिषु
All their qualities function mutually, each preceding quality inhering in the next, in order, within the three elements.
षष्ठी तु चेतना नाम मन इत्यभिधीयते। सप्तमी तु भवेद्बुद्धिरहंकारस्ततः परम्
The sixth is called consciousness, known as mind; the seventh is intellect, and beyond that is ego.
इन्द्रियाणि च पञ्चात्मा रजः सत्वं तमस्तथा। इत्येष सप्तदशको राशिरव्यक्तसंज्ञकः
The senses are fivefold, as are rajas, sattva, and tamas; thus, this group of seventeen is called the unmanifest aggregate.
सर्वैरिहेन्द्रियार्थैस्तु व्यक्ताव्यक्तैः सुसंवृतैः। चतुर्विंसक इत्येष व्यकत्वाव्यक्तमयो गुणः। एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि
All these, with their manifest and unmanifest objects, are well encompassed; this aggregate of twenty-four, composed of the manifest and unmanifest, is the quality. All this has been explained to you; what more do you wish to hear?
एवमुक्तः स विप्रस्तु धर्मव्याधेन भारत। कथामकथयद्भूयो मनसः प्रीतिवर्धनीम्
Thus addressed by the righteous hunter, O descendant of Bharata, the Brahmin again recounted a story that gladdened the mind.