Chapter 23

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
kimāhurbharataśreṣṭha pātraṃ viprāḥ sanātanam |
brāhmaṇaṃ liṅginaṃ caiva brāhmaṇaṃ vāpyaliṅginam || 1 ||
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bhīṣma uvāca |
svavṛttimabhipannāya liṅgine vetarāya vā |
deyamāhurmahārāja ubhāvetau tapasvinau || 2 ||
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yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
śraddhayā parayā pūto yaḥ prayaccheddvijātaye |
havyaṃ kavyaṃ tathā dānaṃ ko doṣaḥ syātpitāmaha || 3 ||
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bhīṣma uvāca |
śraddhāpūto narastāta durdānto'pi na saṃśayaḥ |
pūto bhavati sarvatra kiṃ punastvaṃ mahīpate || 4 ||
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yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
na brāhmaṇaṃ parīkṣeta daiveṣu satataṃ naraḥ |
kavyapradāne tu budhāḥ parīkṣyaṃ brāhmaṇaṃ viduḥ || 5 ||
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bhīṣma uvāca |
na brāhmaṇaḥ sādhayate havyaṃ daivātprasidhyati |
devaprasādādijyante yajamānā na saṃśayaḥ || 6 ||
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brāhmaṇā bharataśreṣṭha satataṃ brahmavādinaḥ |
mārkaṇḍeyaḥ purā prāha iha lokeṣu buddhimān || 7 ||
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yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
apūrvo'pyatha vā vidvānsaṃbandhī vātha yo bhavet |
tapasvī yajñaśīlo vā kathaṃ pātraṃ bhavettu saḥ || 8 ||
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bhīṣma uvāca |
kulīnaḥ karmakṛdvaidyastathā cāpyānṛśaṃsyavān |
hrīmānṛjuḥ satyavādī pātraṃ pūrve ca te trayaḥ || 9 ||
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tatredaṃ śṛṇu me pārtha caturṇāṃ tejasāṃ matam |
pṛthivyāḥ kāśyapasyāgnermārkaṇḍeyasya caiva hi || 10 ||
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pṛthivyuvāca |
yathā mahārṇave kṣiptaḥ kṣipraṃ loṣṭo vinaśyati |
tathā duścaritaṃ sarvaṃ trayyāvṛttyā vinaśyati || 11 ||
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kāśyapa uvāca |
sarve ca vedāḥ saha ṣaḍbhiraṅgaiḥ sāṃkhyaṃ purāṇaṃ ca kule ca janma |
naitāni sarvāṇi gatirbhavanti śīlavyapetasya narasya rājan || 12 ||
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agniruvāca |
adhīyānaḥ paṇḍitaṃ manyamāno yo vidyayā hanti yaśaḥ pareṣām |
brahmansa tenācarate brahmahatyāṃ lokāstasya hyantavanto bhavanti || 13 ||
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mārkaṇḍeya uvāca |
aśvamedhasahasraṃ ca satyaṃ ca tulayā dhṛtam |
nābhijānāmi yadyasya satyasyārdhamavāpnuyāt || 14 ||
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bhīṣma uvāca |
ityuktvā te jagmurāśu catvāro'mitatejasaḥ |
pṛthivī kāśyapo'gniśca prakṛṣṭāyuśca bhārgavaḥ || 15 ||
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yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
yadidaṃ brāhmaṇā loke vratino bhuñjate haviḥ |
bhuktaṃ brāhmaṇakāmāya kathaṃ tatsukṛtaṃ bhavet || 16 ||
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bhīṣma uvāca |
ādiṣṭino ye rājendra brāhmaṇā vedapāragāḥ |
bhuñjate brahmakāmāya vrataluptā bhavanti te || 17 ||
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yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
anekāntaṃ bahudvāraṃ dharmamāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ |
kiṃ niścitaṃ bhavettatra tanme brūhi pitāmaha || 18 ||
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bhīṣma uvāca |
ahiṃsā satyamakrodha ānṛśaṃsyaṃ damastathā |
ārjavaṃ caiva rājendra niścitaṃ dharmalakṣaṇam || 19 ||
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ye tu dharmaṃ praśaṃsantaścaranti pṛthivīmimām |
anācarantastaddharmaṃ saṃkare niratāḥ prabho || 20 ||
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tebhyo ratnaṃ hiraṇyaṃ vā gāmaśvānvā dadāti yaḥ |
daśa varṣāṇi viṣṭhāṃ sa bhuṅkte nirayamāśritaḥ || 21 ||
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medānāṃ pulkasānāṃ ca tathaivāntāvasāyinām |
kṛtaṃ karmākṛtaṃ cāpi rāgamohena jalpatām || 22 ||
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vaiśvadevaṃ ca ye mūḍhā viprāya brahmacāriṇe |
dadatīha na rājendra te lokānbhuñjate'śubhān || 23 ||
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yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
kiṃ paraṃ brahmacaryasya kiṃ paraṃ dharmalakṣaṇam |
kiṃ ca śreṣṭhatamaṃ śaucaṃ tanme brūhi pitāmaha || 24 ||
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bhīṣma uvāca |
brahmacaryaṃ paraṃ tāta madhumāṃsasya varjanam |
maryādāyāṃ sthito dharmaḥ śamaḥ śaucasya lakṣaṇam || 25 ||
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yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
kasminkāle careddharmaṃ kasminkāle'rthamācaret |
kasminkāle sukhī ca syāttanme brūhi pitāmaha || 26 ||
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bhīṣma uvāca |
kālyamarthaṃ niṣeveta tato dharmamanantaram |
paścātkāmaṃ niṣeveta na ca gacchetprasaṅgitām || 27 ||
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brāhmaṇāṃścābhimanyeta gurūṃścāpyabhipūjayet |
sarvabhūtānulomaśca mṛduśīlaḥ priyaṃvadaḥ || 28 ||
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adhikāre yadanṛtaṃ rājagāmi ca paiśunam |
guroścālīkakaraṇaṃ samaṃ tadbrahmahatyayā || 29 ||
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praharenna narendreṣu na gāṃ hanyāttathaiva ca |
bhrūṇahatyāsamaṃ caitadubhayaṃ yo niṣevate || 30 ||
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nāgniṃ parityajejjātu na ca vedānparityajet |
na ca brāhmaṇamākrośetsamaṃ tadbrahmahatyayā || 31 ||
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yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
kīdṛśāḥ sādhavo viprāḥ kebhyo dattaṃ mahāphalam |
kīdṛśānāṃ ca bhoktavyaṃ tanme brūhi pitāmaha || 32 ||
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bhīṣma uvāca |
akrodhanā dharmaparāḥ satyanityā dame ratāḥ |
tādṛśāḥ sādhavo viprāstebhyo dattaṃ mahāphalam || 33 ||
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amāninaḥ sarvasahā dṛṣṭārthā vijitendriyāḥ |
sarvabhūtahitā maitrāstebhyo dattaṃ mahāphalam || 34 ||
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alubdhāḥ śucayo vaidyā hrīmantaḥ satyavādinaḥ |
svakarmaniratā ye ca tebhyo dattaṃ mahāphalam || 35 ||
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sāṅgāṃśca caturo vedānyo'dhīyīta dvijarṣabhaḥ |
ṣaḍbhyo nivṛttaḥ karmabhyastaṃ pātramṛṣayo viduḥ || 36 ||
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ye tvevaṃguṇajātīyāstebhyo dattaṃ mahāphalam |
sahasraguṇamāpnoti guṇārhāya pradāyakaḥ || 37 ||
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prajñāśrutābhyāṃ vṛttena śīlena ca samanvitaḥ |
tārayeta kulaṃ kṛtsnameko'pīha dvijarṣabhaḥ || 38 ||
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gāmaśvaṃ vittamannaṃ vā tadvidhe pratipādayet |
dravyāṇi cānyāni tathā pretyabhāve na śocati || 39 ||
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tārayeta kulaṃ kṛtsnameko'pīha dvijottamaḥ |
kimaṅga punarekaṃ vai tasmātpātraṃ samācaret || 40 ||
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niśamya ca guṇopetaṃ brāhmaṇaṃ sādhusaṃmatam |
dūrādānāyayetkṛtye sarvataścābhipūjayet || 41 ||
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