"Markandeya said, 'Continually reflecting upon that wonderful discourse
of the woman, Kausika began to reproach himself and looked very much
like a guilty person and meditating on the subtle ways of morality and
virtue, he said to himself, "I should accept with reverence what the
lady hath said and should, therefore, repair to Mithila. Without doubt
there dwelleth in that city a fowler of soul under complete control and
fully acquainted with the mysteries of virtue and morality. This very
day will I repair unto that one endued with wealth of asceticism for
enquiring of him about virtue." His faith in her was assured by her
knowledge of the death of the she-crane and the excellent words of
virtuous import she had uttered. Kausika thus reflecting with reverence
upon all she had said, set out for Mithila, filled with curiosity. And
he traversed many forests and villages and towns and at last reached
Mithila that was ruled over by Janaka and he beheld the city to be
adorned with the flags of various creeds. And he beheld that beautiful
town to be resounding with the noise of sacrifices and festivities and
furnished with splendid gateways. It abounded with palatial residences
and protected by walls on all sides; it had many splendid buildings to
boast of. And that delightful town was also filled with innumerable
cars. And its streets and roads were many and well-laid and many of them
were lined with shops. And it was full of horses and cars and elephants
and warriors. And the citizens were all in health and joy and they were
always engaged in festivities. And having entered that city, that
Brahmana beheld there many other things. And there the Brahmana enquired
about the virtuous fowler and was answered by some twice-born persons.
And repairing to the place indicated by those regenerate ones, the
Brahmana beheld the fowler seated in a butcher's yard and the ascetic
fowler was then selling venison and buffalo meat and in consequence of
the large concourse of buyers gathered round that fowler, Kausika stood
at a distance. But the fowler, apprehending that the Brahmana had come
to him, suddenly rose from his seat and went to that secluded spot where
the Brahmana was staying and having approached him there, the fowler
said, "I salute thee, O holy one! Welcome art thou, O thou best of
Brahmanas! I am the fowler. Blessed be thou! Command me as to what I may
do for thee. The word that the chaste woman said unto thee, viz.,
_Repair thou to Mithila_, are known to me. I also know for what purpose
thou hast come hither." Hearing these words of the fowler that Brahmana
was filled with surprise. And he began to reflect inwardly, saying,
"This indeed, is the second marvel that I see!" The fowler then said
unto the Brahmana, saying, "Thou art now standing in place that is
scarcely proper for thee, O sinless one. If it pleasest thee, let us go
to my abode, O holy one!"'
"Markandeya continued, '"_So be it_," said the Brahmana unto him,
gladly. And thereupon, the fowler proceeded towards his home with the
Brahmana walking before him. And entering his abode that looked
delightful, the fowler reverenced his guest by offering him a seat. And
he also gave him water to wash his feet and face. And accepting these,
that best of Brahmanas sat at his ease. And he then addressed the
fowler, saying, "It seems to me that this profession doth not befit
thee. O fowler, I deeply regret that thou shouldst follow such a cruel
trade." At these words of the Brahmana the fowler said, "This profession
is that of my family, myself having inherited it from my sires and
grandsires. O regenerate one, grieve not for me owing to my adhering to
the duties that belong to me by birth. Discharging the duties ordained
for me beforehand by the Creator, I carefully serve my superiors and the
old. O thou best of Brahmanas! I always speak the truth, never envy
others; and give to the best of my power. I live upon what remaineth
after serving the gods, guests, and those that depend on me. I never
speak ill of anything, small or great. O thou best of Brahmanas, the
actions of a former life always follow the doer. In this world there are
three principal professions, viz., agriculture, rearing of cattle, and
trade. As regards the other world, the three _Vedas_, knowledge, and the
science of morals are efficacious. Service (of the other three orders)
hath been ordained to be the duty of the Sudra. Agriculture hath been
ordained for the Vaisyas, and fighting for the Kshatriyas, while the
practice of the _Brahmacharya_ vow, asceticism, recitation of _mantras_,
and truthfulness have been ordained for the Brahmanas. Over subjects
adhering to their proper duties, the king should rule virtuously; while
he should set those thereto that have fallen away from the duties of
their order. Kings should ever be feared, because they are the lords of
their subjects. They restrain those subjects of theirs that fall away
from their duties as they restrain the motions of the deer by means of
their shafts. O regenerate _Rishi_, there existeth not in the kingdom of
Janaka a single subject that followeth not the duties of his birth. O
thou best of the Brahmanas, all the four orders here rigidly adhere to
their respective duties. King Janaka punisheth him that is wicked, even
if he be his own son; but never doth he inflict pain on him that is
virtuous. With good and able spies employed under him, he looketh upon
all with impartial eyes. Prosperity, and kingdom, and capacity to
punish, belong, O thou best of Brahmanas, to the Kshatriyas. Kings
desire high prosperity through practice of the duties that belong to
them. The king is the protector of all the four orders. As regards
myself, O Brahmana, I always sell pork and buffalo meat without slaying
those animals myself. I sell meat of animals, O regenerate _Rishi_, that
have been slain by others. I never eat meat myself; never go to my wife
except in her season; I always fast during the day, and eat, O
regenerate one, in the night. Even though the behaviour of his order is
bad, a person may yet be himself of good behaviour. So also a person may
become virtuous, although he may be slayer of animals by profession. It
is in consequence of the sinful acts of kings that virtue decreaseth
greatly, and sin beginneth to prosper. And when all this taketh place
the subjects of the kingdom begin to decay. And it is then, O Brahmana,
that ill-looking monsters, and dwarfs, and hunch-backed and large-headed
wights, and men that are blind or deaf or those that have paralysed eyes
or are destitute of the power of procreation, begin to take their birth.
It is from the sinfulness of kings that their subjects suffer numerous
mischiefs. But this our king Janaka casteth his eyes upon all his
subjects virtuously, and he is always kind unto them who, on their part,
ever adhere to their respective duties. Regarding myself, I always with
good deeds please those that speak well, as also those that speak ill of
me. Those kings that live in the observance of their own proper duties,
who are always engaged in the practice of acts that are good and honest,
who are of souls under complete control and who are endued with
readiness and alacrity, may not depend upon anything else for supporting
their power. Gift of food to the best of one's power, endurance of heat
and cold, firmness in virtue, and a regard and tenderness for all
creatures,--these attributes can never find place in a person, without
an innate desire being present in him of separating himself from the
world. One should avoid falsehood in speech, and should do good without
solicitation. One should never cast off virtue from lust, from wrath, or
from malice. One should never joy immoderately at a good turn or grieve
immoderately at a bad one. One should never feel depressed when
overtaken by poverty, nor when so overtaken abandon the path of virtue.
If at any time one doth what is wrong, he should never do its like
again. One should always urge his soul to the doing of that which he
regardeth as beneficial. One should never return wrong for wrong, but
should act honestly by those that have wronged him. That wretched man
who desireth to do what is sinful, slayeth himself. By doing what is
sinful, one only imitates them that are wicked and sinful. Disbelieving
in virtue they that mock the good and the pure saying, '_There is no
virtue_' undoubtedly meet with destruction. A sinful man swelleth up
like a leather bag puffed up with wind. The thoughts of these wretches
filled with pride and folly are feeble and unprofitable. It is the
heart, the inner soul, that discovereth the fool like the sun that
discovereth forms during the day. The food cannot always shine in the
world by means of self-praise. The learned man, however, even if he be
destitute of beauty, displayeth his lustre by refraining from speaking
ill of others and well of himself. No example, however, can be met with,
in this world, of a person shining brilliantly on account of attributes
to be found in him in their reputed measure. If one repenteth of a wrong
done by him, that repentance washeth off his sin. The resolution of
never doing it again saveth him from future sin, even as, O thou best of
Brahmanas, he may save himself from sin by any of those expiations
obtained in the scriptures. Even this, O regenerate one, is the _sruti_
that may be seen in respect of virtue. He that having before been
virtuous, committeth a sin, or committeth it unknowingly may destroy
that sin. For virtue, O Brahmana, driveth off the sin that men commit
from ignorance. A man, after having committed a sin, should cease to
regard himself any longer as a man. No man can conceal his sins. The
gods behold what one does, also the Being that is within every one. He
that with piety and without detraction hideth the faults of the honest
and the wise like holes in his own attire, surely seeketh his salvation.
If a man seeketh redemption after having committed a sin, without doubt
he is purged of all his sins and looketh pure and resplendent like the
moon emerged from the clouds. A man that seeketh redemption is washed of
all his sins, even as the sun, upon rising, dispelleth all darkness. O
best of Brahmanas, it is temptation that constitutes the basis of sin.
Men that are ignorant commit sin, yielding to temptation alone. Sinful
men generally cover themselves with a virtuous exterior, like wells
whose mouths are covered by long grass. Outwardly they seem to possess
self-control and holiness and indulge in preaching virtuous texts which,
in their mouth are of little meaning. Indeed, everything may be noticed
in them except conduct that is truly virtuous!"'
"Markandeya continued, 'At these words, O best of men, of the fowler,
that Brahmana endued with great wisdom, then asked the fowler, saying,
"How shall I know what is virtuous conduct? Blessed be thou, I desire to
hear this, O thou foremost of virtuous men, from thee. Therefore, O thou
of exalted soul, tell me all about it truly." Hearing these words, the
fowler replied, saying, "O best of Brahmanas, Sacrifices, Gift,
Asceticism, the Vedas, and Truth--these five holy things are ever
present in conduct that is called virtuous. Having subjugated lust and
wrath, pride, avarice, and crookedness, they that take pleasure in
virtue because it is virtue, are regarded as really virtuous and worthy
of the approbation of persons that are virtuous. These persons who are
devoted to sacrifices, and study of the Vedas have no independent
behaviour. They follow only the practices of the honest and the good.
This indeed, is the second attribute of the virtuous. Waiting upon
superiors, Truth, Freedom from anger, and Gift, these four, O Brahmana,
are inseparably connected with behaviour that is virtuous. For the
reputation that a person acquires by setting his heart on virtuous
behaviour and adhering to it rigidly is incapable of acquisition except
by practising the four virtues named above. The essence of the _Vedas_
is Truth: the essence of Truth is self-control, and the essence of
self-control is abstention from the pleasures of the world. These all
are to be noticed in behaviour that is virtuous. They that follow those
deluded fools that mock the forms of faith prevailing among men, are
dragged into destruction for walking in such a sinful path. They,
however, that are virtuous and engaged in the observance of vows, who
are devoted to the _srutis_ and the virtue of abstention from the
pleasure of the world, they in fact who tread in virtue's path and
follow the true religion, they that are obedient to the mandates of
their preceptors, and who reflect upon the sense of the scriptures with
patience and carefulness,--it is these that are said to be possessed of
behaviour that is virtuous; it is these, O Brahmana, that are said to
properly guide their higher intelligence. Forsaking those that are
atheists, those that transgress virtue's limits, those that are of
wicked souls, those that live in sinfulness, betake thyself to knowledge
reverencing those that are virtuous. Lust and temptation are even like
sharks in the river of life; the waters are the five senses. Do thou
cross over to the other side of this river in the boat of patience and
resignation, avoiding the shoals of corporeal existence (repeated births
in this world). The supreme virtue consisting in the exercise of the
intelligent principle and abstraction, when gradually super-added to
virtuous conduct, becomes beautiful like dye on white fabrics.
Truthfulness and abstention from doing injury to any one, are virtues
highly beneficial to all creatures. Of these, that latter is a cardinal
virtue, and is based on truth. Our mental faculties have their proper
play when their foundation is laid in truth, and in the exercise of
virtue truth is of the highest value. Purity of conduct is the
characteristic of all good men. Those that are distinguished for holy
living are good and virtuous. All creatures follow the principles of
conduct which are innate in their nature. The sinful being who has no
control over self acquires lust, anger and other vices. It is the
immemorial rule that virtuous actions are those that are founded on
justice, and it is also ordained by holy men that all iniquitous conduct
is sin. Those who are not swayed by anger, pride, haughtiness and envy,
and those who are quiet and straight-forward, are men of virtuous
conduct. Those who are diligent in performing the rites enjoined in the
three _Vedas_, who are wise, and of pure and virtuous conduct, who
exercise self-restraint and are full of attention to their superior, are
men of virtuous conduct. The actions and conduct of such men of great
power, are very difficult of attainment. They are sanctified by the
purification of their own actions, and consequently sin in them dies out
of itself. This virtue of good conduct is wonderful, ancient, immutable
and eternal; and wise men observing this virtue with holiness, attain to
heaven. These men who believe in the existence of the Deity, who are
free from false pride, and versed in holy writ, and who respect
regenerate (twice-born) men, go to heaven. Among holy men, virtue is
differentiated in three ways--that great virtue which is inculcated in
the _Vedas_, the other which is inculcated in the _dharmashastras_ (the
minor scriptures), and virtuous conduct. And virtuous conduct is
indicated by acquisition of knowledge, pilgrimage to sacred places,
truthfulness, forbearance, purity and straight-forwardness. Virtuous men
are always kind to all creatures, and well-disposed towards regenerate
men. They abstain from doing injury to any creature, and are never rude
in speech. Those good men who know well the consequences of the fruition
of their good and evil deeds, are commended by virtuous men. Those who
are just and good-natured, and endowed with virtue, who wish well of all
creatures, who are steadfast in the path of virtue, and have conquered
heaven, who are charitable, unselfish and of unblemished character, who
succour the afflicted, and are learned and respected by all, who
practise austerities, and are kind to all creatures, are commended as
such by the virtuous. Those who are charitably disposed attain
prosperity in this world, as also the regions of bliss (hereafter). The
virtuous man when solicited for assistance by good men bestow alms on
them by straining to the utmost, even to the deprivation of the comforts
of his wife and servants. Good men having an eye to their own welfare,
as also virtue and the ways of the world, act in this way and thereby
grow in virtue through endless ages. Good persons possessing the virtues
of truthfulness, abstention from doing injury to any one, rectitude,
abstention from evil towards any one, want of haughtiness, modesty,
resignation, self-restraint, absence of passion, wisdom, patience, and
kindness towards all creatures, and freedom from malice and lust, are
the witnesses of the world. These three are said to constitute the
perfect way of the virtuous, viz., a man must not do wrong to any body,
he must bestow alms, and must always be truthful. Those high-souled good
men of virtuous conduct, and settled convictions, who are kind to all
and are full of compassion, depart with contentment from this world to
the perfect way of virtue. Freedom from malice, forbearance, peace of
mind, contentment, pleasant speech, renunciation of desire and anger,
virtuous conduct and actions regulated according to the ordinances of
holy writ, constitute the perfect way of the virtuous. And those who are
constant in virtue follow these rules of virtuous conduct, and having
reached the pinnacle of knowledge, and discriminating between the
various phases of human conduct, which are either very virtuous or the
reverse, they escape from the great danger. Thus, O great Brahmana,
having introduced the subject of virtuous conduct, have I described to
thee all this, according to my own knowledge and to what I have heard on
the subject."'"