Mahabharata quotes, in the epic's own Sanskrit

अहन्यहनि भूतानि गच्छन्तीह यमालयम् ।शेषाः स्थावरमिच्छन्ति किमाश्चर्यमतः परम् ॥

ahanyahani bhūtāni gacchantīha yamālayam |śeṣāḥ sthāvaramicchanti kimāścaryamataḥ param ||

Day after day, living beings go to the house of death. Those left behind want to stay forever. What could be a greater wonder?

MBh 3.314.118Yudhishthira to the Yaksha

तर्कोऽप्रतिष्ठः श्रुतयो विभिन्नानैको मुनिर्यस्य मतं प्रमाणम् ।धर्मस्य तत्त्वं निहितं गुहायांमहाजनो येन गतः स पन्थाः ॥

tarko'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnānaiko muniryasya mataṃ pramāṇam |dharmasya tattvaṃ nihitaṃ guhāyāṃmahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ ||

Reasoning has no firm footing. The scriptures differ. No single sage has the final word. The truth of dharma lies hidden in a cave. The path is the one the great have walked.

MBh 3.314.119Yudhishthira to the Yaksha

माता गुरुतरा भूमेः खात्पितोच्चतरस्तथा ।मनः शीघ्रतरं वाताच्चिन्ता बहुतरी तृणात् ॥

mātā gurutarā bhūmeḥ khātpitoccatarastathā |manaḥ śīghrataraṃ vātāccintā bahutarī tṛṇāt ||

A mother is heavier than the earth. A father is higher than the sky. The mind is faster than the wind. Worries outnumber the grass.

MBh 3.314.62Yudhishthira to the Yaksha

क्रोधः सुदुर्जयः शत्रुर्लोभो व्याधिरनन्तकः ।सर्वभूतहितः साधुरसाधुर्निर्दयः स्मृतः ॥

krodhaḥ sudurjayaḥ śatrurlobho vyādhiranantakaḥ |sarvabhūtahitaḥ sādhurasādhurnirdayaḥ smṛtaḥ ||

Anger is the enemy hardest to defeat. Greed is the illness with no end. The good person wants the good of every being. The bad person has no mercy.

MBh 3.314.94Yudhishthira to the Yaksha

मानं हित्वा प्रियो भवति क्रोधं हित्वा न शोचति ।कामं हित्वाऽर्थवान्भवति लोभं हित्वा सुखी भवेत् ॥

mānaṃ hitvā priyo bhavati krodhaṃ hitvā na śocati |kāmaṃ hitvā'rthavānbhavati lobhaṃ hitvā sukhī bhavet ||

Give up pride and you are loved. Give up anger and you stop grieving. Give up craving and you are rich. Give up greed and you are happy.

MBh 3.314.80Yudhishthira to the Yaksha

अक्रोधेन जयेत्क्रोधमसाधुं साधुना जयेत् ।जयेत्कदर्यं दानेन जयेत्सत्येन चानृतम् ॥

akrodhena jayetkrodhamasādhuṃ sādhunā jayet |jayetkadaryaṃ dānena jayetsatyena cānṛtam ||

Win over anger with calm, the wicked with goodness, the miser with giving, and the liar with truth.

MBh 5.39.73Vidura to Dhritarashtra

न जातु कामः कामानामुपभोगेन शाम्यति ।हविषा कृष्णवर्त्मेव भूय एवाभिवर्धते ॥

na jātu kāmaḥ kāmānāmupabhogena śāmyati |haviṣā kṛṣṇavartmeva bhūya evābhivardhate ||

Desire is never quieted by enjoying what it wants. Like a fire fed with ghee, it only grows.

MBh 12.221.48Panchashikha to King Janaka, as Bhishma tells it

षड्दोषाः पुरुषेणेह हातव्या भूतिमिच्छता ।निद्रा तन्द्री भयं क्रोध आलस्यं दीर्घसूत्रता ॥

ṣaḍdoṣāḥ puruṣeṇeha hātavyā bhūtimicchatā |nidrā tandrī bhayaṃ krodha ālasyaṃ dīrghasūtratā ||

Anyone who wants to do well in life should drop six faults: too much sleep, drowsiness, fear, anger, idleness and putting things off.

MBh 5.33.85Vidura to Dhritarashtra

सर्वं त्वमायतीयुक्तं भाषसे प्राज्ञसंमतम् ।न चोत्सहे सुतं त्यक्तुं यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः ॥

sarvaṃ tvamāyatīyuktaṃ bhāṣase prājñasaṃmatam |na cotsahe sutaṃ tyaktuṃ yato dharmastato jayaḥ ||

Everything you say looks ahead, and the wise would agree with it. Still, I cannot bring myself to give up my son. Where dharma is, there is victory.

MBh 5.39.9Dhritarashtra to Vidura

धर्म एव हतो हन्ति धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः ।तस्माद्धर्मं न त्यजामि मा नो धर्मो हतोऽवधीत् ॥

dharma eva hato hanti dharmo rakṣati rakṣitaḥ |tasmāddharmaṃ na tyajāmi mā no dharmo hato'vadhīt ||

Dharma destroyed destroys. Dharma protected protects. So I will not abandon dharma, or dharma, destroyed, would destroy us.

MBh 3.314.131Yudhishthira to the Yaksha

इदं च त्वां सर्वपरं ब्रवीमिपुण्यं पदं तात महाविशिष्टम् ।न जातु कामान्न भयान्न लोभा-द्धर्मं जह्याज्जीवितस्यापि हेतोः ॥

idaṃ ca tvāṃ sarvaparaṃ bravīmipuṇyaṃ padaṃ tāta mahāviśiṣṭam |na jātu kāmānna bhayānna lobhā-ddharmaṃ jahyājjīvitasyāpi hetoḥ ||

And above all I tell you this, dear one, a holy step and the highest: never give up dharma for desire, for fear or for greed, not even to save your life.

MBh 5.40.12Vidura to Dhritarashtra

न तत्परस्य संदध्यात्प्रतिकूलं यदात्मनः ।एष साङ्ग्राहिको धर्मः कामादन्यः प्रवर्तते ॥

na tatparasya saṃdadhyātpratikūlaṃ yadātmanaḥ |eṣa sāṅgrāhiko dharmaḥ kāmādanyaḥ pravartate ||

Do not do to another what you would find hateful done to yourself. That is dharma in brief. Anything else comes from desire.

Brihaspati, teacher of the gods, answers Yudhishthira and then leaves for heaven (MBh 13.175.11).

MBh 13.175.8Brihaspati to Yudhishthira

नाहं धर्मफलाकाङ्क्षी राजपुत्रि चराम्युत ।ददामि देयमित्येव यजे यष्टव्यमित्युत ॥

nāhaṃ dharmaphalākāṅkṣī rājaputri carāmyuta |dadāmi deyamityeva yaje yaṣṭavyamityuta ||

I do not practise dharma hungry for its fruit, princess. I give because it should be given. I worship because worship should be offered.

MBh 3.31.2Yudhishthira to Draupadi

न त्वेवात्माऽवमन्तव्यः पुरुषेण कदाचन ।न ह्यात्मपरिभूतस्य भूतिर्भवति शोभना ॥

na tvevātmā'vamantavyaḥ puruṣeṇa kadācana |na hyātmaparibhūtasya bhūtirbhavati śobhanā ||

No one should ever think little of themselves. One who holds themselves in contempt does not flourish.

MBh 3.32.58Draupadi to Yudhishthira

कर्म खल्विह कर्तव्यं जातेनामित्रकर्शन ।अकर्माणो हि जीवन्ति स्थावरा नेतरे जनाः ॥

karma khalviha kartavyaṃ jātenāmitrakarśana |akarmāṇo hi jīvanti sthāvarā netare janāḥ ||

Whoever is born here has to act, tamer of enemies. Only things that cannot move live without action. No one else does.

MBh 3.32.3Draupadi to Yudhishthira

मुहूर्तं ज्वलितं श्रेयो न च धूमायितं चिरम् ।मा ह स्म कस्यचिद्गेहे जनि राज्ञः खरो मृदुः ॥

muhūrtaṃ jvalitaṃ śreyo na ca dhūmāyitaṃ ciram |mā ha sma kasyacidgehe jani rājñaḥ kharo mṛduḥ ||

Better to blaze for a moment than to smoulder for years. May no king's house have a son who is only harsh or only soft.

MBh 5.133.15Vidula to her son, as Kunti tells it

आत्मनात्मानमन्विच्छेन्मनोबुद्धीन्द्रियैर्यतैः ।आत्मा ह्येवात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः ॥

ātmanātmānamanvicchenmanobuddhīndriyairyataiḥ |ātmā hyevātmano bandhurātmaiva ripurātmanaḥ ||

Seek the self through the self, with mind, intellect and senses held steady. The self alone is the self's friend, and the self alone its enemy.

MBh 5.34.65Vidura to Dhritarashtra

यादृशैः सन्निविशते यादृशांश्चोपसेवते ।यादृगिच्छेच्च भवितुं तादृग्भवति पूरुषः ॥

yādṛśaiḥ sanniviśate yādṛśāṃścopasevate |yādṛgicchecca bhavituṃ tādṛgbhavati pūruṣaḥ ||

A person becomes like the people they sit with, like the people they serve, and like what they wish to become.

MBh 5.36.13The swan's teaching, as Vidura tells it

सुलभाः पुरुषा राजन्सततं प्रियवादिनः ।अप्रियस्य तु पथ्यस्य वक्ता श्रोता च दुर्लभः ॥

sulabhāḥ puruṣā rājansatataṃ priyavādinaḥ |apriyasya tu pathyasya vaktā śrotā ca durlabhaḥ ||

People who always say pleasant things are easy to find, King. Rare is the one who says what is unwelcome but good for you, and rare the one who listens.

MBh 5.37.15Vidura to Dhritarashtra

न सा सभा यत्र न सन्ति वृद्धान ते वृद्धा ये न वदन्ति धर्मम् ।नासौ धर्मो यत्र न सत्यमस्तिन तत्सत्यं यच्छलेनानुविद्धम् ॥

na sā sabhā yatra na santi vṛddhāna te vṛddhā ye na vadanti dharmam |nāsau dharmo yatra na satyamastina tatsatyaṃ yacchalenānuviddham ||

A hall without elders is no assembly. Elders who do not speak up for dharma are no elders. Dharma without truth is no dharma. Truth laced with deceit is no truth.

MBh 5.35.70Vidura to Dhritarashtra

सोऽस्य दोषो न मन्तव्यः क्षमा हि परमं बलम् ।क्षमा गुणो ह्यशक्तानां शक्तानां भूषणं क्षमा ॥

so'sya doṣo na mantavyaḥ kṣamā hi paramaṃ balam |kṣamā guṇo hyaśaktānāṃ śaktānāṃ bhūṣaṇaṃ kṣamā ||

Do not count that as a fault, for forbearance is the greatest strength. In the weak, forbearance is a virtue. In the strong, it is an ornament.

MBh 5.33.56Vidura to Dhritarashtra

धन्यानामुत्तमं दाक्ष्यं धनानामुत्तमं श्रुतम् ।लाभानां श्रेय आरोग्यं सुखानां तुष्टिरुत्तमा ॥

dhanyānāmuttamaṃ dākṣyaṃ dhanānāmuttamaṃ śrutam |lābhānāṃ śreya ārogyaṃ sukhānāṃ tuṣṭiruttamā ||

Skill is the best thing to be praised for. Learning is the best wealth. Health is the best gain. Contentment is the best joy.

MBh 3.314.76Yudhishthira to the Yaksha

न पृथिव्या सकलया न सुवर्णस्य राशिभिः ।हर्षाद्भयाद्वा गोविन्द मिथ्या कर्तुं तदुत्सहे ॥

na pṛthivyā sakalayā na suvarṇasya rāśibhiḥ |harṣādbhayādvā govinda mithyā kartuṃ tadutsahe ||

Not for the whole earth, not for heaps of gold, not out of joy or fear, Govinda, could I make those bonds false.

Karna has just named the bonds: Radha who nursed him, Adhiratha who raised him, and the wives, sons and grandsons of his own life (MBh 5.141.5 to 11).

MBh 5.141.12Karna to Krishna

न ते जातु नशिष्यन्ति पुत्राः पञ्च यशस्विनि ।निरर्जुनाः सकर्णा वा सार्जुना वा हते मयि ॥

na te jātu naśiṣyanti putrāḥ pañca yaśasvini |nirarjunāḥ sakarṇā vā sārjunā vā hate mayi ||

You will never have fewer than five sons, glorious one: five with Karna if Arjuna falls, or five with Arjuna if I am killed.

MBh 5.146.23Karna to Kunti

नाहं शप्तः प्रतिशपामि कंचि-द्दमं द्वारं ह्यमृतस्येह वेद्मि ।गुह्यं ब्रह्म तदिदं ब्रवीमिन मानुषाच्छ्रेष्ठतरं हि किंचित् ॥

nāhaṃ śaptaḥ pratiśapāmi kaṃci-ddamaṃ dvāraṃ hyamṛtasyeha vedmi |guhyaṃ brahma tadidaṃ bravīmina mānuṣācchreṣṭhataraṃ hi kiṃcit ||

When cursed, I curse no one back. I know self-control to be the door to the deathless. I tell you a hidden truth: there is nothing higher than being human.

Bhishma, answering Yudhishthira, tells of Prajapati in the form of a golden swan teaching the Sadhya gods (MBh 12.305.2 to 4).

MBh 12.305.20The swan to the Sadhyas, as Bhishma tells it