Mahabharata · Chapter 12.158

svādhyāyakṛtayatnasya brāhmaṇasya viśeṣataḥ /
dharmakāmasya dharmātmankinnu śreya ihocyate //

bahudhā darśane loke śreyo yadiha manyase /
asmim̐lloke pare caiva tanme brūhi pitāmaha //

mahānayaṃ dharmapatho bahuśākhaśca bhārata /
kiṃsvideveha dharmāṇāmanuṣṭheyatamaṃ matam //

dharmasya mahato rājanbahuśākhasya tattvataḥ /
yanmūlaṃ paramaṃ tāta tatsarvaṃ brūhyatandritaḥ //
bhīṣma uvāca /

hanta te kathayiṣyāmi yena śreyo hyavāpsyasi /
pītvā'mṛtamiva prājño yena tṛpto bhaviṣyasi //

dharmasya vidhayo naike tete proktā maharṣibhiḥ /
svaṃsvaṃ vijñānamāśritya damasteṣāṃ parāyaṇam //

damaṃ niḥśreyasaṃ prāhurvṛddhā niścitadarśinaḥ /
brāhmaṇasya viśeṣeṇa damo dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ //

nādāntasya kriyāsiddhiryathāvadupalabhyate /
damo dānaṃ tathā yajñānadhītaṃ cātivartate //

damastejo vardhayati pavitraṃ ca damaḥ param /
vipāpmā tejasā yuktaḥ puruṣo vindate mahat //

damena sadṛśaṃ dharmaṃ nānyaṃ lokeṣu śuśrum /
damo hi paramo loke praśastaḥ sarvadharmiṇām //

pretya cātra manuṣyendra paramaṃ vindate sukham /
damena hi sadā yukto mahāntaṃ dharmamaśnute //

sukhaṃ dāntaḥ prasvapiti sukhaṃ ca pratibudhyate /
sukhaṃ paryeti lokāṃśca manaścāsya prasīdati //

adāntaḥ puruṣaḥ kleśamabhīkṣṇaṃ pratipadyate /
anarthāṃśca bahūnanyānprasṛjatyātmadoṣajān //

āśrameṣu caturṣvāhurdamamevottamaṃ vratam /
damaliṅgāni vakṣyāmi yeṣāṃ samudayo damaḥ //

kṣamā dhṛtirārhesā ca samatā satyamārjavam /
indriyābhijayo dākṣyaṃ mārdavaṃ hrīracāpalam //

akārpaṇyamasaṃrambhaḥ santoṣaḥ priyavāditā /
avihasā'nasūyā cāpyeṣāṃ samudayo damaḥ //

gurupūjā ca kauravya dayā bhūteṣvapaiśunam /
janavādamṛṣāvādastutinindāvisarjanam //

kāmaṃ krādhaṃ ca lobhaṃ ca darpaṃ stambhaṃ vikatthanam /
roṣamīrṣyāvamānaṃ ca naiva dānto niṣevate //

anindito hyakāmātmā nālpeṣvarthyanasūyakaḥ /
samudrakalpaḥ sa naro na kathañcana pūryate //

ahaṃ tvayi mama tvaṃ ca mayi te teṣu cāpyaham /
pūrvasambandhisaṃyogaṃ naitaddānto niṣevate //

sarvā grāmyāstathā'raṇyā yāśca loke pravṛttayaḥ /
nindāṃ caiva praśaṃsāṃ ca yo nāśrayati mucyate //

maitro'tha śīlasampannaḥ prasannātmātmavicca yaḥ /
muktasya vividhaiḥ saṅgaistasya pretya phalaṃ mahat //

suvṛttaḥ śīlasampannaḥ prasannātmā'tmavidvudhaḥ /
prāpyeha loke satkāraṃ sugatiṃ pratipadyate //

karma yacchubhameveha sadbhirācaritaṃ ca yat /
tadeva jñānayuktasya munervartma na hīyate //

niṣkramya vanamāsthāya jñānayukto jitendriyaḥ /
kālākāṅgī carannevaṃ brahmabhūyāya kalpate //

abhayaṃ yasya bhūtebhyo bhūtānāmabhayaṃ yataḥ /
tasya dehādvimuktasya bhayaṃ nāsti kutaścana //

avācinoti karmāṇi na ca sampracinoti ha /
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu maitrāyaṇagatiṃ caret //

śakunīnāmivākāśe matsyānāmmiva codake /
yathā gatirna dṛśyeta tathā tasya sa saṃśayaḥ //

gṛhānutsṛjya yo rājmokṣamevābhipadyate /
lokāstejomayāstasya kalpante śāśvatīḥ samāḥ //

sannyasya sarvakarmāṇi sannyasya vidhivattapaḥ /
sannyasya vividhā vidyāḥ sarvaṃ sannyasya caiva ha //

kāme śuciranāvṛttaḥ prasannātmā'tmavicchuciḥ /
prāpyeha loke satkāraṃ svargaṃ samabhipadyate //

yacca paitāmahaṃ sthānaṃ brahmarāśisamudbhavam /
guhāyāṃ nihitaṃ nityaṃ taddamenābhigamyate //

jñānārāmasya buddhasya sarvabhūtānurodhinaḥ /
nāvṛttibhayamastīha paralokabhayaṃ kutaḥ //

eka eva dame doṣo dvitīyo nopapadyate /
yadenaṃ damasaṃyuktamaśaktaṃ manyate janaḥ //

eko'sya sumahāprājña doṣaḥ syātsumahānguṇaḥ /
kṣamayā vipulā lokā durlabhā hi sahiṣṇutā //

dāntasya kimaraṇyena tathā'dāntasya bhārata /
yatraiva nivaseddāntastadaraṇyaṃ sa cāśramaḥ //
vaiśampāyana uvāca /

etadbhīṣmasya vacanaṃ śrutvā rājā yudhiṣṭhiraḥ /
amṛteneva santṛptaḥ prahṛṣṭaḥ samapadyata //

punaśca paripapraccha bhīṣmaṃ dharmabhṛtāṃ varam /
tataḥ prītaḥ sa covāca tasmai sarvaṃ kurūdvahaḥ //