“Yudhishthira said, ‘In this world, you are so learned in the Vedas and
Vedangas; tell me (then), what one should do to attain salvation?’
“The serpent replied, ‘O scion of the Bharata’s race, my belief is that
the man who bestows alms on proper objects, speaks kind words and tells
the truth and abstains from doing injury to any creature goes to heaven.’
“Yudhishthira enquired, ‘Which, O snake, is the higher of the two, truth
or alms-giving? Tell me also the greater or less importance of kind
behaviour and of doing injury to no creature.’
“The snake replied, ‘The relative merits of these virtues, truth and
alms-giving, kind speech and abstention from injury to any creature, are
known (measured) by their objective gravity (utility). Truth is
(sometimes) more praiseworthy than some acts of charity; some of the
latter again are more commendable than true speech. Similarly, O mighty
king, and lord of the earth, abstention from doing injury to any creature
is seen to be important than good speech and vice-versa. Even so it is, O
king, depending on effects. And now, if thou hast anything else to ask,
say it all, I shall enlighten thee!’ Yudhishthira said, ‘Tell me, O
snake, how the incorporal being’s translation to heaven, its perception
by the senses and its enjoyment of the immutable fruits of its actions
(here below), can be comprehended.’ The snake replied, ‘By his own acts,
man is seen to attain to one of the three conditions of human existence,
of heavenly life, or of birth in the lower animal kingdom. Among these,
the man who is not slothful, who injures no one and who is endowed with
charity and other virtues, goes to heaven, after leaving this world of
men. By doing the very contrary, O king, people are again born as men or
as lower animals. O my son, it is particularly said in this connection,
that the man who is swayed by anger and lust and who is given to avarice
and malice falls away from his human state and is born again as a lower
animal, and the lower animals too are ordained to be transformed into the
human state; and the cow, the horse and other animals are observed to
attain to even the divine state.’[43] O my son, the sentient being,
reaping the fruits of his actions, thus transmigrates through these
conditions; but the regenerate and wise man reposes his soul in the
everlasting Supreme Spirit. The embodied spirit, enchained by destiny and
reaping the fruits of its own actions, thus undergoes birth after birth
but he that has lost touch of his actions, is conscious of the immutable
destiny of all born beings.[44]
“Yudhishthira asked, ‘O snake, tell me truly and without confusion how
that dissociated spirit becomes cognisant of sound, touch, form, flavour,
and taste. O great-minded one, dost thou not perceive them,
simultaneously by the senses? Do thou, O best of snakes, answer all these
queries!’ The snake replied, ‘O long-lived one, the thing called Atman
(spirit), betaking itself to corporeal tenement and manifesting itself
through the organs of sense, becomes duly cognisant of perceptible
objects. O prince of Bharata’s race, know that the senses, the mind, and
the intellect, assisting the soul in its perception of objects, are
called Karanas. O my son, the eternal spirit, going out of its sphere,
and aided by the mind, acting through the senses, the receptacles of all
perceptions, successively perceives these things (sound, form, flavour,
&c). O most valiant of men, the mind of living creatures is the cause of
all perception, and, therefore, it cannot be cognisant of more than one
thing at a time. That spirit, O foremost of men, betaking itself to the
space between the eyebrows, sends the high and low intellect to different
objects. What the Yogins perceive after the action of the intelligent
principle by that is manifested the action of the soul.’
“Yudhishthira said, ‘Tell me the distinguishing characteristics of the
mind and the intellect. The knowledge of it is ordained as the chief duty
of persons meditating on the Supreme Spirit.’
“The snake replied, ‘Through illusion, the soul becomes subservient to
the intellect. The intellect, though known to be subservient to the soul,
becomes (then) the director of the latter. The intellect is brought into
play by acts of perception; the mind is self-existent. The Intellect does
not cause the sensation (as of pain, pleasure, &c), but the mind does.
This, my son, is the difference between the mind and the intellect. You
too are learned in this matter, what is your opinion?’
“Yudhishthira said, ‘O most intelligent one, you have fine intelligence
and you know all that is fit to be known. Why do you ask me that
question? You knew all and you performed such wonderful deeds and you
lived in heaven. How could then illusion overpower you? Great is my doubt
on this point.’ The snake replied, ‘Prosperity intoxicates even the wise
and valiant men. Those who live in luxury, (soon) lose their reason. So,
I too, O Yudhishthira, overpowered by the infatuation of prosperity, have
fallen from my high state and having recovered my self-consciousness, am
enlightening thee thus! O victorious king, thou hast done me a good turn.
By conversing with thy pious self, my painful curse has been expiated. In
days of yore, while I used to sojourn in heaven in a celestial chariot,
revelling in my pride, I did not think of anything else, I used to exact
tribute from Brahmarshis, Devas, Yakshas, Gandharvas, Rakshasas, Pannagas
and all other dwellers of the three worlds. O lord of earth, such was the
spell of my eyes, that on whatever creature, I fixed them, I instantly
destroyed his power. Thousands of Brahmarshis used to draw my chariot.
The delinquency, O king, was the cause of my fall from my high
prosperity. Among them, Agastya was one day drawing my conveyance, and my
feet came in contact with his body; Agastya then pronounced (this curse)
on me, in anger, ‘Ruin seize thee, do thou become a snake.’ So, losing my
glory, I fell down from that excellent car and while falling, I beheld
myself turned into a snake, with head downwards. I thus implored that
Brahmana, ‘May this curse be extinguished, O adorable one! You ought to
forgive one who has been so foolish from infatuation.’ Then he kindly
told me this, as I was being hurled down (from heaven), “The virtuous
king Yudhishthira will save thee from this curse, and when, O king,
horrible sin of pride will be extinguished in thee; thou shalt attain
salvation.’ And I was struck with wonder on seeing (this) power of his
austere virtues; and therefore, have I questioned thee about the
attributes of the Supreme Spirit and of Brahmanas. Truth, charity,
self-restraint, penance, abstention from doing injury to any creature,
and constancy in virtue, these, O king, and not his race of family
connections, are the means, by which a man must always secure salvation.
May this brother of thine, the mighty Bhimasena, meet with good luck and
may happiness abide with thee! I must go to Heaven again.’”
Vaisampayana continued, “So saying, that king, Nahusha, quitted his
serpentine form, and assuming his celestial shape he went back to Heaven.
The glorious and pious Yudhishthira, too, returned to his hermitage with
Dhaumya and his brother Bhima. Then the virtuous Yudhishthira narrated
all that, in detail, to the Brahmanas who had assembled (there). On
hearing that, his three brothers and all the Brahmanas and the renowned
Draupadi too were covered with shame. And all those excellent Brahmanas
desiring the welfare of the Pandavas, admonished Bhima for his
foolhardiness, telling him not to attempt such things again, and the
Pandavas too were greatly pleased at seeing the mighty Bhima out of
danger, and continued to live there pleasantly.”