"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?"'"