THE STAGE PLAY AND DANCE OF DESTINY.
Argument.--Of the endless powers or saktis of Siva, among whom the
power of Destiny is described in this.
The God joined:--The beauty of the words said before is palpable, and
their senses all allude to the truth, that the Lord of all is the rich
chest of gems of all things in existence. (The gloss is too verbose in
the explanation of this passage).
2. How very bright are the rays of the gems contained in the receptacle
of the supreme Intellect, that shines forth with the collected light
of all the luminous worlds in it. (It means to say, that the Divine
intellect must be brighter far than all the orbs of light contained in
it).
3. The essence of the intellect flies in the air in the form of the
granular farina, and becomes the embryotic corpuscula; which in the
manner of the vegetable seed, sprouts forth into the germ in its proper
time, soil, moisture and temperature. (The gloss explains the essence
_satta_ to mean the energy--_sakti_, which is represented as the female
attribute of the Divinity).
4. This power of the intellect, moves in the forms of froth and foam,
and eddies and whirl pools in the sea; and rolls its waters against the
hard stones of the beach. (The liquid waters are moving things that are
hard to touch).
5. It is settled in the form of flavour in the clusters of flowers; it
makes them full blown, and carries their fragrance to the nostrils.
6. Seated on bodies of stone (stony rocks), it makes them produce
unstone-like substances (as the trees and their foliage and flowers of
various hues); and makes the mountains to support the earth without
their actually upholding it. (The mountains are called _bhudharas_ or
supports of the earth.)
7. The intellect takes the form of the air, which is the source of
all vibrations, and touches the organ of touch (skin); with as much
tenderness as a father touches the body of his child.
8. As the divine power extends itself in every thing, so it contracts
the essences of all things in a mass within itself; and having absorbed
the whole in the divine entity, makes all nature a vacuous nullity.
9. It casts the reflexion of its own clear image, in the transparent
mirror of vacuum; and takes upon itself the pellucid body of eternity,
containing all divisions of time.
10. Then there issues the power of Destiny, which predominates over the
five principal divinities; and determines the ultimate fate of all that
"this is to be so, and this other wise."
11. It is in the presence of the bright light of the all witnessing eye
of the great God, that the picture of the universe presents itself to
our sight; as the presence of the lighted lamp in the room, shows us
the lights of the things contained in it.
12. The universal vacuum contains the great theatre of the universe,
wherein the Divine powers and energies are continually playing their
parts, and the spirit of God is the witness there of.
13. Vasishtha asked--What are the powers of that Siva (Jove), my lord!
who are they and where are they situated; what is number, and how are
they employed and who is their witness.
14. The god replied--The god Siva is the benignant, incomprehensible
and tranquil supreme soul; He is gracious and formless and of the
nature of the pure intellect only.
15. His essences are volition, vacuity, duration and destiny; and also
the qualities of infinity and fulness.
16. Beside these he has the properties of intelligence and action, as
also of causality and quietude; and there are many other powers in the
spirit of Siva, of which there is no reckoning nor end.
17. Vasishtha rejoined--Whence came these powers to him, and how had
they their variety and plurality; tell me, my lord! whence they arose,
and how they were separated (from omnipotence which comprehends them
all).
18. The god replied:--The god Siva who is intellect only of himself,
has endless forms also (according to his endless attributes), and
the powers that I have said to belong to him, are little and no way
different essentiality. (The properties that are predicated of god,
belong to his intrinsical nature and not derived from without).
19. It is the discrimination of the powers of intelligence, action,
passion, vision and others; that the powers of God are said to be
many and different from one another, like the waves of the sea (which
appears in the different shapes of billows, surges &c.).
20. Thus do those different powers act their several parts for ever, in
the grand stage of the universe; as the ages, years, months and weeks
and days, play their parts under direction of time--the manager of the
stage.
21. That power which appears as the one or another, is called the
divine powers of destiny; and is distinguished by the several
appellations of action, energy or will of God, or the dispensation of
his Time. (Time is said to be the producer, sustainer and leveller of
all things. [Sanskrit: kálí prabhavati dháryyte, pralíyate sarvvam
tasmát kálí hi valavattarah]).
22. That power which determines the states of gods, and those of the
great Rudras as so and so, and what regulates the conduct of all things
from a mean straw to the great Brahmá, is called the predominant doom
or destiny.
23. This destiny continues to dance about the great arena of the
universe, until the mind is cleared of her bugbear and freed from
anxiety by the knowledge of truth (that it is the Divine will which
destines the destiny).
24. The play of destiny is very pleasing to behold, owing to the
variety of its characters and contrivances, and the quick changes of
the scenes, and the repeated entrances and exits of its players and
actors. It is conducted all along with the music of the drums and
trumpets of the roaring clouds of the Kalpánta-doomsday. (_i.e._ On the
last day of universal dissolution, when the dance of destiny and her
play are over).
25. The vault of heaven is the canopy over this stage, the season
flowers are its decorations, and the showers of rain serve for the
sprinkling of rose waters in it.
26. The dark clouds hung about the heavens are, the blue hanging
screens around this stage, and the sexcentenary as of the earth with
the shining gems in their bosom, serve for the ornamented pits and
galleries of this playhouse.
27. The shining sky with its sight of the days and watches, and its
eyes of the twinkling stars; is witnessing the continual rise and fall
of all being, and the plunging and up heaving of mountaintops at the
great deluge.
28. The revolving luminaries of the sun and moon, and the rolling
currents of the Ganges, appear as the pearly jewels on the person of
this actress, and the lustre of the twilight seems as the red red-dye
of her palms.
29. The incessant motion of the upper and nether worlds, with the
continued gingling of their peoples; resemble the footsteps of this
dancing destiny, with the ringing trinkets and anklets fastened to her
feet.
30. The sunshine and moonbeams, represent the lustre of her smiling
face; and the twinkling stars in the sky, resemble the drops of sweat
trickling on her face.
31. These very many worlds are supposed as so many apartments of this
great theatre.
32. The two states of pleasure and pain or joy and grief, which are
destined to the lot of all living beings, show the different shows of
comic and tragic representations.
33. The changing scenes, that are always seen to take place in the play
of destiny, at the great stage of this world; are continually witnessed
by the great God himself, who is neither distant, or distinct from
this, nor is this so from that.