Vaisampayana said, "When that night passed away and day broke in, those
Brahmanas who supported themselves by mendicancy, stood before the
Pandavas of exalted deeds, who were about to enter the forest. Then king
Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, addressed them, saying, 'Robbed of our
prosperity and kingdom, robbed of everything, we are about to enter the
deep woods in sorrow, depending for our food on fruits and roots, and
the produce of the chase. The forest too is full of dangers, and abounds
with reptiles and beasts of prey. It appeareth to me that ye will
certainly have to suffer much privation and misery there. The sufferings
of the Brahmanas might overpower even the gods. That they would
overwhelm me is too certain. Therefore, O Brahmana, go ye back
whithersoever ye list!'
"The Brahmanas replied, 'O king, our path is even that on which ye are
for setting out! It behoveth thee not, therefore, to forsake us who are
thy devoted admirers practising the true religion! The very gods have
compassion upon their worshippers,--specially upon Brahmanas of
regulated lives!'
"Yudhishthira said, 'Ye regenerate ones, I too am devoted to the
Brahmanas! But this destitution that hath overtaken me overwhelmed me
with confusion! These my brothers that are to procure fruits and roots
and the deer (of the forest) are stupefied with grief arising from their
afflictions and on account of the distress of Draupadi and the loss of
our kingdom! Alas, as they are distressed, I cannot employ them in
painful tasks!'
"The Brahmanas said, 'Let no anxiety, O king, in respect of our
maintenance, find a place in thy heart! Ourselves providing our own
food, we shall follow thee, and by meditation and saying our prayers we
shall compass thy welfare while by pleasant converse we shall entertain
thee and be cheered ourselves.'
"Yudhishthira said, 'Without doubt, it must be as ye say, for I am ever
pleased with the company of the regenerate ones! But my fallen condition
maketh me behold in myself an object of reproach! How shall I behold you
all, that do not deserve to bear trouble, out of love for me painfully
subsisting upon food procured by your own toil? Oh, fie upon the wicked
sons of Dhritarashtra!'"
Vaisampayana continued, "Saying this, the weeping king sat himself down
upon the ground. Then a learned Brahmana, Saunaka by name versed in
self-knowledge and skilled in the _Sankhya_ system of yoga, addressed
the king, saying, 'Causes of grief by thousands, and causes of fear by
hundreds, day after day, overwhelm the ignorant but not the wise.
Surely, sensible men like thee never suffer themselves to be deluded by
acts that are opposed to true knowledge, fraught with every kind of
evil, and destructive of salvation. O king, in thee dwelleth that
understanding furnished with the eight attributes which is said to be
capable of providing against all evils and which resulteth from a study
of the _Sruti (Vedas)_ and scriptures! And men like unto thee are never
stupefied, on the accession of poverty or an affliction overtaking their
friends, through bodily or mental uneasiness! Listen, I shall tell the
_slokas_ which were chanted of old by the illustrious Janaka touching
the subject of controlling the self! This world is afflicted with both
bodily and mental suffering. Listen now to the means of allaying it as I
indicate them both briefly and in detail. Disease, contact with painful
things, toil and want of objects desired.--these are the four causes
that induce bodily suffering. And as regards disease, it may be allayed
by the application of medicine, while mental ailments are cured by
seeking to forget them by _yoga_-meditation. For this reason, sensible
physicians first seek to allay the mental sufferings of their patients
by agreeable converse and the offer of desirable objects. And as a hot
iron bar thrust into a jar maketh the water therein hot, even so doth
mental grief bring on bodily agony. And as water quencheth fire, so doth
true knowledge allay mental disquietude. And the mind attaining ease,
the body findeth ease also. It seemeth that affection is the root of all
mental sorrow. It is affection that maketh every creature miserable and
bringeth on every kind of woe. Verily affection is the root of all
misery and of all fear, of joy and grief of every kind of pain. From
affection spring all purposes, and it is from affection that spring the
love of worldly goods! Both of these (latter) are sources of evil,
though the first (our purposes) is worse than the second. And as (a
small portion of) fire thrust into the hollow of a tree consumeth the
tree itself to its roots, even so affection, ever so little, destroyeth
both virtue and profit. He cannot be regarded to have renounced the
world who hath merely withdrawn from worldly possessions. He, however,
who though in actual contact with the world regardeth its faults, may be
said to have truly renounced the world. Freed from every evil passion,
soul dependent on nothing with such a one hath truly renounced the
world. Therefore, should no one seek to place his affections on either
friends or the wealth he hath earned. And so should affection for one's
own person be extinguished by knowledge. Like the lotus-leaf that is
never drenched by water, the souls of men capable of distinguishing
between the ephemeral and the everlasting, of men devoted to the pursuit
of the eternal, conversant with the scriptures and purified by
knowledge, can never be moved by affection. The man that is influenced
by affection is tortured by desire; and from the desire that springeth
up in his heart his thirst for worldly possessions increaseth. Verily,
this thirst is sinful and is regarded as the source of all anxieties. It
is this terrible thirst, fraught with sin that leaneth unto unrighteous
acts. Those find happiness that can renounce this thirst, which can
never be renounced by the wicked, which decayeth not with the decay of
the body, and which is truly a fatal disease! It hath neither beginning
nor end. Dwelling within the heart, it destroyeth creatures, like a fire
of incorporeal origin. And as a faggot of wood is consumed by the fire
that is fed by itself, even so doth a person of impure soul find
destruction from the covetousness born of his heart. And as creatures
endued with life have ever a dread of death, so men of wealth are in
constant apprehension of the king and the thief, of water and fire and
even of their relatives. And as a morsel of meat, if in air, may be
devoured by birds; if on ground by beasts of prey; and if in water by
the fishes; even so is the man of wealth exposed to dangers wherever he
may be. To many the wealth they own is their bane, and he that beholding
happiness in wealth becometh wedded to it, and knoweth not true
happiness. And hence accession of wealth is viewed as that which
increaseth covetousness and folly. Wealth alone is the root of
niggardliness and boastfulness, pride and fear and anxiety! These are
the miseries of men that the wise see in riches! Men undergo infinite
miseries in the acquisition and retention of wealth. Its expenditure
also is fraught with grief. Nay, sometimes, life itself is lost for the
sake of wealth! The abandonment of wealth produces misery, and even they
that are cherished by one's wealth become enemies for the sake of that
wealth! When, therefore, the possession of wealth is fraught with such
misery, one should not mind its loss. It is the ignorant alone who are
discontented. The wise, however, are always content. The thirst of
wealth can never be assuaged. Contentment is the highest happiness;
therefore, it is, that the wise regard contentment as the highest object
of pursuit. The wise knowing the instability of youth and beauty, of
life and treasure-hoards, of prosperity and the company of the loved
ones, never covet them. Therefore, one should refrain from the
acquisition of wealth, bearing the pain incident to it. None that is
rich is free from trouble, and it is for this that the virtuous applaud
them that are free from the desire of wealth. And as regards those that
pursue wealth for purposes of virtue, it is better for them to refrain
altogether from such pursuit, for, surely, it is better not to touch
mire at all than to wash it off after having been besmeared with it.
And, O Yudhishthira, it behoveth thee not to covet anything! And if thou
wouldst have virtue, emancipate thyself from desire of worldly
possessions!'
"Yudhishthira said, 'O Brahmana, this my desire of wealth is not for
enjoying it when obtained. It is only for the support of the Brahmanas
that I desire it and not because I am actuated by avarice! For what
purpose, O Brahmana, doth one like us lead a domestic life, if he cannot
cherish and support those that follow him? All creatures are seen to
divide the food (they procure) amongst those that depend on them.[1] So
should a person leading a domestic life give a share of his food to
_Yatis_ and _Brahmacharins_ that have renounced cooking for themselves.
The houses of the good men can never be in want of grass (for seat),
space (for rest), water (to wash and assuage thirst), and fourthly,
sweet words. To the weary a bed,--to one fatigued with standing, a
seat,--to the thirsty, water,--and to the hungry, food should ever be
given. To a guest are due pleasant looks and a cheerful heart and sweet
words. The host, rising up, should advance towards the guest, offer him
a seat, and duly worship him. Even this is eternal morality. They that
perform not the _Agnihotra_,[2] do not wait upon bulls, nor cherish
their kinsmen and guests and friends and sons and wives and servants,
are consumed with sin for such neglect. None should cook his food for
himself alone and none should slay an animal without dedicating it to
the gods, the _pitris_, and guests. Nor should one eat of that food
which hath not been duly dedicated to the gods and _pitris_. By
scattering food on the earth, morning and evening, for (the behoof of)
dogs and _Chandalas_ and birds, should a person perform the _Viswedeva_
sacrifice.[3] He that eateth the _Vighasa_, is regarded as eating
ambrosia. What remaineth in a sacrifice after dedication to the gods and
the _pitris_ is regarded as ambrosia; and what remaineth after feeding
the guest is called _Vighasa_ and is equivalent to ambrosia itself.
Feeding a guest is equivalent to a sacrifice, and the pleasant looks the
host casteth upon the guest, the attention he devoteth to him, the sweet
words in which he addresseth him, the respect he payeth by following
him, and the food and drink with which he treateth him, are the five
_Dakshinas_[4] in that sacrifice. He who giveth without stint food to a
fatigued wayfarer never seen before, obtaineth merit that is great, and
he who leading a domestic life, followeth such practices, acquireth
religious merit that is said to be very great. O Brahmana, what is thy
opinion on this?'
[1] This seems to be the obvious. There is a different reading
however. For _Drie-cyate_--seen, some texts have
_Sasyate_--applauded. Nilakantha imagines that the meaning is
"As distribution (of food) amongst the various classes of beings
like the gods, the _Pitris_, &c., is applauded &c., &c."
[2] A form of sacrifice which consists in pouring oblations of
clarified butter with prayers into a blazing fire. It is
obligatory on Brahmanas and Kshatriyas, except those that accept
certain vows of great austerity.
[3] The Viswedeva sacrifice is the offer of food to all
creatures of the earth (by scattering a portion).
[4] A gift. It may be of various kinds. The fees paid to
Brahmanas assisting at sacrifices and religious rites, such as
offering oblations to the dead, are _Dakshinas_, as also gifts
to Brahmanas on other occasions particularly when they are fed,
it being to this day the custom never to feed a Brahmana without
paying him a pecuniary fee. There can be no sacrifice, no
religious rite, without _Dakshina_.
"Saunaka said, 'Alas, this world is full of contradictions! That which
shameth the good, gratifieth the wicked! Alas, moved by ignorance and
passion and slaves of their own senses, even fools perform many acts of
(apparent merit) to gratify in after-life their appetites! With eyes
open are these men led astray by their seducing senses, even as a
charioteer, who hath lost his senses, by restive and wicked steeds! When
any of the six senses findeth its particular object, the desire
springeth up in the heart to enjoy that particular object. And thus when
one's heart proceedeth to enjoy the objects of any particular sense a
wish is entertained which in its turn giveth birth to a resolve. And
finally, like unto an insect falling into a flame from love of light,
the man falleth into the fire of temptation, pierced by the shafts of
the object of enjoyment discharged by the desire constituting the seed
of the resolve! And thenceforth blinded by sensual pleasure which he
seeketh without stint, and steeped in dark ignorance and folly which he
mistaketh for a state of happiness, he knoweth not himself! And like
unto a wheel that is incessantly rolling, every creature, from ignorance
and deed and desire, falleth into various states in this world,
wandering from one birth to another, and rangeth the entire circle of
existences from a _Brahma_ to the point of a blade of grass, now in
water, now on land, and now against in the air!
"'This then is the career of those that are without knowledge. Listen
now to the course of the wise they that are intent on profitable virtue,
and are desirous of emancipation! The _Vedas_ enjoin act but _renounce_
(interest in) action. Therefore, shouldst thou act, renouncing
_Abhimana_,[5] performance of sacrifices, study (of the _Vedas_), gifts,
penance, truth (in both speech and act), forgiveness, subduing the
senses, and renunciation of desire,--these have been declared to be the
eight (cardinal) duties constituting the true path. Of these, the four
first pave the way to the world of the _pitris_. And these should be
practised without _Abhimana_. The four last are always observed by the
pious, to attain the heaven of the gods. And the pure in spirit should
ever follow these eight paths. Those who wish to subdue the world for
purpose of salvation, should ever act fully renouncing motives,
effectually subduing their senses, rigidly observing particular vows,
devotedly serving their preceptors, austerely regulating their fare,
diligently studying the _Vedas_, renouncing action as mean and
restraining their hearts. By renouncing desire and aversion the gods
have attained prosperity. It is by virtue of their wealth of yoga[6]
that the _Rudras_, and the _Sadhyas_, and the _Adityas_ and the _Vasus_,
and the twin _Aswins_, rule the creatures. Therefore, O son of Kunti,
like unto them, do thou, O Bharata, entirely refraining from action with
motive, strive to attain success in _yoga_ and by ascetic austerities.
Thou hast already achieved such success so far as thy debts to thy
ancestors, both male and female concerned, and that success also which
is derived from action (sacrifices). Do thou, for serving the regenerate
ones endeavour to attain success in penances. Those that are crowned
with ascetic success, can, by virtue of that success, do whatever they
list; do thou, therefore, practising asceticism realise all thy
wishes.'"
[5] Reference to self, i.e. without the motive of bettering
one's own self, or without any motive at all. (This contains the
germ of the doctrine preached more elaborately in the _Bhagavad
gita_.)
[6] This _Yoga_ consists, in their case, of a combination of
attributes by negation of the contrary ones, i.e. by
renunciation of motives in all they do.