Mahabharata · Chapter 12.296

ataḥ paraṃ mahābāho yacchreyastadbravīhi me /
na tṛpyāmyamṛtasyeva vacasaste pitāmaha //

kiṃ karma puruṣaḥ kṛtvā śubhaṃ puruṣasattama /
śreyaḥ paramavāpnoti pretya ceha ca tadvada //
bhīṣma uvāca /

atra te vartayiṣyāmi yathā pūrvaṃ mahāyaśāḥ /
parāśaraṃ mahātmānaṃ papraccha janako nṛpaḥ //

kiṃ śreyaḥ sarvabhūtānāmasmim̐lloke paratra ca /
yadbhavetpratipattvyaṃ tadbhavānprabravītu me //

tataḥ sa tapasā yuktaḥ sarvadharmavidhānavit /
nṛpāyānugrahamanā munirvākyamathābravīt //
parāśara uvāca /

dharma eva kṛtaḥ śreyāniha loke paratra ca /
tasmāddhi paramaṃ nāsti yathā prāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ //

pratipadya naro dharmaṃ svargaloke mahīyate /
dharmātmakaḥ karmavidhirdehināṃ nṛpasattama //

tasmintrāśramiṇaḥ santaḥ svakarmāṇīha kurvate //

caturvidhā hi loke'sminyātrā tāta vidhīyate /
martyā yatrāvatiṣṭhante sā ca kāmātpravartate //

sukṛtāsukṛtaṃ karma niṣevya vividhaiḥ kramaiḥ /
daśārdhapravibhaktānāṃ bhūtānāṃ vividhā gatiḥ //

sauvarṇaṃ rājataṃ cāpi yathā bhāṇḍaṃ niṣicyate /
tathā nipicyate jantuḥ pūrvakarmavaśānugaḥ //

nābījājjāyate kiñcinnākṛtvā sukhamedhate /
sukṛtairvindate saukhyaṃ prāpya dehakṣayaṃ naraḥ //

daivaṃ tāta na paśyāmi nāsti daivasya sādhanam /
svabhāvato hi saṃsiddhā devagandharvadānavāḥ //

pretya yāntyakṛtaṃ karma na smaranti sadā janāḥ /
te vai tasya phalaprāptau karma cāpi caturvidham //

lokayātrāśrayaścaiva śabdo vedāśrayaḥ kṛtaḥ /
śāntyarthaṃ manasastāta naitadvṛddhānuśāsanam //

cakṣuṣā manasā vācā karmaṇā ca caturvidham /
kurute yādṛśaṃ karma tādṛśaṃ pratipadyate //

nirantaraṃ ca miśraṃ ca labhate karma pārthiva /
kalyāṇaṃ yadi vā pāpaṃ na tu nāśo'sya vidyate //

kadācitsukṛtaṃ tāta kūṭasthamiva tiṣṭhati /
majjamānasya saṃsāre yāvadduḥkhādvimucyate //

tato duḥkhakṣayaṃ kṛtvā sukṛtaṃ karma sevate /
sukṛtakṣayācca duṣkṛtaṃ tadviddhi manujādhipa //

damaḥ kṣamā dhṛtistejaḥ santoṣaḥ satyavāditā /
hrīrahiṃsā'vyasanitā dākṣyaṃ ceti sukhāvahāḥ //

duṣkṛte sukṛte cāpi na janturniyato bhavet /
nityaṃ manaḥ samādhāne prayateta vicakṣaṇaḥ //

nāyaṃ parasya sukṛtaṃ duṣkṛtaṃ cāpi sevate /
karoti yādṛśaṃ karma tādṛśaṃ pratipadyate //

sukhaduḥkhe samādhāya pumānanyena gacchati /
anyenaiva janaḥ sarvaḥ sangato yaśca pārthivaḥ //

pareṣāṃ yadasūyeta na tatkuryātsvayaṃ naraḥ /
yo hyasūyustathā yuktaḥ so'vahāsaṃ niyacchati //

bhīrū rājanyo brāhmaṇaḥ sarvabhakṣyo vaiśyo'nīhāvānhīnavarṇo'lasaśca /
vidvāṃśrāśīlo vṛttahīnaḥ kulīnaḥ satyādvibhraṣṭo brāhmaṇastrī ca tuṣṭā //

rāgī yuktaḥ pacamāno'tmaheto rmūrkho vaktā nṛpahīnaṃ ca rāṣṭram /
ete sarve śocyatāṃ yānti rāja nyaśrāyuktaḥ snehahīnaḥ prajāsu //