“Markandeya continued, ‘Hear, O king Yudhishthira what the virtuous
fowler, thus interrogated by that Brahmana, said to him in reply. The
fowler said, ‘Men’s minds are at first bent on the acquisition of
knowledge. That acquired, O good Brahmana, they indulge in their passions
and desires, and for that end, they labour and set about tasks of great
magnitude and indulge in much-desired pleasures of beauty, flavour, &c.
Then follows fondness, then envy, then avarice and then extinction of all
spiritual light. And when men are thus influenced by avarice, and
overcome by envy and fondness, their intellect ceases to be guided by
righteousness and they practise the very mockery of virtue. Practising
virtue with hypocrisy, they are content to acquire wealth by
dishonourable means with the wealth thus acquired the intelligent
principle in them becomes enamoured of those evil ways, and they are
filled with a desire to commit sins. And when, O good Brahmana, their
friends and men of wisdom remonstrate with them, they are ready with
specious answers, which are neither sound nor convincing. From their
being addicted to evil ways, they are guilty of a threefold sin. They
commit sin in thought, in word, as also in action. They being addicted to
wicked ways, all their good qualities die out, and these men of wicked
deeds cultivate the friendship of men of similar character, and
consequently they suffer misery in this world as well as in the next. The
sinful man is of this nature, and now hear of the man of virtue. He
discerns these evils by means of his spiritual insight, and is able to
discriminate between happiness and misery, and is full of respectful
attention to men of virtue, and from practising virtues, his mind becomes
inclined to righteousness.’ The Brahmana replied, ‘Thou hast given a true
exposition of religion which none else is able to expound. Thy spiritual
power is great, and thou dost appear to me to be like a great Rishi.’ The
fowler replied, ‘The great Brahmanas are worshipped with the same honours
as our ancestors and they are always propitiated with offerings of food
before others. Wise men in this world do what is pleasing to them, with
all their heart. And I shall, O good Brahmana, describe to thee what is
pleasing to them, after having bowed down to Brahmanas as a class. Do
thou learn from me the Brahmanic philosophy. This whole universe
unconquerable everywhere and abounding in great elements, is Brahma, and
there is nothing higher than this. The earth, air, water, fire and sky
are the great elements. And form, odour, sound, touch and taste are their
characteristic properties. These latter too have their properties which
are also correlated to each other. And of the three qualities, which are
gradually characterised by each, in order of priority is consciousness
which is called the mind. The seventh is intelligence and after that
comes egoism; and then the five senses, then the soul, then the moral
qualities called sattwa, rajas and tamas. These seventeen are said to be
the unknown or incomprehensible qualities. I have described all this to
thee, what else dost thou wish to know?’”