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The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 4 by or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli

O >> or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli >> The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 4






SECTION CXLIV

"Uma said, 'O holy one, O Lord of all beings, O thou that art worshipped
by the deities and Asuras equally, tell me what are the duties and
derelictions of men. Indeed, O puissant one, resolve my doubts. It is by
these three, viz., thought, word, and deed, that men become bound with
bonds. It is by these same three that they become freed from those bonds.
By pursuing what conduct, O god,--indeed, by what kind of acts,--by what
behaviour and attributes and words, do men succeed in ascending to
heaven?'

"The god of gods said, 'O goddess, thou art well-conversant with the true
import of duties. Thou art ever devoted to righteousness and
self-restraint. The question thou hast asked me is fraught with the
benefit of all creatures. It enhances the intelligence of all persons. Do
thou, therefore, listen to the answer. Those persons that are devoted to
the religion of Truth, that are righteous and destitute of the
indications of the several modes of life, and that enjoy the wealth
earned by righteous means, succeed in ascending to heaven. Those men that
are freed from all doubts, that are possessed of omniscience, and that
have eyes to behold all things, are never enchained by either virtue or
sin. Those men that are freed from all attachments can never be bound by
the chains of action. They who never injure others in thought, word, or
deed, and who never attach themselves to anything, can never be bound by
acts. They who abstain from taking the lives of any creature, who are
pious in conduct, who have compassion, who regard friends and foes in an
equal light and who are self-restrained, can never be bound by acts.
Those men that are endued with compassion towards all beings, that
succeed in inspiring the confidence of all living creatures, and that
have cast off malice in their behaviour, succeed in ascending to heaven.
Those men that have no desire to appropriate what belongs to others, that
keep themselves aloof from the wedded wives of others, and that enjoy
only such wealth as has been earned by righteous means, succeed in
ascending to heaven. Those men who behave towards the wives of other
people as towards their own mothers and sisters and daughters, succeed in
attaining to heaven. Those men that abstain from appropriating what
belongs to others, that are perfectly contented with what they possess,
and that live depending upon their own destiny, succeed in ascending to
heaven. Those men that, in their conduct, always shut their eyes against
association with other people's spouses, that are masters of their
senses, and that are devoted to righteous conduct, succeed in ascending
to heaven. Even this is the path, created by the gods, that the righteous
should follow. This is the path, freed from passion and aversion, laid
down for the righteous to follow. Those men who are devoted to their own
spouses and who seek them only in their seasons, and who turn themselves
away from indulgence in sexual pleasure, succeed in ascending to Heaven
Conduct marked by charity and penances, and characterised by
righteousness of deeds and purity of both body and heart, should be
followed by those that are wise for the sake of adding to their merit or
for earning their means of subsistence. Those who wish to ascend to
Heaven should follow in this track and not in any other.'

"Uma said, 'Tell me, O illustrious deity, O sinless lord of all
creatures, what are those words by which one becomes enchained and what
are those words by uttering which one may be freed from one's bonds.'

"Maheswara said, 'Those men who never tell lies for either themselves or
for others, or in jest or for exciting laughter, succeed in ascending to
Heaven. They who never tell lies for earning their subsistence or for
earning merit or through mere caprice, succeed in ascending to Heaven.
They who utter words that are smooth and sweet and faultless, and who
welcome all whom they meet with sincerity, succeed in ascending to
Heaven. They who never utter words that are harsh and bitter and cruel.
and who are free from deceitfulness and evil of every kind, succeed in
ascending to Heaven. Those men who never utter words that are fraught
with deceit or that cause breach of understanding between friends, and
who always speak what is true and what promotes good feelings, succeed in
ascending to Heaven. Those men who avoid harsh speeches and abstain from
quarrels with others, who are impartial in their behaviour to all
creatures, and who have subjugated their souls, succeed in ascending to
Heaven. They who abstain from evil speech or sinful conversation, who
avoid such speeches as are disagreeable, and who utter only such words as
are auspicious and agreeable, succeed in ascending to Heaven. They who
never utter, under anger, such words as tear the hearts of other people,
and who, even when under the influence of wrath, speak words that are
peaceful and agreeable, succeed in ascending to Heaven. The religion, O
goddess, appertaining to speech, should always be followed by men. It is
auspicious and characterised by truth. They that are possessed of wisdom
should always avoid untruth.'

"Uma said, 'Do thou tell me, O god of gods, O wielder of Pinaka, O thou
that art highly blessed, what those mental acts or thoughts are by which
a person may be enchained.'

"Maheswara said, 'Endued with merit that arises from mental acts, O
goddess, one ascends to Heaven. Listen to me, O auspicious one, as I
recite to thee what those acts are. Listen to me, O thou of sweet face,
how also a mind of ill-regulated features becomes enchained by
ill-regulated or evil thoughts. Those men who do not seek even mentally,
to take what belongs to others even when they see it lying in a lone
forest, succeed in ascending to Heaven. Those men who care not to
appropriate what belongs to others even when they see it lying in a house
or a village that has been deserted, ascend to Heaven. Those men that do
not seek, even mentally, to associate with the wedded spouses of others
even when they behold them in deserted places and under the influence of
desire, succeed in ascending to Heaven. Those men who, meeting with
friends or foes, behave in the same friendly way towards all, succeed in
ascending to Heaven. Those men that are possessed of learning and
compassion, that are pure in body and mind, that are firm in their
adherence to truth, and that are contented with what belongs to them,
succeed in ascending to Heaven. Those men that do not bear ill-will to
any creature, that do not stand in need of labour for their subsistence,
that bear friendly hearts towards all beings, and that entertain
compassion towards all, succeed in ascending to Heaven. Those men that
are endued with faith, that have compassion, that are holy, that seek the
company of holy men, and that are conversant with the distinctions
between right and wrong, succeed in ascending to Heaven. Those men, O
goddess, that are conversant with what the consequences are of good and
bad deeds, succeed in ascending to Heaven. Those men that are just in all
their dealings, that are endued with all desirable accomplishments, that
are devoted to the deities and the Brahmanas, and that are endued with
perseverance in the doing of good acts, succeed in ascending to Heaven.
All these men, O goddess, succeed in ascending to Heaven through the
meritorious consequences of their deeds. What else dost thou wish to
hear?'

"Uma said, 'I have a great doubt, O Maheswara, on a subject connected
with human beings. It behoveth thee to explain it to me carefully. By
what acts does a man succeed, O puissant deity, in acquiring a long life?
By what penances also does one acquire a long life? By what acts does one
become shortlived on earth? O thou that art perfectly stainless, it
behoveth thee to tell me what the consequences are of acts (in the matter
of bestowing a long or a short life on the doer). Some are seen to be
possessed of great good fortune and some weighted with misfortune. Some
are of noble birth while others of ignoble birth. Some are of such
repulsive features as if they are made of wood, while others are of very
agreeable features at even the first sight. Some appear to be destitute
of wisdom while others are possessed of it. Some, again, are seen endued
with high intelligence and wisdom, enlightened by knowledge and science.
Some have to endure little pain, while others there are that are weighted
with heavy calamities. Even such diverse sights are seen with respect to
men. It behoveth thee, O illustrious one, to tell me the reason of all
this.'

"The god of gods said, 'Verily, O goddess, I shall discourse to thee on
the manifestation of the fruits of acts. It is by the rules of that
manifestation that all human beings in this world enjoy or endure the
consequences of their acts. That man who assumes a fierce aspect for the
purpose of taking the lives of other creatures, who arms himself with
stout sticks for injuring other creatures, who is seen with uplifted
weapons, who slays living creatures, who is destitute of compassion, who
always causes agitation to living beings, who refuses to grant protection
to even worms and ants, who is endued with cruelty,--one who is such, O
goddess, sinks in Hell. One who is endued with an opposite disposition
and who is righteous in acts, is born as a handsome man. The man who is
endued with cruelty, goes to Hell, while he that is endued with
compassion ascends to Heaven. The man who goes to Hell has to endure
excruciating misery. One who, having sunk in Hell, rises therefrom, take
birth as a man endued with short life. That man who is addicted to
slaughter and injury, O goddess, becomes, through his sinful deeds,
liable to destruction. Such a person becomes disagreeable to all
creatures and endued with a short life. That man who belongs to what is
called the White class, who abstains from the slaughter of living
creatures, who has thrown away all weapons, who never inflicts any
chastisement on any body, who never injures any creatures, who never
causes any body to slay creatures for him, who never slays or strikes
even when struck or attempted to be slain, who never sanctions or
approves an act of slaughter, who is endued with compassion towards all
creatures, who behaves towards others as towards his own self,--such a
superior man, O goddess, succeeds in attaining to the status of a deity.
Filled with joy, such a man enjoys diverse kinds of luxurious articles.
If such a person ever takes birth in the world of men, he becomes endued
with longevity and enjoys great happiness. Even this is the way of those
that are of righteous conduct and righteous deeds and that are blessed
with longevity, the way that was indicated by the Self-born Brahman
himself and that is characterised by abstention from the slaughter of
living creatures.'"



SECTION CXLV

"Uma said, 'By what disposition, what conduct, what acts, and what gifts,
does a man succeed in attaining to Heaven?'

"Maheswara said, 'He who is endued with a liberal disposition, who
honours Brahmanas and treats them with hospitality, who makes gifts of
food and drink and robes and other articles of enjoyment unto the
destitute, the blind, and the distressed, who makes gifts of houses,
erects halls (for use of the public), digs wells, constructs shelters
whence pure and cool water is distributed (during the hot months unto
thirsty travellers), excavates tanks, makes arrangements for the free
distribution of gifts every day, gives to all seekers what each solicits,
who makes gifts of seats and beds and conveyances, wealth, jewels and
gems, houses, all kinds of corn, kine, fields, and women,--verily, he who
always makes these gifts with a cheerful heart, becomes a denizen, O
goddess, of Heaven. He resides there for a long period, enjoying diverse
kinds of superior articles. Passing his time happily in the company of
the Apsaras, he sports in the woods of Nandana and other delightful
regions. After the exhaustion of his merits he falls down from Heaven and
takes birth in the order of humanity, in a family, O goddess, that is
possessed of wealth in abundance and that has a large command of every
article of enjoyments. In that life he becomes endued with all articles
for gratifying his wishes and appetites. Indeed, blessed with the
possession of such articles, he becomes endued with affluence and a
well-filled treasury. The self-born Brahman himself declared it in days
of old that it is even such persons, O goddess, that become highly
blessed and possessed of liberal dispositions and agreeable features.
There are others, O goddess, that are incapable of making gifts. Endued
with small understandings, they cannot make gifts even when solicited by
Brahmanas and possessed of abundant wealth. Beholding the destitute, the
blind, the distressed, and mendicants, and even guests arrived at their
abodes, those persons, always filled with the desire of gratifying the
organ of taste, turn away, even when expressly solicited by them. They
never make gifts of wealth or robes, or viands, or gold, or kine, or any
kind of food. Those men who are disinclined to relieve the distress of
others, who are full of cupidity, who have no faith in the scriptures,
and who never make gifts,--verily, these men of little understanding, O
goddess, have to sink in Hell. In course of time, when their sufferings
in Hell come to an end, they take birth in the order of humanity, in
families that are entirely destitute of wealth. Always suffering from
hunger and thirst, excluded from all decent society, hopeless of ever
enjoying good things, they lead lives of great wretchedness. Born in
families that are destitute of all articles of enjoyment, these men never
succeed in enjoying the good things of the world. Indeed, O goddess, it
is through their acts that persons become wretched and poor. There are
others who are full of arrogance and pride caused by the possession of
riches. Those senseless wretches never offer seats to those that deserve
such an offer. Endued with little understandings they do not give way to
them that deserve such an honour.[575] Nor do they give water for washing
the feet to persons unto whom it should be given. Indeed, they do not
honour, agreeably to the ordinance, with gifts of the Arghya, such
persons as deserve to be honoured therewith. They do not offer water for
washing the mouth unto such as deserve to have that honour. They do not
treat their very preceptors, when the latter arrive at their houses, in
the manner in which preceptors should be treated. Living in cupidity and
arrogance, they refuse to treat their seniors and aged men with love and
affection, even insulting those that deserve to be honoured and asserting
their superiority over them without showing reverence and humility. Such
men, O goddess, sink in Hell. When their sufferings come to an end after
a long course of years, they rise from Hell, and take birth in the order
of humanity, in low and wretched families. Indeed. they who humiliate
their preceptors and seniors, have to take their birth in such castes as
those of Swapakas and Pukkasas who are exceedingly vile and bereft of
intelligence. He who is not arrogant or filled with pride, who is a
worshipper of the deities and Brahmanas, who enjoys the respect of the
world, who bows to every one that deserves his reverence, who utters
smooth and sweet words, who benefits persons of all orders, who is always
devoted to the good of all beings, who does not feel aversion for
anybody, who is sweet-tongued, who is an utterer of agreeable and cooling
words, who gives way to one that deserves to have way, who adores his
preceptors in the manner in which preceptors deserve to be adored, who
welcomes all creatures with proper courtesy, who does not hear ill will
towards any creature, who lives, worshipping seniors and guests with such
honours as they deserve, who is ever bent upon securing as many guests as
possible, and who worships all who honour his house with their presence,
succeeds, O goddess, in ascending to Heaven. Upon the exhaustion of his
merit, he takes birth in the order of humanity in a high and respectable
family. In that life he becomes possessed of all articles of enjoyment in
abundance and jewels and gems and every kind of wealth in profusion. He
gives unto deserving persons what they deserve. He becomes devoted to the
observance of every duty and every act of righteousness. Honoured by all
creatures and receiving their reverence, he obtains the fruits of his own
acts. Even such a person acquires a high lineage and birth in this world.
This that I have recited to thee was said by the Ordainer (Brahman)
himself in days of old. That man who is fierce in conduct, who inspires
terror in all creatures, who injures other beings with hands or feet or
cords or sticks, or brick-bats or clods of hard clay, or other means of
wounding and paining, O beautiful lady, who practises diverse kinds of
deceit for slaying living creatures or vexing them, who pursues animals
in the chase and causes them to tremble in fear,--verily, that man, who
conducts himself in this way, is certain to sink in Hell. If in course of
time he takes birth in the order of humanity, he is obliged to be born in
a low and wretched race or family that is afflicted with impediments of
every kind on every side. He becomes an object of aversion to all the
world. Wretched among men, he becomes so through the consequence of his
own acts. Another, who is possessed of compassion, casts his eye on all
creatures. Endued with a friendly vision, behaving towards all creatures
as if he were their father, divested of every hostile feeling, with all
his passions under complete control, he never vexes any creature and
never inspires them with fear by means of his hands or feet which are
always under his control. He inspires the confidence of all beings. He
never afflicts any creature with either cords or clubs or brick-bats or
clods of hard earth or weapons of any kind. His deeds are never fierce or
cruel, and he is full of kindness. One who is endued with such practices
and conduct certainly ascend to Heaven. There he lives like a god in a
celestial mansion abounding with every comfort. If, upon the exhaustion
of his merit, he has to take birth in the order of humanity, he becomes
born as a man that has not to fight with difficulties of any kind or to
encounter any fear. Indeed, he enjoys great happiness. Possessed of
felicity, without the obligation of undergoing distressing labour for his
subsistence, he lives freed from every kind of anxiety. Even this, O
goddess, is the path of the righteous. In it there are no impediments or
afflictions.'

"Uma said, 'In the world some men are seen well-versed in inferences and
the premises leading to them. Indeed, they are possessed of science and
knowledge, have large progeny, and are endued with learning and wisdom.
Others, O god, are destitute of wisdom, science, and knowledge, and are
characterised by folly. By what particular acts does a person become
possessed of wisdom? By what acts, again, does one become possessed of
little wisdom and distorted vision? Do thou dispel this doubt of mine, O
thou that art the foremost of all beings conversant with duties. Others
there are, O god, that are blind from the moment of their birth. Others
there are that are diseased and afflicted and impotent. Do thou, O god,
tell me the reason of this.'

"Maheswara said, 'Those men that always enquire, about what is for their
benefit and what is to their detriment, Brahmanas learned in the Vedas,
crowned with success, and conversant with all duties, that avoid all
kinds of evil deeds and achieve only such deeds as are good, succeed in
ascending to Heaven after departing from this world and enjoy great
happiness as long as they live here. Indeed, upon the exhaustion of their
merit when they take birth in the order of humanity, they become born as
men possessed of great intelligence. Every kind of felicity and
auspiciousness becomes theirs in consequence of that intelligence with
which they are born. Those men of foolish understandings who cast wicked
eyes upon the wedded spouses of other men, become cursed with congenital
blindness in consequence of that sinfulness of theirs. Those men who,
impelled by desire in their hearts, cast their eyes on naked women, those
men of wicked deeds take birth in this world to pass their whole lives in
one continuous disease. Those men of foolish and wicked deeds who indulge
in sexual congress with women of orders different from their own,--those
men of little wisdom,--have to take birth in their next lives as persons
destitute of virility. Those men who cause animals to be slain, and those
who violate the beds of their preceptors, and those who indulge
promiscuously in sexual congress, have to take birth in their next lives
as persons destitute of the virile power.'

"Uma said, 'What acts, O foremost of the deities, are faulty, and what
acts are faultless? What, indeed, are those acts by doing which a man
succeeds in attaining to what is for your highest good?'

"Maheswara said, 'That man who is desirous of ascertaining what is
righteousness, and who wishes to acquire prominent virtues and
accomplishments, and who always puts questions to the Brahmanas with a
view to find out the path that leads to his highest good, succeed in
ascending to Heaven. If (after exhaustion of his merit) he takes birth in
the order of humanity, he becomes endued with intelligence and memory and
great wisdom. This, O goddess, is the line of conduct that the righteous
are to follow and that is fraught with great benefit. I have told thee of
it for the good of human beings.'

"Uma said, 'There are men who hate righteousness and who are possessed of
little understanding. They never wish to approach Brahmanas conversant
with the Vedas. There are others who are observant of vows and who are
devoted to the duty of performing Sraddhas. Others, again, are destitute
of all vows. They are unmindful of observance and are like Rakshasas in
conduct. Some there are who are devoted to the performance of sacrifices
and some who are unmindful of the Homa. Through the consequences of what
acts do men become possessed of These different natures?'

"Maheswara said, 'Through the Vedas, the limits have been assigned of all
the acts of human beings. Those men that conduct themselves according to
the authority of the Vedas, are seen (in their next lives) to become
devoted to the observance of vows. Those men, however, who having become
subject to the sway of folly accept unrighteousness for its reverse,
become destitute of vows, transgress all restraints, and come to be
regarded as Brahmarakshasas. Indeed, it is these men that become
unmindful of the Homa, that never utter the Vashat and other sacred
Mantras, and that come to be regarded as the lowest and vilest of men
Thus, O goddess, have I explained to thee the entire ocean of duties in
respect of human beings for the sake of removing thy doubts, not omitting
the sins of which they become guilty.'"



SECTION CXLVI

"Narada said, 'Having said these words, the puissant Mahadeva himself
became desirous of hearing (instead of talking), and with that view he
questioned his dear spouse who was seated by his side and she was fully
inclined to act up to his desire.'

"Mahadeva said, 'Thou, O goddess, art conversant with what is Supreme and
what is not.[576] Thou art acquainted with all duties, O thou that lovest
to reside in the retreats of ascetics. Thou art endued with every virtue,
possessed of beautiful eyebrows and hair ending in the fairest curls, O
daughter of Himavat, the king of mountains! Thou art skilled in every
work. Thou art endued with self-restraint and thou lookest impartially
upon all creatures. Divested of the sense of meum, thou art devoted to
the practice of all the duties. O thou of beautiful features, I desire to
ask thee about something. I wish that, asked by me, thou wilt discourse
to me on that topic. Savitri is the chaste wife of Brahma. The chaste
Sachi is the wife of Indra. Dhumrorna is the spouse of Markandeya, and
Riddhi of (king) Vaisravana. Varuna has Gauri for his spouse, and Surya
has Suvarchala. Rohini is the chaste wife of Sasin, and Swaha of
Vibhavasu. Kasyapa has Aditi. All these regard their husbands as their
gods. Thou hast, O goddess, conversed and associated with all of them
every day. It is for this reason, O thou that art conversant with every
duty, that I desire to question thee about the duties of women, O thou
whose words are always consistent with righteousness. I desire to hear
thee discourse on that subject from the beginning. Thou practisest all
the duties of righteousness with me. Thy conduct is exactly like mine,
and the vows thou observest are the same that are observed by me. Thy
puissance and energy are equal to mine, and thou hast undergone the
austerest penances. The subject, when discoursed upon by thee, will
become endued with great merit. Indeed, that discourse will then become
authoritative in the world. Women, in especial, are the highest refuge of
women. O thou of beautiful hips, among human beings that course of
conduct which thou wilt lay down will be followed from generation to
generation.[577] Half of my body is made up of half thy body. Thou art
always engaged in doing the work of the deities, and it is thou that art
the cause of the peopling of the earth, O auspicious lady, all the
eternal duties of women are well-known to thee. Do thou, therefore, tell
me in detail what are the duties of thy sex.'

Copyright (c) 2007. bestextbooks.com. All rights reserved.

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A Stephen King fan has published an 80-page version of the book which novelist Jack Torrance obsessively writes during King's The Shining, where his descent into madness is revealed when his wife discovers that his work consists of just one phrase, endlessly repeated.

Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson in terrifying form in Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film, is a frustrated writer who goes with his wife and son to spend the winter in the isolated Overlook Hotel in an attempt to get the novel he has always wanted to write started. But the hotel's grisly past and unquiet ghosts have their way with him, and his wife Wendy eventually finds that the manuscript he has been working on actually only contains the phrase "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy", typed over and over again.

Now New York artist Phil Buehler, who describes himself as "a big fan of Stanley Kubrick and Stephen King", has self-published a book credited to Torrance, repeating the phrase throughout but formatting each page differently, using the words to create different shapes from zigzags to spirals.

"The idea has probably been marinating for years, because I loved the movie and the Stephen King book," said Buehler. "I'd just finished my own obsessive art project [and] it was an idea I had over the Christmas holidays."

He said he decided to stick to type and formatting that could have been created on a typewriter, with the first ten pages duplicating shots of Torrance's work from the film. "I thought 'if he continues to get crazier, what would those pages look like?'" he said. "I hit writer's block about 60 pages in, and I had to get to 80 - that went on for about a week." His fiancée, who had neither read the book nor seen the film, became a little concerned about his actions. "I finally showed her the movie, and she realised I wasn't really losing it," said Buehler.

He's included a spoof review from the blog OverThinkingIt.com on the book's back jacket, which compares it to "the best of Beckett" in its "lack of forward momentum", and considers the struggles of the author, "heroically pitting himself against the Sisyphusean sentence". "It's that metatextual struggle of Man vs. Typewriter that gives this book its spellbinding power," the review says. "Some will dismiss it as simplistic; that's like dismissing a Pollack canvas as mere splatters of paint."

So far, Buehler says that around 1,000 people have viewed the book, for sale on Blurb.com for $8.95 in paperback, or $22.95 in hardback, and he's sold "a few" copies, with sales now starting to pick up steam. "A few people have asked me to sign it - they're looking it as a piece of art rather than a funny thing to give to a Kubrick fan," he said. "If you're not a Kubrick or King fan, you might not even get it."

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