महाभारत - आदि - आत्म

एकोऽहमस्मीति च मन्यसे त्वं
    न हृच्छयं वेत्सि मुनिं पुराणम् ।
यो वेदिता कर्मणः पापकस्य
    तस्यांतिके त्वं वृजिनं करोषि ॥

- महाभारत, आदि

eko aham asmi iti cha manyase tvam
    na hRucChayam vetsi muniM purANam ।
yo veditA karmaNaH pApakasya
    tasyAMtike tvaM vRujinam karoShi ॥

- mahAbhArata, aadi

You are thinking that you are acting alone and there are no witnesses for your action. But you are forgetting about the greatest ancient saint who resides in your heart (God). He keeps track of all your actions and sins associated with them. How can you commit such sins in his presence?

- Mahabharata, Adi

महाभारत - आदि - कुरूपि

विरूपो यावदादर्शे नात्मनः पश्यते मुखम् ।
मन्यते तावदात्मानमन्येभ्यो रूपवत्तरम् ॥

- महाभारत, आदि

virUpo yavat aadarshe na aatmanaH pashyate mukham ।
manyate tAvat aatmanam anyebhyo rUpavattaram ॥

- mahabhaarata, aadi

Even an ugly looking person believes he is more beautiful than everyone else until he looks at the mirror.

- Mahabharata, Adi

महाभारत - आदि - प्रत्युपकारः

एतावानेव पुरुषः कृतं यस्मिन् न नश्यति ।
यावच्च कुर्यादन्योऽस्य कुर्याद्बहुगुणं ततः ॥

- महाभारत, आदि

etAvAneva puruShaH kRutaM yasmin na nashyati ।
yAvaccha kuryAd anyo asya kuryAd bahuguNam tataH ॥

- mahAbhArata, Adi

He is a real man who remembers the help done to him by others. He will make sure that it does not end there. He will always return more help than he received.

- MahbhArata, Adi

महाभारत - आदि पर्व - विद्या

अधीयानः पण्डितं मन्यमानो
    यो विद्यया हन्ति यशः परेषाम् ।
तस्यांतवंतश्च भान्ति लोका
    न चास्य तद् ब्रह्म फलं ददाति ॥

- महाभारत, आदि पर्व

adhIyAnaH panDitam manyamAno
    yo vidyayA hanti yashaH pareShAm ।
tasyAntavantashcha bhavanti lokA
    na cha asya tad brahma phalam dadAti ॥

- mahAbhArata, Adi parva

One who wants to be educated must not think he is a scholar already. He must also not use his education to kill someone else's fame. If he does that, he may get the world, but it is not permanent. He will not attain the eternal peace. (because he will be constantly on the guard that someone else may kill his fame)

- Mahabharata, Adi

महाभारत - आदि - क्रोध

यः समुत्पति क्रोधं निगृह्णाति हयं यथा ।
स यंतेत्युच्यते सद्बिर्न यो रश्मिषु सज्जते ॥

- महाभारत, आदि

yaH samutpati krodham nigRuhNati hayaM yathA ।
sa yantetyuchyate sadbir na yo rashmiShu sajjate ॥

- mahAbhArata, Adi

'Sarathi' - the real meaning of the word is 'one who controls anger' that arises in the mind just like a horse. It does not just mean a 'charioteer'

-Mahabharata, Adi

महाभारत - आदि - शम

पृथिवी रत्न संपूर्णा हिरण्यं पशवः स्त्रियः ।
नालमेकस्य तत्सर्वमिति मत्वा शमं व्रजेत् ॥

- महाभारत, आदि

pRuthvivI ratnam sampUrNA hiraNyam pashavaH striyaH ।
nA alamekasya tat sarvamapi matva shamam vrajet ॥

- mahAbhArata, Adi

This earth gives lot of gems, gold, animals and women. Even if all of that is given to one person he will still not be satisfied. The moral of the story being that greed can not be satisfied by trying to satiate it.

- Mahabharata, Adi

महाभारत - आदि - काम

न जातु कामः कामानामुपभोगेन शम्यति ।
हविषा कृष्णवर्त्मेव भूय एवाभिवर्धते ॥

- महाभारत, आदि

na jAtu kAmaH kAmAnAmupabhogena shamyati ।
haviShA kRuShNavartmeva bhUya eva abhivardhate ॥

- mahAbhArata, Adi

Lust, wanton or greed will not be conquered by satisfying it. It is like trying to douse a fire by adding ghee. It will only grow stronger.

- Mahabharata, Adi

महाभारत - आदि - अर्थाः स्त्रियः

धर्मे मतिर्भवतु वः सततोत्थितानां
    स ह्येक एव परलोकगतस्य बंधुः ।
अर्थाः स्त्रियश्च निपुणैरपि सेव्यमाना
    नैवाप्तभावमुपयान्ति न च स्थिरत्वम् ॥

- महाभारत, आदि

dharma matir bhavatu satata utthitAnAm
    sa hi eka eva paraloka gatasya bandhuH ।
arthAH striyaH ca nipuNaiH api sevyamAnA
    naivAptabhAvam upayAnti na ca sthiratvam ॥

- mahAbhArata, Adi parva

If you want to grow always, then keep thinking about Dharma (moral code of life) always. Dharma is the only thing that follows you in the after life. Wealth and women will never be yours for ever. They are very fickle.

- Mahabharata, Adi

महाभारत - आदि - दया मैत्री दान

न हीदृशं संवननं त्रिषु लोकेषु विद्यते ।
दया मैत्री च भूतेषु दानं च मधुरा च वाक् ॥

- महाभारत - आदि - दया मैत्री दान

There can not be better qualities found in the beings of all three worlds than these - compassion, friendship, selfless charity and sweet words.

- Mahabharata, Adi

महाभारत - आदि - अधर्म

नाधर्मश्चरितो राजन् सद्यः फलति गौरिव ।
शनैरावर्त्यमानो हि कर्तुर्मूलानि कृतन्ति ॥

- महाभारत, आदि

If you stray from path of Dharma, you will not know its repercussions right then. It is not like raising cattle whose benefits are there to be seen immediately. The consequences of unlawful acts will slowly act to cut your very roots.

- Mahabharata, Adi Parva

महाभारत - आदि - अनृत

न नर्मयुक्तं वचनं हिनस्ति
    न स्त्रीषु राजन् न विवाहकाले ।
प्राणात्यये सर्वधनापहारे
    पंचानृतान्याहुरपातकानि ॥

- महाभारत, आदि

When a lie is told as a joke (to invoke happiness) it does not attract sin. There are four more circumstances in life when telling a lie does not attract sin. They are - when you are with a woman, during a wedding (so that a wedding may go on smoothly), when your life is in danger or when all your wealth is being stolen.

- Mahabharata, Adi, Lie

महाभारत - आदि - धर्म

आदित्यचन्द्रावनिलौ च
    द्यौर्भूमिरापो हृदयं यमश्च ।
अहश्च रात्रिश्च उभे च सन्ध्ये
    धर्मश्च जानाति नरस्य वृत्तम् ॥

- महाभारत, आदि

The following are the witness to man's every action - the Sun, the Moon, air, fire, sky, earth, water, heart, Lord of Death, times (morning, night, dawn and dusk), the Lord of Dharma. One must never assume that he can get away with wrong doings just because there is nobody around.

- Mahabharata, Adi