मानवानां च का वार्ता सत्त्वैकान्तव्यवस्थितौ । गुणानां सङ्करो राजन्सर्वत्र समवस्थितः
What then can be said of humans being established solely in sattva? The mixture of qualities, O King, is present everywhere.
कदाचित्सत्त्ववृद्धिः स्यात्कदाचिद्रजसः किल । कदाचित्तमसो वृद्धिः समभावः कदाचन
Sometimes sattva increases, sometimes indeed rajas, sometimes tamas grows, and sometimes they are balanced.
निर्गुणः परमात्मासौ निर्लेपः परमोऽव्ययः । अलक्ष्यः सर्वसत्त्वानामप्रमेयः सनातनः
That Supreme Self is without qualities, untouched, supreme, imperishable, invisible to all beings, immeasurable, and eternal.
तथैव परमा शक्तिर्निर्गुणा ब्रह्मसंस्थिता । दुर्ज्ञेया चाल्पमतिभिः सर्वभूतव्यवस्थितिः
Likewise, the Supreme Power is without qualities, established in Brahman, difficult to know for those of limited intellect, and is the foundation of all beings.
परात्मनस्तथा शक्तेस्तयोरैक्यं सदैव हि । अभिन्नं तद्वपुर्ज्ञात्वा मुच्यते सर्वदोषतः
The unity of the Supreme Self and that Power is ever the same; knowing their undivided nature, one is freed from all faults.
तज्ज्ञानादेव मोक्षः स्यादिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः । यो वेद स विमुक्तोऽस्मिन्संसारे त्रिगुणात्मके
Liberation comes only from that knowledge—so proclaims the drum of Vedanta; whoever knows this is freed from this world of three qualities.
ज्ञानं तु द्विविधं प्रोक्तं शाब्दिकं प्रथमं स्मृतम् । वेदशास्त्रार्थविज्ञानात्तद्भवेद्बुद्धियोगतः
Knowledge is said to be of two kinds: the first is verbal, arising from understanding the meaning of the Vedas and scriptures, attained through the intellect.
विकल्पास्तत्र बहवो भवन्ति मतिकल्पिताः । (कुतर्ककल्पिताः केचित्सतर्ककल्पिताः परे । वितर्कैर्विभ्रमोत्पत्तिर्विभ्रमाद्बुद्धिभ्रंशता । बुद्धिभ्रंशाज्ज्ञाननाशः प्राणिनां परिकीर्तितः । ) अनुभवाख्यं द्वितीयं तु ज्ञानं तद्दुर्लभं नृप
There, many alternatives arise, imagined by the mind—some based on false reasoning, others on sound reasoning; from such arguments comes confusion, from confusion the fall of intellect, and from that, the destruction of knowledge in beings. The second kind, called experiential knowledge, O King, is rare.
तत्तदा प्राप्यते तस्य वेत्तुः सङ्गो यदा भवेत् । शब्दज्ञानान्न कार्यस्य सिद्धिर्भवति भारत
That is attained only when the seeker is free from attachment; mere verbal knowledge does not bring about the accomplishment of the goal, O Bharata.
तस्मान्नानुभवज्ञानं सम्भवत्यतिमानुषम् । अन्तर्गतं तमश्छेत्तुं शाब्दबोधो हि न क्षमः
Therefore, experiential knowledge is exceedingly rare and beyond the ordinary; verbal understanding is not capable of cutting away the inner darkness.
यथा न नश्यति तमः कृतया दीपवार्तया । तत्कर्म यन्न बन्धाय सा विद्या या विमुक्तये
Just as darkness is not dispelled by talk of a lamp, so that action which does not bind is true knowledge, and that which leads to liberation.
आयासायापरं कर्म विद्यान्या शिल्पनैपुणम् । शीलं परहितत्वं च कोपाभावः क्षमा धृतिः
Other actions are for toil, other knowledge is skill in arts and crafts; good conduct, working for others' welfare, absence of anger, forgiveness, and steadfastness—
सन्तोषश्चेति विद्यायाः परिपाकोज्ज्वलं फलम् । विद्यया तपसा वापि योगाभ्यासेन भूपते
Contentment—these are the shining fruits of the maturity of knowledge. By knowledge, or by austerity, or by the practice of yoga, O King—
विना कामादिशत्रूणां नैव नाशः कदाचन । (मनस्तु चञ्चलं रास्वभावादतिदुर्ग्रहम् । तद्वशः सर्वथा प्राणी त्रिविधो भुवनत्रये । ) कामक्रोधादयो भावाश्चित्तजाः परिकीर्तिताः
Without destroying the enemies such as desire, there is never any liberation. The mind is fickle by nature and very hard to control; every being in the three worlds is subject to it. Desire, anger, and the like are said to arise from the mind.
ते तदा न भवन्त्येव यदा वै निर्जितं मनः । तस्मात्तु निमिना राजन्न क्षमा विहिता मुनौ
They are not so, indeed, when the mind has been conquered; therefore, O King, Nimi did not show forbearance towards the sage.
यथा ययातिना पूर्वं कृता शुक्रे कृतागसि । भृगुपुत्रेण शप्तोऽपि ययातिर्नृपसत्तमः
Just as, in former times, Yayāti committed an offense against Śukra, and though cursed by the son of Bhṛgu, the noble king Yayāti—
न शशाप मुनिं क्रोधाज्जरां राजा गृहीतवान् । कश्चित्सौम्यो भवेत्कश्चित्क्रूरो भवति पार्थिवः
Did not curse the sage in anger, but accepted old age; some become gentle, some become harsh, O King.
स्वभावभेदान्नृपते कस्य दोषोऽत्र कल्प्यते । हैहया भार्गवान्पूर्वं धनलोभात्पुरोहितान्
Due to differences in nature, O King, who can be blamed here? The Haihayas, out of greed for wealth, previously—
ब्राह्मणान्मूलतः सर्वांश्चिच्छिदुः क्रोधमूर्च्छिताः । पातकं पृष्ठतः कृत्वा ब्रह्महत्यासमुद्भवम्
Seized with anger, cut down all the Brāhmaṇas, their priests, at the root; committing a great sin, they incurred the guilt of Brahminicide.
हैहयैर्धनाहरणेन सह भृगूणां वधवर्णनम् जनमेजय उवाच कुले कस्य समुत्पन्नाः क्षत्रिया हैहयाश्च ते । ब्रह्महत्यामनादृत्य निजघ्नुर्भार्गवांश्च ये
Janamejaya said: Of which lineage were those Kṣatriyas, the Haihayas? And those who, disregarding the sin of Brahminicide, killed the Bhārgavas?
वैरस्य कारणं तेषां किं मे ब्रूहि पितामह । निमित्तेन विना क्रोधं कथं कुर्वन्ति सत्तमाः
What was the cause of their enmity? Tell me, O Grandsire. How could the noble ones act in anger without a reason?
वैरं पुरोहितैः सार्धं कस्मात्तेषामजायत । नाल्पहेतोर्हि तद्वैरं क्षत्रियाणां भविष्यति
Why did that enmity arise with their priests? For Kṣatriyas, such enmity would not occur for a trivial reason.
अन्यथा ब्राह्मणान् पूज्यान्कथं जघ्नुरनागसः । बाहुजा बलवन्तोऽपि पापभीताः कथं न ते
Otherwise, how could they have slain the Brāhmaṇas, who were worthy of worship and innocent? Though strong and powerful, how were they not afraid of sin?
स्वल्पेऽपराधे को हन्याद्वाडवान्क्षत्रियर्षभः । सन्देहो मे मुनिश्रेष्ठ कारणं वक्तुमर्हसि
Who would kill Brāhmaṇas for a small offense, O best of Kṣatriyas? I am doubtful, O best of sages; you ought to tell me the reason.
सूत उवाच इति पृष्टस्तदा तेन राज्ञा सत्यवतीसुतः । उवाच परमप्रीतः कथां संस्मृत्य चेतसा
Sūta said: Thus questioned by the king, the son of Satyavatī, filled with great delight, recalled the story in his mind and spoke.
व्यास उवाच शृणु पारिक्षिते वार्तां क्षत्रियाणां पुरातनीम् । आश्चर्यकारिणीं सम्यग्विदितां च पुरा मया
Vyāsa said: Hear, O Pārikṣit, the ancient tale of the Kṣatriyas, wondrous and well-known, which I once learned.
कार्तवीर्येति नाम्नाभूद्धैहयः पृथिवीपतिः । सहस्रबाहुर्बलवानर्जुनो धर्मतत्परः
There was a Haihaya king named Kārtavīrya, mighty as Arjuna of a thousand arms, devoted to righteousness.
दत्तात्रेयस्य शिष्योऽभूदवतारो हरेरिव । सिद्धः सर्वार्थदः शाक्तो भृगूणां याज्य एव सः
He was a disciple of Dattātreya, like an incarnation of Hari; accomplished, bestower of all desires, devoted to Śakti, and the sacrificer for the Bhṛgus.
यज्वा परमधर्मिष्ठः सदा दानपरायणः । ददौ वित्तं भृगुभ्योऽसौ कृत्वा यज्ञाननेकशः
A great sacrificer, supremely righteous, always devoted to giving; he gave wealth to the Bhṛgus after performing many sacrifices.
धनिनस्ते द्विजा जाता भृगवो नृपदानतः । हयरत्नसमृद्ध्याढ्याः सञ्जाताः प्रथिता भुवि
Those Bhṛgu Brāhmaṇas, honored by the king, became wealthy, renowned on earth, rich in horses, jewels, and prosperity.