धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
कथं समृद्धम् अप्य् ऋद्धं तपो भवति केवलम् ॥
सनत्सुजात तद् ब्रूहि यथा विद्याम तद् वयम् ॥
सनत्सुजात उवाच
क्रोधादयो द्वादश यस्य दोषास्; तथा नृशंसादि षड् अत्र राजन् ॥
धर्मादयो द्वादश चाततानाः; शास्त्रे गुणा ये विदिता द्विजानाम् ॥
क्रोधः कामो लोभमोहौ विवित्सा;कृपासूया मानशोकौ स्पृहा च ॥
ईर्ष्या जुगुप्सा च मनुष्यदोषा; वर्ज्याः सदा द्वादशैते नरेण ॥
एकैकम् एते राजेन्द्र मनुष्यान् पर्युपासते ॥
लिप्समानो ऽन्तरं तेषां मृगाणाम् इव लुब्धकः ॥
विकत्थनः स्पृहयालुर् मनस्वी; बिभ्रत् कोपं चपलो ऽरक्षणश् च ॥
एते प्राप्ताः षण् नरान् पापधर्मान्; प्रकुर्वते नोत सन्तः सुदुर्गे ॥
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
kathaṃ samṛddham apy ṛddhaṃ tapo bhavati kevalam ||
sanatsujāta tad brūhi yathā vidyāma tad vayam ||
sanatsujāta uvāca
krodhādayo dvādaśa yasya doṣās; tathā nṛśaṃsādi ṣaḍ atra rājan ||
dharmādayo dvādaśa cātatānāḥ; śāstre guṇā ye viditā dvijānām ||
krodhaḥ kāmo lobhamohau vivitsā;kṛpāsūyā mānaśokau spṛhā ca ||
īrṣyā jugupsā ca manuṣyadoṣā; varjyāḥ sadā dvādaśaite nareṇa ||
ekaikam ete rājendra manuṣyān paryupāsate ||
lipsamāno 'ntaraṃ teṣāṃ mṛgāṇām iva lubdhakaḥ ||
vikatthanaḥ spṛhayālur manasvī; bibhrat kopaṃ capalo 'rakṣaṇaś ca ||
ete prāptāḥ ṣaṇ narān pāpadharmān; prakurvate nota santaḥ sudurge ||
Dhritarashtra: Having destroyed sin through virtue, his soul is illumined by knowledge. The man of knowledge attains the Supreme Soul through knowledge. Otherwise, he who craves the four objects of human pursuit, taking with him all that he does here, enjoys their fruits hereafter, and, since those fruits are not eternal, returns to the field of action once the enjoyment is spent. Indeed, the fruits of ascetic feats performed in this world must be enjoyed in the world beyond — for those who have not mastered their own souls. As for the brahmanas engaged in ascetic practice, who have mastered their souls, even these regions are able to yield fruit.' Dhritarashtra said: 'O Sanatsujata, how can ascetic austerities, which are all of the same kind, sometimes succeed and sometimes fail? Tell us this, that we may know it!' Sanatsujata said: 'That asceticism which is unstained by desire and other faults is held able to secure liberation, and is therefore successful, while asceticism stained by vanity and the absence of true devotion is held unsuccessful. All your questions, O kshatriya, touch the very root of asceticism. It is through asceticism that the learned come to know Brahman and attain immortality!' Dhritarashtra said: 'I have heard what you have said about asceticism unstained by faults, through which I have come to know the eternal mystery. Now tell me, O Sanatsujata, about asceticism stained by faults!' Sanatsujata said: 'O king, twelve, beginning with anger, together with thirteen kinds of evil, are the flaws of stained asceticism. Anger, lust, greed, ignorance of good and evil, discontent, cruelty, malice, vanity, grief, love of pleasure, envy, and evil speech about others — all these are, generally, the faults of man.'
57c949248def · published Jul 17, 2026, 4:31:17 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
This passage, 5.43.6–10, develops the central theme of the Udyoga-parva: the effort for peace unfolds against the backdrop of an already-looming war. Key themes: Dhritarashtra. Dharma here is revealed through speech, the choice of embassy, faithfulness to one's word, and the responsibility of kings for the consequences of their decisions.