The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2 by or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli

o >> or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli >> The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2

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SECTION XXXIX

"Dhritarashtra said, 'Man is not the disposer of either his prosperity or
adversity. He is like a wooden doll moved by strings. Indeed, the Creator
hath made man subject to Destiny. Go on telling me, I am attentive to
what thou sayest.'

"Vidura said, 'O Bharata, by speaking words out of season even Vrihaspati
himself incurreth reproach and the charge of ignorance, one becometh
agreeable by gift, another by sweet words, a third by the force of
incantation and drugs. He, however, that is naturally agreeable, always
remaineth so. He that is hated by another is never regarded by that other
as honest or intelligent or wise. One attributeth everything good to him
one loveth; and everything evil to him one hateth. O king, as soon as
Duryodhana was born I told thee,--thou shouldst abandon this one son, for
by abandoning him thou wouldst secure the prosperity of thy hundred
sons,--and by keeping him, destruction would overtake thy hundred sons,
that gain should never be regarded highly which leadeth to loss. On the
other hand, that loss even should be regarded highly which would bring on
gain. That is no loss, O king, which bringeth on gain. That, however,
should be reckoned as loss which is certain to bring about greater losses
still. Some become eminent in consequence of good qualities; others
become so in consequence of wealth. Avoid them, O Dhritarashtra, that are
eminent in wealth but destitute of good qualities!'

"Dhritarashtra said, 'All that you sayest is approved by the wise and is
for my future good. I dare not, however, abandon my son. It is well-known
that where there is righteousness there is victory.'

"Vidura said, 'He that is graced with every virtue and is endued with
humility, is never indifferent to even the minutest sufferings of living
creatures. They, however, that are ever employed in speaking ill of
others, always strive with activity quarrelling with one another and in
all matters, calculated to give pain to others. There is sin in accepting
gifts from, and danger in making gifts to them, whose very sight is
inauspicious and whose companionship is fraught with danger. They that
are quarrelsome, covetous, shameless, deceitful, are known unrighteous,
and their companionship should always be avoided. One should also avoid
those men that are endued with similar faults of a grave nature, When the
occasion that caused the friendship is over the friendship of those that
are low, the beneficial result of that connection, and the happiness also
derivable from it, all come to an end. They then strive to speak ill of
their (late) friend and endeavour to inflict loss on him, and if the loss
they sustain be even very small, for all that they, from want of
self-control, fail to enjoy peace. He that is learned, examining
everything carefully and reflecting well, should, from a distance, avoid
the friendship of vile and wicked-minded persons such as these. He that
helpeth his poor and wretched and helpless relatives, obtain children and
animals and enjoyeth prosperity that knoweth no end. They that desire
their own benefit should always succour their relatives. By every means,
therefore, O king, do thou seek the growth of thy race. Prosperity will
be thine, O Monarch, if thou behavest well towards all thy relatives.
Even relatives that are destitute of good qualities should be protected.
O bull of the Bharata race, how much more, therefore, should they be
protected that are endued with every virtue and are humbly expectant of
thy favours? Favour thou the heroic sons of Pandu, O monarch, and let a
few villages be assigned to them for their maintenance. By acting thus, O
king, fame will be thine in this world. Thou art old; thou shouldst,
therefore, control thy sons. I should say what is for thy good. Know me
as one that wishes well to thee. He that desireth his own good should
never quarrel, O sire, with his relatives. O bull of the Bharata race,
happiness should ever be enjoyed with one's relatives, and not without
them, to eat with one another, to talk with one another, and to love one
another, are what relatives should always do. They should never quarrel.
In this world it is the relatives that rescue, and the relatives that
ruin (relatives). Those amongst them that are righteous rescue; while
those that are unrighteous sink (their brethren). O king, be thou, O
giver of honours, righteous in thy conduct towards the sons of Pandu.
Surrounded by them, thou wouldst be unconquerable by thy foes. If a
relative shrinks in the presence of a prosperous relative, like a deer at
sight of a hunter armed with arrows, then the prosperous relative hath to
take upon himself all the sins of the other. O best of men, repentance
will be thine (for this thy inaction at present) when in future thou wilt
hear of the death of either the Pandavas or thy sons. O, think of all
this. When life itself is unstable, one should in the very beginning
avoid that act in consequence of which one would have to indulge in
regrets having entered the chamber of woe. True it is that a person other
than Bhargava, the author of the science of morality is liable to commit
actions that go against morality. It is seen, however, that a just notion
of consequence is present in all persons of intelligence. Thou art an
aged scion of Kuru's race. If Duryodhana inflicted these wrongs on the
sons of Pandu, it is thy duty, O king of men, to undo them all.
Re-instating them in their position, thou wilt, in this world, be
cleansed of all thy sins and be, O king of men, an object of worship with
even those that have their souls under control. Reflecting on the
well-spoken words of the wise according to their consequences, he that
engageth in acts never loseth fame. The knowledge imparted by even men of
learning and skill is imperfect, for that which is sought to be
inculcated is ill-understood, or, if understood, is not accomplished in
practice. That learned person who never doth an act, the consequences of
which are sin and misery, always groweth (in prosperity). The person,
however, of wicked soul, who from folly pursueth his sinful course
commenced before falleth into a slough of deep mire. He that is wise
should ever keep in view the (following) six conduits by which counsels
become divulged, and he that desireth success and a long dynasty should
ever guard himself from those six. They are, intoxication, sleep,
inattention to spies, set over one by another, one's own demeanour as
dependent on the working of one's own heart, confidence reposed on a
wicked counsellor, and unskilful envoys. Knowing these six doors (through
which counsels are divulged), he that keepeth them shut while pursuing
the attainment of virtue, profit, and desire, succeedeth in standing over
the heads of his foes. Without an acquaintance with the scriptures and
without waiting upon the old, neither virtue nor profit can be known (or
won) by persons blessed even with the intelligence of Vrihaspati. A thing
is lost if cast into the sea; words are lost if addressed to one that
listens not; the scriptures are lost on one that hath not his soul under
control; and a libation of clarified butter is lost if poured over the
ashes left by a fire that is extinguished. He that is endued with the
intelligence maketh friendships with those that are wise, having first
examined by the aid of his intelligence, repeatedly searching by his
understanding, and using his ears, eyes, and judgment. Humility removeth
obloquy, ears, failure, prowess; forgiveness always conquereth anger; and
auspicious rites destroy all indications of evil. One's lineage, O king,
is tested by his objects of enjoyment, place of birth, house, behaviour,
food, and dress. When an object of enjoyment is available, even that one
who hath attained emancipation is not unwilling to enjoy; what, again,
need be said of him that is yet wedded to desire? A king should cherish a
counsellor that worshippeth persons of wisdom, is endued with learning,
virtue, agreeable appearance, friends, sweet speech, and a good heart.
Whether of low or high birth, he who doth not transgress the rules of
polite intercourse, who hath an eye on virtue, who is endued with
humility and modesty, is superior to a hundred persons of high birth. The
friendship of those persons never cooleth, whose hearts, secret pursuits,
and pleasures, and acquirements, accord in every respect. He that is
intelligent should avoid an ignorant person of wicked soul, like a pit
whose mouth is covered with grass, for friendship with such a person can
never last. The man of wisdom should never contract friendship with those
that are proud, ignorant, fierce, rash and fallen off from righteousness.
He that is grateful, virtuous, truthful, large-hearted, and devoted, and
he that hath his senses under control, preserveth his dignity, and never
forsaketh a friend, should be desired for a friend. The withdrawal of the
senses from their respective objects is equivalent to death itself. Their
excessive indulgence again would ruin the very gods. Humility, love of
all creatures, forgiveness, and respect for friends,--these, the learned
have said, lengthen life. He who with a firm resolution striveth to
accomplish by a virtuous policy purposes that have once been frustrated,
is said to possess real manhood. That man attaineth all his objects, who
is conversant with remedies to be applied in the future, who is firmly
resolved in the present, and who could anticipate in the past how an act
begun would end. That which a man pursueth in word, deed, and thought,
winneth him for its own; therefore, one should always seek that which is
for his good. Effort after securing what is good, the properties of time,
place, and means, acquaintance with the scriptures, activity,
straightforwardness, and frequent meetings with those that are
good,--these bring about prosperity. Perseverance is the root of
prosperity, of gain, and of what is beneficial. The man that pursueth an
object with perseverance and without giving it up in vexation, is really
great, and enjoyeth happiness that is unending. O sire, there is nothing
more conducive of happiness and nothing more proper for a man of power
and energy as foregiveness in every place and at all times. He that is
weak should forgive under all circumstances. He that is possessed of
power should show forgiveness from motives of virtue; and he, to whom the
success or failure of his objects is the same, is naturally forgiving.
That pleasure the pursuit of which doth not injure one's virtue and
profit, should certainly be pursued to one's fill. One should not,
however, act like a fool by giving free indulgence to his senses.
Prosperity never resides in one who suffers himself to be tortured by a
grief, who is addicted to evil ways, who denies Godhead, who is idle, who
hath not his senses under control, and who is divested of exertion. The
man that is humble, and who from humility is modest is regarded as weak
and persecuted by persons of misdirected intelligence. Prosperity never
approacheth from fear the person that is excessively liberal, that giveth
away without measure, that is possessed of extraordinary bravery, that
practiseth the most rigid vows, and that is very proud of his wisdom.
Prosperity doth not reside in one that is highly accomplished, nor in one
that is without any accomplishment. She doth not desire a combination of
all the virtues, nor is she pleased with the total absence of all
virtues. Blind, like a mad cow, prosperity resides with some one who is
not remarkable. The fruits of the Vedas are ceremonies performed before
the (homa) fire; the fruits of an acquaintance with the scriptures are
goodness of disposition and conduct. The fruits of women are the
pleasures of intercourse and offspring; and the fruits of wealth are
enjoyment and charity. He that performeth acts tending to secure his
prosperity in the other world with wealth acquired sinfully, never
reapeth the fruits of these acts in the other world, in consequence of
the sinfulness of the acquisitions (spent for the purpose). In the midst
of deserts, or deep woods, or inaccessible fastnesses, amid all kinds of
dangers and alarms or in view of deadly weapons upraised for striking
him, he that hath strength of mind entertaineth no fear. Exertion,
self-control, skill, carefulness, steadiness, memory, and commencement of
acts after mature deliberation,--know that these are the roots of
prosperity. Austerities constitute the strength of ascetics; the Vedas
are the strength of those conversant with them; in envy lieth the
strength of the wicked; and in forgiveness, the strength of the virtuous.
These eight, viz., water, roots, fruits, milk, clarified butter (what is
done at) the desire of a Brahmana, (or at) the command of a preceptor,
and medicine, are not destructive of a vow. That which is antagonistic to
one's own self, should never be applied in respect of another. Briefly
even this is virtue. Other kinds of virtue there are, but these proceed
from caprice. Anger must be conquered by forgiveness; and the wicked must
be conquered by honesty; the miser must be conquered by liberality, and
falsehood must be conquered by truth. One should not place trust on a
woman, a swindler, an idle person, a coward, one that is fierce, one that
boasts of his own power, a thief, an ungrateful person, and an atheist.
Achievements, period of life, fame, and power--these four always expand
in the case of him that respectfully saluteth his superiors and waiteth
upon the old. Do not set thy heart after these objects which cannot be
acquired except by very painful exertion, or by sacrificing
righteousness, or by bowing down to an enemy. A man without knowledge is
to be pitied; an act of intercourse that is not fruitful is to be pitied;
the people of a kingdom that are without food are to be pitied; and a
kingdom without a king is to be pitied. These constitute the source of
pain and weakness to embodied creatures; the rains, decay of hills and
mountains; absence of enjoyment, anguish of women; and wordy arrows of
the heart. The scum of the Vedas is want of study; of Brahmanas, absence
of vows; of the Earth, the Vahlikas; of man, untruth; of the chaste
woman, curiosity; of women, exile from home. The scum of gold is silver;
of silver, tin; of tin, lead; and of lead, useless dross. One cannot
conquer sleep by lying down; women by desire; fire by fuel; and wine by
drinking. His life is, indeed, crowned with success who hath won his
friends by gifts, his foes in battle, and wife by food and drink; they
who have thousands live; they, who have hundreds, also live. O
Dhritarashtra, forsake desire. There is none who cannot manage to live by
some means or other. Thy paddy, wheat, gold, animals, and women that are
on earth all cannot satiate even one person .. Reflecting on this, they
that are wise never grieve for want of universal dominion. O king, I
again tell thee, adopt an equal conduct towards thy children, i.e.,
towards the sons of Pandu and thy own sons.'"

SECTION XL

"Vidura said, 'Worshipped by the good and abandoning pride, that good man
who pursueth his objects without outstepping the limits of his power,
soon succeedeth in winning fame, for they that are good, when gratified
with a person, are certainly competent to bestow happiness on him. He
that forsaketh, of his own accord, even a great object owing to its being
fraught with unrighteousness, liveth happily, casting off all foes, like
a snake that hath cast off its slough. A victory gained by an untruth,
deceitful conduct towards the king, and insincerity of intentions
expressed before the preceptor,--these three are each equal to the sin of
slaying a Brahmana. Excessive envy, death, and boastfulness, are the
causes of the destruction of prosperity. Carelessness in waiting upon
preceptor, haste, and boastlessness, are the three enemies of knowledge.
Idleness, inattention, confusion of the intellect, restlessness,
gathering for killing time, haughtiness, pride, and covetous ness,--these
seven constitute, it is said, the faults of students in the pursuit of
learning. How can they that desire pleasure have knowledge? Students,
again, engaged in the pursuit of learning, cannot have pleasure. Votaries
of pleasure must give up knowledge, and votaries of knowledge must give
up pleasure. Fire is never gratified with fuel (but can consume any
measure thereof). The great ocean is never gratified with the rivers it
receives (but can receive any number of them). Death is never gratified
even with entire living creatures. A beautiful woman is never gratified
with any number of men (she may have). O king, hope killeth patience;
Yama killeth growth; anger killeth prosperity; miserliness killeth fame;
absence of tending killeth cattle; one angry Brahmana destroyeth a whole
kingdom. Let goats, brass, silver, honey, antidotes of poison, birds,
Brahmanas versed in the Vedas, old relatives, and men of high birth sunk
in poverty, be always present in thy house. O Bharata, Manu hath said
that goats, bulls, sandal, lyres, mirrors, honey, clarified butter, iron,
copper, conch-shells, salagram (the stony-image of Vishnu with gold
within) and gorochana should always be kept in one's house for the
worship of the gods. Brahmanas, and guests, for all those objects are
auspicious. O sire, I would impart to thee another sacred lesson
productive of great fruits, and which is the highest of all teachings,
viz., virtue should never be forsaken from desire, fear, or temptation,
nay, nor for the sake of life itself. Virtue is everlasting; pleasure and
pain are transitory; life is, indeed, everlasting but its particular
phases are transitory. Forsaking those which are transitory, betake
thyself to that which is everlasting, and let contentment be thine, for
contentment is the highest of all acquisitions. Behold, illustrious and
mighty kings, having ruled lands abounding with wealth and corn, have
become the victims of the Universal Destroyer, leaving behind their
kingdoms and vast sources of enjoyment. The son brought up with anxious
care, when dead, is taken up and carried away by men (to the burning
ground). With the dishevelled hair and crying piteously, they then cast
the body into the funeral pyre, as if it were a piece of wood. Others
enjoy the deceased's wealth, while birds and fire feast on the elements
of his body. With two only he goeth to the other world, viz., his merits
and his sins which keep him company. Throwing away the body, O sire,
relatives, friends, and sons retrace their steps, like birds abandoning
trees without blossoms and fruits. The person cast into the funeral pyre
is followed only by his own acts. Therefore, should men carefully and
gradually earn the merit of righteousness. In the world above this, and
also in that below this, there are regions of great gloom and darkness.
Know, O king, that those are regions where the senses of men are
exceedingly afflicted. Oh, let not any of those places to thine.
Carefully listening to these words, if thou canst act according to them,
thou wilt obtain great fame in this world of men, and fear will not be
thine here or hereafter. O Bharata, the soul is spoken of as a river;
religious merit constitutes its sacred baths; truth, its water;
self-control, its banks; kindness, its waves. He that is righteous
purifieth himself by a bath therein, for the soul is sacred, and the
absence of desire is the highest merit. O king, life is a river whose
waters are the five senses, and whose crocodiles and sharks are desire
and anger. Making self-control thy raft, cross thou its eddies which are
represented by repeated births! Worshipping and gratifying friends that
are eminent in wisdom, virtue, learning, and years, he that asketh their
advice about what he should do and should not do, is never misled. One
should restrain one's lust and stomach by patience; one's hands and feet
by one's eyes; one's eyes and ears by one's mind; and one's mind and
words by one's acts. That Brahmana who never omitteth to perform his
ablutions, who always weareth his sacred thread, who always attendeth to
the study of the Vedas, who always avoideth food that is unclean, who
telleth the truth and performeth acts in honour of his preceptor, never
falleth off from the region of Brahma. Having studied the Vedas, poured
libations into fire, performed sacrifices, protected subjects, sanctified
his soul by drawing weapons for protecting kine and Brahmanas, and died
on the field of battle, the Kshatriya attaineth to heaven. Having studied
the Vedas, and distributed in proper time, his wealth among Brahmanas,
Kshatriyas, and his own dependents, and inhaled the sanctified smoke of
the three kinds of fires, the Vaisya enjoyeth heavenly bliss in the other
world. Having properly worshipped Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, and Vaisayas in
due order, and having burnt his sins, by gratifying them, and then
peacefully casting off his body, the Sudra enjoyeth the bliss of heaven.
The duties of the four orders are thus set forth before thee. Listen now
to the reason of my speech as I discourse it. Yudhishthira, the son of
Pandu, is falling off from the duties of the Kshatriya order. Place him,
therefore, O king, in a position to discharge the duties of kings.'

"Dhritarashtra said, It is even so as thou always teachest me. O amiable
one, my heart also inclineth that very way of which thou tellest me.
Although, however, I incline in my mind towards the Pandavas even as thou
teachest me to do, yet as soon as I come in contact with Duryodhana it
turneth off in a different way. No creature is able to avert fate.
Indeed, Destiny, I think, is certain to take its course; individual
exertion is futile.'"

SECTION XLI

(Sanat-sujata Parva)

"Dhritarashtra said, 'If there is anything still left unsaid by thee, O
Vidura, say it then, as I am ready to listen to thee. The discourse is,
indeed, charming.'

"Vidura. said, 'O Dhritarashtra, O thou of the Bharata race, that ancient
and immortal Rishi Sanat-sujata who, leading a life perpetual celibacy,
hath said that there is no Death,--that foremost of all intelligent
persons,--will expound to thee all the doubts, in thy mind, both
expressed and unexpressed.'

"Dhritarashtra said, 'Dost thou not know what that immortal Rishi will
say unto me? O Vidura, do thou say it, if indeed, thou hast that degree
of wisdom.'

"Vidura said, 'I am born in the Sudra order and, therefore, do not
venture to say more than what I have already said. The understanding,
however, of that Rishi leading a life of celibacy, is regarded by me to
be infinite. He that is a Brahmana by birth, by discoursing on even the
profoundest mysteries, never incureth the censure of the gods. It is for
this alone that I do not discourse to thee, upon the subject.'

"Dhritarashtra said, 'Tell me, O Vidura, how with this body of mine I can
meet with that ancient and immortal one?'

"Vaisampayana said, 'Then Vidura began to think of that Rishi of rigid
vows. And knowing that he was thought of, the Rishi, O Bharata, showed
himself there. Vidura then received him with the rites prescribed by
ordinance. And when, having rested a while, the Rishi was seated at his
ease, Vidura addressed him, saying, 'O illustrious one, there is a doubt
in Dhritarashtra's mind which is incapable of being explained away by me.
It behoveth thee, therefore, to expound it, so that listening to thy
discourse, this chief of men may tide over all this sorrows, and to that
gain and loss, what is agreeable and what disagreeable, decrepitude and
death, fright and jealously, hunger and thirst, pride and prosperity,
dislike, sleep, lust and wrath, and decrease and increase may all be
borne by him!'"

SECTION XLII

"Vaisampayana said, 'Then the illustrious and wise king Dhritarashtra,
having applauded the words spoken by Vidura, questioned Sanat-sujata in
secret, desirous of obtaining the highest of all knowledge. And the king
questioned the Rishi saying, 'O Sanat-sujata, I hear that thou art of the
opinion that there is no Death. Again it is said that the gods and the
Asuras, practise ascetic austerities in order to avoid death. Of these
two opinions, then, which is true?'

"Sanat-sujata said, 'Some say, death is avertable by particular acts;
others' opinion there is no death; thou hast asked me which of these is
true. Listen to me, O king, as I discourse to thee on this, so that thy
doubts may be removed. Know, O Kshatriya, that both of these are true.
The learned are of opinion that death results from ignorance. I say that
ignorance is Death, and so the absence of ignorance (Knowledge) is
immortality. It is from ignorance that the Asuras became subject to
defeat and death, and it is from the absence of ignorance that the gods
have attained the nature of Brahman. Death doth not devour creatures like
a tiger; its form itself is unascertainable. Besides this, some imagine
Yama to be Death. This, however, is due to the weakness of the mind. The
pursuit of Brahman or self-knowledge is immortality. That (imaginary) god
(Yama) holdeth his sway in the region of the Pitris, being the source of
bliss to the virtuous and of woe to the sinful. It is at his command that
death in the form of wrath, ignorance, and covetousness, occurreth among
men. Swayed by pride, men always walk in unrighteous path. None amongst
them succeeds in attaining to his real nature. With their understanding
clouded, and themselves swayed by there passions, they cast off their
bodies and repeatedly fall into hell. They are always followed by their
senses. It is for this that ignorance receives the name of death. Those
men that desire the fruits of action when the time cometh for enjoying
those fruits, proceed to heaven, casting off their bodies. Hence they
cannot avoid death. Embodied creatures, from inability to attain the
knowledge of Brahman and from their connection with earthly enjoyments,
are obliged to sojourn in a cycle of re-births, up and down and around,
The natural inclination of man towards pursuits that are unreal is alone
the cause of the senses being led to error. The soul that is constantly
affected by the pursuit of objects that are unreal, remembering only that
with which it is always engaged, adoreth only earthly enjoyments that
surround it. The desire of enjoyments first killeth men. Lust and wrath
soon follow behind it. These three, viz., the desire of enjoyments, lust,
and wrath, lead foolish men to death. They, however, that have conquered
their souls, succeed by self-restraint, to escape death. He that hath
conquered his soul without suffering himself to be excited by his
ambitious desire, conquereth these, regarding them as of no value, by the
aid of self-knowledge. Ignorance, assuming the form of Yama, cannot
devour that learned man who controlled his desires in this manner. That
man who followeth his desires is destroyed along with his desires. He,
however, that can renounce desire, can certainly drive away all kinds of
woe. Desire is, indeed, ignorance and darkness and hell in respect of all
creatures, for swayed by it they lose their senses. As intoxicated
persons in walking along a street reel towards ruts and holes, so men
under the influence of desire, misled by deluding joys, run towards
destruction. What can death do to a person whose soul hath not been
confounded or misled by desire? To him, death hath no terrors, like a
tiger made of straw. Therefore, O Kshatriya, if the existence of desire,
which is ignorance, is to be destroyed, no wish, not even the slightest
one, is either to be thought of or pursued. That soul, which is in thy
body, associated as it is with wrath and covetousness and filled with
ignorance, that is death. Knowing that death arises in this way, he that
relies on knowledge, entertaineth no fear of death. Indeed, as the body
is destroyed when brought under the influence of death, so death itself
is destroyed when it comes under the influence of knowledge.'