Harivamsha MahA PurANam - bhaviShya Parva
    athAShTAdhikashatatamo.adhyAyaH
    saMnyAsadharmanindA
    harivamsha in the mahAbharata - bhaviShyaparva
    Lesson 108 - abuse of saMnyAsadharma
vaishampAyana uvAcha
j~nAnaleshAdvihInAtmankiM te vyavasitaM dvija |
kashchAyamAshramo vipra bhavatA yaH samAshritaH ||3-108-1
vaishampAyana said:
(O janamejaya! haMsa and Dimbhaka said to sage durvAsa:) O twice born! What are you trying to achieve? Your soul (mind) is devoid of even a little knowledge! O brahmin! What is this stage of life that you have taken up?
gR^ihamedhaM parityajya kiM tvayA sAdhitaM padam |
dambha eva bhavAnvyaktaM sha~Nke nAstyatra kAraNam ||3-108-2
Abandoning the stage of householder, what position have you achieved? We doubt that you are clearly the personified form of pride. Apart from this, there is no other reason (for abandoning the stage of householder).
lokAMshchemAnsadA mUDha nAshayiShyasi nirvR^itaH |
etAnsarvAnvinetAsi narake pAtayiShyasi ||3-108-3
O stupid! You will always destroy all these people and derive happiness from this. You, being the leader of all these people, will make them fall into hell.
svayaM naShTaH parAnmUrkha nAshayiShyasi yatnataH |
aho shAstA kathaM nAsti tava mandamaterdvija ||3-108-4
O silly! You destroy yourself and also try to destroy others. Alas! O twice born with slow (inferior) intelligence! Why there is no one here to govern you?
sarvathA tvadvinetA cha pApo nAstyatra saMshayaH |
tyaktvemamAshramaM vipra gR^ihI bhava yatAtmavAn ||3-108-5
By all means, there is no sin in punishing you. There is no doubt in this. O brahmin! Abandon this stage of life and become a householder with controlled soul.
pa~ncha yaj~nAnsadA vipra kuru yatnaparo bhava |
tataH svargaM paraM gatvA svarge hi sumahatsukham ||3-108-6
O twice born! Always perform the five sacrifices with attention. Then you can reach the highest heaven. There is great happiness in heaven.
(See Translator's Note)
eSha shreyaH patho vipra jIvite chetspR^ihA tava |
O brahmin! This is the auspicious path of progress if you have a desire in living.
ityuktavantau dharmAtmA shrutvA vipro janArdanaH ||3-108-7
uvAcha cha yatiM dR^iShTvA praNamyAsau sunItavat |
The brahmin janArdana heard these words spoken by haMsa and Dimbhaka. Seeing the sage durvAsa and bowing to him with humility, he spoke (to his friends).
:
mA brUtamIdR^ishaM vAkyaM rAjAnau mandatejasau ||3-108-8
ashrAvyamIdR^ishaM ghoraM lokayorubhayorapi |
(janArdana said) O kings! Both of you have weak splendor and intellect. Do not speak words like these. Even in both the worlds (this and the other), terrible words like these should not be heard.
ko vaktumIsho mandAtmA yadi jIvetsabAndhavaH ||3-108-9
Who is that weak soul, who wants to live with his kin and speak like this?
sarvathA kAla evAyaM yuvayormandachetasoH |
samApta AyushaH sheSho brahmadaNDahatau yuvAm ||3-108-10
By all means, the Time has come (in the form of this great soul) for both you who are with slow (inferior) intellect. Your balance life span has come to an end. Both of you are struck by the staff of brahma.
ete hi yatayaH shuddhA j~nAnadIpitachetasaH |
j~nAnAgnidagdhakarmANaH prANAnprANeShu juhvati ||3-108-11
All these are sages with pure and controlled minds, whose intellect is lighted by knowledge. With the fire of knowledge, they have burned all their past deeds. They burn their souls in the fire of life forces.
R^ite vAmIdR^ishaM vAkyaM kaH samartho hyanubruvan |
sarvathA j~nAtamasmAbhiH samAptamiha jIvitam ||3-108-12
Except both of you, who else is capable of speaking such (unsuitable) words (about these sages)? By all means I have understood that both of your lives have ended here.
chatvAra AshramAH pUrvamR^iShibhirvihitA nR^ipau |
brahmacharI gR^ihasthashcha vAnaprasthashcha bhikShukaH ||3-108-13
O kings! Long ago, the sages have established four stages of life - the stages of student, householder, anchorite and abandoner of all worldly concerns.
teShAmagrashchaturtho.ayamAshrame bhikShukaH smR^itaH |
Aste tasminmahAbuddhiH sa hi puNyataraH smR^itaH ||3-108-14
Among these stages, the fourth stage, known as the stage of abandoner of all worldly concerns, is the best. The one having great intellect established in the fourth stage, is said to be the most meritorious.
nopAsitA bhavadbhyAM cha vR^iddhaH samyagvinItavat |
j~nAnaM nAptaM tapasvibhyastathA chaivaM vadeta kaH ||3-108-15
You have not served the old with humility. You have not obtained knowledge or penance. If you have, you will not speak like this.
ashrAvyamIdR^ishaM ghoraM mayA prANabhR^itA nR^ipa |
kiM kariShyAmi mandAtmanmitratvAdbhavato nR^ipa ||3-108-16
O king! Today I, being alive, have heard terrible words like these which should not be heard, because of my friendship with you having inferior intellect. What can I do?
j~nAnaM yadAptaM bhavatA gurubhya-
stadatra duHkhAya hi kevalaM nR^ipa |
j~nAnaM hi dharmaprabhavaM yatheShTaM
balAdvipApasya vidhAtR^irUpam ||3-108-17
O king! The knowledge that you learned from your preceptors has merely generated sorrow here. The knowledge generated by observing dharma only will give the desired fruits. The knowledge obtained by force will only create sin in its original form.
yuvAM vihAya yAsye vA pateyaM vA shilAtalam |
pibeyaM vA viShaM ghoraM pateyaM vA mahormiShu ||3-108-18
Shall I go leaving both of you? Shall I fall on a rock? Shall I drink terrible poison? Shall I jump into sea full of great waves?
AtmAnaM vAtra saMtyakShye pashyatAM shR^iNvatAM punaH |
ityuktvA vilalApaivaM ma brUtamiti tau vadan ||3-108-19
Shall I abandon my soul as those who heard (our conservation) watch? (O janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) Saying this, the brahmin janArdana cried and told them not to speak like this.
iti shrImahAbhArate khileShu harivaMshe bhaviShyaparvaNi kailAsayAtrAyAM haMsaDimbhakopAkhyAne aShTAdhikashatatamo.adhyAyaH
This is the one hundred and eighth chapter of bhaviShyaparva, harivaMsha, khila of mahAbhArata, in kailAsayAtra, in the episode of haMsa and Dimbhaka, abuse of saMnyAsadharma
Translator's Note:
One who is in the stage of householder in his life (gR^ihasthAshrami) is supposed to conduct five essential sacrifices (pa~nchamahAyaj~na): devayaj~na, brahmayaj~na, pitR^iyaj~na, manuShyayaj~na and bhUtayaj~na. See for example, bR^ihadAraNyaka upaniShad, adhyAya 1, brAhmaNa 4, mantra 16.
    nIlakaNTha commentary
iti shrImahAbharate khileShu harivaMshe bhaviShyaparvaNi kailAsayAtrAyAM haMsaDimbhakopAkhyAne TIkAyAmaShTAdhikashatatamo.adhyAyaH
##i-translated by G. Schaufelberger, schaufel @ wanadoo.fr January 18 2009
Proof-read by K S Rmachandran, ramachandran_ksr @ yahoo.ca.
If you find any errors compared to Chitrashala Press edition, send corrections to A. Harindranath harindranath_a @ yahoo.com
Translated to English by A. Purushothaman [purushothaman_avaroth @ yahoo.com] and A. Harindranath
1st June 2013##