ON THE RARITY AND RETIREDNESS OF RELIGIOUS RECLUSES.
Argument:—The truth of _catholicity_, _carnality_ of Worldly
people, and the retirement and Resignation of the godly.
Vasishtha continued:—The world which is but a vision of the supreme
soul, and situated in the vacuity of the Divine mind, appears in our
consciousness, as the ectype of Brahma himself.
2. The delusion of the visionary world, being too palpable to our view,
has kept the supreme spirit quite out of our sight; as the spirit of the
wine is kept hid in the liquor, though it can never be lost.
3. The unreal phenomenal being discarded as delusion, and the real
noumenal being incomprehensible; and the absence of any positive
subsistence of existence, has necessitated our belief in the endless
void and vacuity.
4. That the embodied Intellect, called the _purusha_ or soul, is the
supreme cause (in the Sánkhya system); and the world proceeds from the
unknown principle, known as the pradhána or its principal source. The
truth of this view of the creation, rests wholly on the opinion of the
philosopher (Kapila).
5. That the visible world is the form of the all pervasive spirit of
God, is the thesis of the Vedántists; and this opinion of theirs
regarding the formal world and its plasmic principle, depends solely on
the conception of these philosophers.
6. That the world is a conglomeration of particles, is the position of
the positive and atomic philosophers of the Nyáya system; and all these
doctrines are relied upon and maintained, by the best belief of every
party.
7. Both the present and future worlds are as they are seen and thought
to be, is the tenet of some; while the spiritualist looks upon it neither
in the light of an entity nor non entity either.
8. Others acknowledge the outer world only, and nothing besides which is
beyond their eye sight; and these Chárváka atheists, do not avouch even
for the intelligent soul, which is within their bodies.
9. There are others, who seeing the incessant changes and fluctuations
of things with the flight of time, attribute omnipotence to it, and have
become timists, with a persuasion of the evanescence of the world.
10. The belief of the barbarians, regarding the resurrection of the soul
from the grave, which is built on the analogy of the sparrow flying away
from under its covering lid; has gained a firm ground in the minds of
men in these countries, and is never doubted by any.
11. The tolerant sage looks alike and takes in equal light all apparent
differences; since they know that all these varieties in the world, are
but manifestations of the One all pervading and invariable soul.
12. As it is the nature of the world, to go on in its course; so it is
natural with the wise, to entertain these various opinions regarding the
same. The truth however is quite mysterious, and hard to be found by
inquiry; but it is certain that there is an all creative power, that is
guided by intelligence and design in all its works.
13. That there is one creator of all, is the truth arrived at by all
godly men and truthful minds; whoso is certain of this truth, is sure to
arrive at it without any obstruction.
14. That this world exists and the future one also, is the firm belief
of the faithful; and that their sacred ablutions and oblations to that
end and never go for nothing; such assurance on their part, is sure to
lead them to the success of their object.
15. An infinite vacuity is reality, is the conclusion arrived at by the
Buddhist; but there is nothing to be gained by this inquiry, nor any
good to be derived from a void nullity.
16. It is the Divine Intelligence which is sought by all, as they seek
an inestimable gem or the Kalpa tree of life; and this fills our inward
soul, with the fulness of the Divine spirit.
17. The Lord is neither vacuity nor non-vacuity, nor a nonentity either
as it is maintained by others; He is omnipotent, and this omnipotence
does not abide in Him, nor is it without Him, but is the selfsame
Himself.
18. Therefore let every one rely in his own belief, until he arrives to
the true and spiritual knowledge of God. By doing so he will obtain the
reward of his faith, and therefore he must refrain from his fickleness
(of forsaking his own faith).
19. Therefore consult with the learned, and judge with them about the
right course; and then accept and follow what is best and correct, and
reject all what proves to be otherwise.
20. A man becomes wise by knowledge of sástras, as also by practicing
the conduct of the good; as also by associating with the wise and good,
wherever such persons may be found upon inquiry.
21. He who serves and attends upon the preachers of sacred sástras, and
on practicers of good and moral conduct; is also deemed a wise man, and
his company also is to be resorted to by the wise.
22. All living beings, are naturally impelled towards whatever tends to
their real good; as it is the nature of water to seek its own level.
Therefore men should choose the company of the good for their best good.
23. Men are carried away as straws, by the waves in the eventful ocean
of the world; and their days are passing away as insensibly (rapidly),
as the dew drops are falling off from the blades of grass.
24. Ráma rejoined:—Tell me Sir, who are those far seeing persons, who
sensing at first this world to be full of weeds and thorns, come at last
by their right judgment, to rest in the state of ineffable felicity.
(_i.e._ Who are they that are resigned to God after their troublesome
journey in the thorny paths of the world).
25. Vasishtha replied:—It is the wording of the sruti, that there
some such persons among all classes of beings, whose presence sheds a
lustre, as bright as that of the broad and shining day light. (These
are gods, men).
26. Beside them there are others, who are quite ignorant of truth, and
are tossed about and whirled up and down like straws, by the whirling
waters of the dangerous eddies of ignorance, in the dark and dismal
ocean of this world.
27. These are drowned in their enjoyments, and lost to the bliss of
their souls; and are ever burning in the flames of worldly cares; such
are some among the gods, who are burning on high, like as the mountain
trees are inflamed by the wild fire.
28. The proud demigods were vanquished by their inimical gods, and were
cast down into the abyss by Náráyana; as big elephants into the pit,
with the ichor of their giddiness.
29. The Gandharva songsters (that are skilled in music only), show no
sign of right reason in them; but being giddy with the wine of melody,
they fall into the hands of death, as the silly stags are caught in the
snare (by their fondness for the sweet sound of the hunter’s horn).
30. The Vidyádharas are mad with their knowledge (of arts, of sciences);
and do not hold in esteem the esoteric and grand science of divinity for
their salvation.
31. The yakshas who are impregnable themselves, are ever apt to injure
all others on earth; and they exercise their noxious powers, chiefly
upon the helpless infants, old men and weak and infirm persons.
32. There are again the gigantic and elephant like Rákshasas, who have
been repeatedly destroyed by Hari, and will be utterly extirpated by
you, as a herd of sheep by a powerful lion.
33. The Pisácha cannibals are always in quest of human prey, and devour
their bodies as the burning fire consumes the oblations. They are
therefore in utter darkness of spiritual knowledge.
34. The Nága race that dwell underneath the ground, resemble the stalks
of lotuses drowned under the water, or as the roots of trees buried
under the earth (and therefore they are quite insensible of truth).
35. The Asura race dwelling in subterranean cells, are as worms and
insects, grovelling in dark under the ground, and are utterly ignorant
of any knowledge or discrimination.
36. And what must we say of foolish mankind, who like the poor ants, are
moving busily by night and day, in search of a morsel (lit.—particle) of
bread (and have not a whit of understanding in them).
37. All living bodies are running up and down for ever, in their vain
expectations; and the days and nights are insensibly gliding over them,
as upon drunken men (unconscious of themselves).
38. The knowledge of pure truth, never enters into the mind of men; as
the dust flying over the surface of water never sink in its depth.
39. The holy vows of men are blown away, by the blasts of their pride
and vanity; as the husks of rice are blown off, by the wind of the
threshing mill.
40. Other people that are without true knowledge, are like the yoginís
and Pamaras—pariahs, are addicted to the carnalities of their eating and
drinking; and to roll in stink and stench and mud and mire.
41. Among the gods, only Yama, the sun and moon, Indra and Rudras, and
Varuna and Váyu, are said to live liberated for ever; and so are Brahmá,
Hari and Vrihaspati and Sukra, (the preceptors of the gods and
demigods).
42. Among the patriarchs Daxa, Kasyapa and others, are said to be living
liberated; and among the seven sages, Nárada, Sanaka and goddess born
Kumara are liberated for ever.
43. Among the Danava demons, there were some that had their emancipation
also; and these were Hiranyaksha, Vali, Prahlada and Sambara, together
with Maya, Vritra, Andha, Namuchi, Kesi, Mura and others. (Some of whom
were foes and others as friends of the god).
44. Among Rákshasas Vibhisana, Prahasta and Indrajit are held as
liberated; and so are Sesha, Taxaka, Karkota and some others among the
Nágas or serpent race.
45. The liberated are entitled to dwell in the abodes of Brahma and
Vishnu, and in the heaven of Indra; and there are some the manes of the
Pitris, siddhas and Sáddhyas, that are reckoned as liberated also.
46. Among the human race also, there are some that are liberated in
their life time; as the few princes, saints and Bráhmanas, whose names
are preserved to us in the sacred records.
47. There are living beings in multitudes, on all sides of us in this
earth, but there are very few among them that are enlightened with true
knowledge in them; there are unnumbered trees and forests growing all
around us, and bearing their fruits and flowers and foliage to no end;
but there is scarcely a kalpatree to be found among them (which may
yield to us the fruit that we ardently desire).