महाभारतम्
Mahabharata
The world's longest epic narrating the dynastic conflict between the Pandavas and Kauravas. An encyclopaedia of dharma containing the Bhagavad Gita, Yaksha Prashna, and Vidura Niti among its 100,000 verses.
10
Subhashitams
Subhashitams from this grantha
āhāranidrābhayamaithunaṃ ca sāmānyametat paśubhirnarāṇām | dharmo hi teṣāmadhiko viśeṣaḥ dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ ||
Eating, sleeping, fear, and procreation — these are common to both animals and humans. Dharma alone is the distinguishing quality of humans; without dharma, they are equal to animals.
dhāraṇāt dharma ityāhuḥ dharmo dhārayati prajāḥ | yaḥ syāt dhāraṇasaṃyuktaḥ sa dharma iti niścayaḥ ||
That which holds together is called dharma. Dharma sustains the people. Whatever has the power to unite — that is assuredly dharma.
utthānenāmṛtaṃ labdhamutthānenāsurā hatāḥ | utthānena mahendreṇa śraiṣṭhyaṃ prāptaṃ divīha ca ||
Through effort alone the gods obtained the nectar of immortality, through effort the demons were slain, and through effort Indra gained supremacy in heaven and on earth.
paraiḥ paribhave prāpte vayaṃ pañcottaraṃ śatam | parasparavirodhe tu vayaṃ pañca śataṃ tu te ||
When facing insult from outsiders, we are one hundred and five together. But in mutual conflict, we are five and they are one hundred.
udaye savitā rakto raktaścāstamaye tathā | sammpattau ca vipattau ca mahatāmekarūpatā ||
The sun looks red both at sunrise and sunset. Great men similarly retain their steadfastness through good and bad times.
yasminyathā vartate yo manuṣyaḥ tasmiṃstathā vartitavyaṃ sa dharmaḥ | māyācāro māyayā vartitavyaḥ sādhvācāraḥ sādhunā pratyudeyaḥ ||
One should behave toward another just as that person behaves toward them — this is considered true Dharma. A person who acts with deceit should be met with deceit, and a person who acts with goodness should be met with goodness.
ahanyahani bhūtāni gacchanti yamālayam | śeṣāḥ sthāvaramicchanti kimāścaryamataḥ param ||
Day after day, beings go to the abode of Death (Yama). Yet those who remain wish to stay forever. What greater wonder is there than this? (Yudhishthira's reply to the Yaksha.)
dharmaṃ yo bādhate dharmo na sa dharmaḥ kudharmakaḥ | avirodhāttu yo dharmaḥ sa dharmaḥ satyavikrama ||
O Satyavikrama! A dharma that harms another's dharma is not dharma — it is kudharma (bad dharma). Only that dharma which does not conflict with others' dharma is true dharma.
dhāraṇāddharmamityāhur dharmō dhārayati prajāḥ | yatsyāddhāraṇasaṁyuktaṁ sa dharma iti niścayaḥ ||
One that sustains is called dharma. It sustains people. Whatever is characterized by the capacity to sustain, that is certainly Dharma.
saṃgacchadhvaṃ saṃvadadhvaṃ saṃ vo manāṃsi jānatām | devā bhāgaṃ yathā pūrve saṃjānānā upāsate ||
Walk together, speak with each other in harmony, understand one another's minds. Just as gods from ancient times did their assigned tasks together.