05028001b dharmo varaH karmaNAM yat tvam Attha 'yudhiSThira said, 'Without doubt, O saJjaya, it is true that righteous deeds are the foremost of all our acts, as thou sayest.
05028001c jJAtvA tu mAM saJMjaya garhayes tvam
05028001d yadi dharmaM yady adharmaJM carAmi Thou shouldst, however, ensure me having first ascertained whether it is virtue or vice that I practise.
05028002a yatrAdharmo dharmarUpANi bibhrad
05028002b dharmaH kRtsno dRzyate 'dharmarUpaH When vice assumes the aspects of virtue and virtue itself wholly seems as vice,
05028002c tathA dharmo dhArayan dharmarUpam and virtue, again, appears in its native form,
05028002d vidvAMsas taM samMprapazyanti buddhyA then they that are learned should discriminate it by means of their reason.
05028003a evam etAv Apadi liGgam etad So, during seasons of distress,
05028003b dharmAdharmau vRttinityau bhajetAm again, virtue and vice, which are both eternal and absolute, exchange their aspects.
05028003c AdyaM liGgaM yasya tasya pramANam
05028003d ApaddharmaM saJMjaya tanM nibodha Know, O saJjaya, that duties in seasons of distress are otherwise. One should follow without deviation the duties prescribed for the order to which he belongs by birth.
05028004a luptAyAnM tu prakRtau yena karma When his means of living are totally gone, the man, that is destitute
05028004b niSpAdayet tat parIpsed vihInaH should certainly desire those other means by which he may be able to discharge the sanctioned duties of his order.
05028004c prakRtisthaz cApadi vartamAnaH One that is not destitute of his means of living, as also one that is in distress,
05028004d ubhau garhyau bhavatasH saJMjayaitau are, O saJjaya, both to be blamed, if they act as if the state of each were otherwise.
05028005a avilopam icchatAmM brAhmaNAnAm When the Creator hath ordained expiation for those brAhmaNas, who, without wishing for self-destruction,
05028005b prAyazcittaM vihitaM yad vidhAtrA betake themselves to acts not sanctioned for them, this proves that people may,
05028005c Apady athAkarmasu vartamAnAn in season of distress, betake to acts not ordained for the orders to which they belong.
05028005d vikarmasthAn saJMjaya garhayeta And, O saJjaya, thou shouldst regard them as worthy that adhere to the practices of their own order in usual times as also those that do not adhere to them in season of distress; thou shouldst censure them that act otherwise in usual times while adhering to their ordained practices during times of distress.
05028006a manISiNAnM tattvavicchedanAya As regards men desiring to bring their minds under control, when they endeavour to acquire a knowledge of self,
05028006b vidhIyate satsu vRttisH sadaiva the practices that are ordained for the best, viz., the brAhmaNas, are equally ordained for them.
05028006c abrAhmaNAsH santi tu ye na vaidyAH As regards those, however, that are not brAhmaNas and that do not endeavour to acquire knowledge of self,
05028006d sarvocchedaM sAdhu manyeta tebhyaH those practices should be followed by them that are ordained for their respective orders in seasons of distress or otherwise.
05028007a tadarthA naH pitaro ye ca pUrve Even that is the path followed by our fathers
05028007b pitAmahA ye ca tebhyaH pare 'nye and grandfathers before us and those also that had lived before them.
05028007c prajJaiSiNo ye ca hi karma cakruH As regards those that are desirous of knowledge and avoiding to act,
05028007d nAsty antato nAsti nAstIti manye even these also hold the same view and regard themselves as orthodox. I do not, therefore, think that there is any other path.
05028008a yat kiJM cid etad vittam asyAmM pRthivyAm Whatsoever wealth there may be in this earth,
05028008b yad devAnAnM tridazAnAmM paratra whatsoever there may be among the gods, or whatsoever there may be unattainable by them,
05028008c prAjApatyanM tridivamM brahmalokam --the region of the Prajapati, or heaven or the region of brahmA himself,
05028008d nAdharmatasH saJMjaya kAmaye tat I would not, O saJjaya, seek it by unrighteous means.
05028009a dharmezvaraH kuzalo nItimAMz cApy upAsitA brAhmaNAnAM manISI Here is kRSNa, the giver of virtue's fruits, who is clever, politic, intelligent, who has waited upon the brAhmaNas,
05028009c nAnAvidhAMz caiva mahAbalAMz ca
05028009d rAjanyabhojAn anuzAsti kRSNaH who knows everything and counsels various mighty kings.
05028010a yadi hy ahaM visRjan syAm agarhyaH Whether I would be censurable if I dismiss all idea of peace,
05028010b yudhyamAno yadi jahyAM svadharmam of whether if I fight, I should be abandoning the duties of my caste --
05028010c mahAyazAH kezavas tad bravItu let the celebrated kRSNa judge that,
05028010d vAsudevas tUbhayor arthakAmaH for kRSNa seeketh the welfare of both sides.
05028011a zaineyA hi caitrakAz cAndhakAz ca This sAtyaki, these Chedis, the andhakas,
05028011b vArSNeyabhojAH kaukurAH sRJjayAz ca the vRSNis, the Bhojas, the Kukuras, the sRJjayas,
05028011c upAsInA vAsudevasya buddhim adopting the counsels of kRSNa,
05028011d nigRhya zatrUn suhRdo nandayanti slay their foes and delight their friends.
05028012a vRSNyandhakA hy ugrasenAdayo vai The vRSNis and the andhakas, at whose head stands Ugrasena,
05028012b kRSNapraNItAsH sarva evendrakalpAH all led by kRSNa, have become like indra,
05028012c manasvinasH satyaparAkramAz ca high-spirited, devoted to truth,
05028012d mahAbalA yAdavA bhogavantaH mighty, and happy.
05028013a kAzyo babhruzH zriyam uttamAGM gataH babhru, the king of Kasi, attained the highest prosperity
05028013b labdhvA kRSNamM bhrAtaram IzitAram having obtained kRSNa, that fructifier of wishes, as his brother. O sire, so great is this kRSNa!
05028013c yasmai kAmAn varSati vAsudevaH And upon him kRSNa showers all the blessings of life,
05028013d grISmAtyaye megha iva prajAbhyaH as the clouds upon all earthly creatures, when the hot season is over,
05028014a IdRzo 'yaGM kezavas tAta bhUyaH
05028014b vidmo hy enaGM karmaNAnM nizcayajJam Him you must know as the great judge of the propriety or otherwise of all acts.
05028014c priyaz ca nasH sAdhutamaz ca kRSNaH kRSNa is dear to us, and is the most illustrious of men.
05028014d nAtikrame vacanaGM kezavasya I never disregard what kRSNa sayeth.''
