अध्याय १२
श्लोक 205.1
[गुरु] परवृत्ति लक्षणॊ धर्मॊ यथायम उपपद्यते तेषां विज्ञाननिष्ठानाम अन्यत तत्त्वं न रॊचते
[guru] paravṛtti lakṣaṇò dharmò yathāyama upapadyate teṣāṃ vijñānaniṣṭhānāma anyata tattvaṃ na ròcate
हिन्दी अर्थ
पुत्रने अपने स्वाध्याय-परायण पितासे कहा
English
sacrifices, l These three, viz., a person, a sacrifice and Soma, must be of good character. A person that is of bad character is neither for this nor for the other world. This audition has been heard by us that the sacrifice which high-souled Brahmanas perform by wealth earned by excessive physical labour, is not productive of great merit. There is a declaration in the Vedas that penances are higher than sacrifices. I shall now speak to thee of penances. O learned prince, listen to me. Abstention from injury, truthfulness of speech, benevolence, compassion,— these are regarded as penances by the wise and not the emaciation of the body. Disregard of the Vedas, disobedience to the dictates of the scriptures, and violation of all wholesome restraints, are productive of self-destruction. Listen, O son of Pritha, to what has been laid down by those that pour ten libations upon the fire at ten times of the day. —For them that perform the sacrifice of penance, the Yoga they endeavour to effect with Brahma is their ladle; the heart is their clarified butter; and high knowledge constitutes their Pavitra. 2 All kinds of crookedness mean death, and all kinds of sincerity are called Brahma. This constitutes the subject of knowledge. The rhapsodies of system-builders cannot affect this.--'"