"'Yudhishthira said, "All persons on earth, O foremost of men, applaud
virtuous behaviour. I have, however, great doubts with respect to this
object of their praise. If the topic be capable of being understood by
us, O foremost of virtuous men, I desire to hear everything about the way
in which virtuous behaviour can be acquired. How indeed, is that
behaviour acquired, O Bharata! I desire to hear it. Tell me also, O
foremost of speakers, what has been said to be the characteristics of
that behaviour."
"'Bhishma said, "Formerly, O giver of honours, Duryodhana while burning
with grief at sight of that well-known prosperity belonging to thee and
thy brothers at Indraprastha and for the jeers he received in consequence
of his mistakes at the grand mansion, had asked his father Dhritarashtra
the same question. Listen to what transpired on that occasion, O Bharata!
Having seen that grand mansion of thine and that high prosperity of which
thou wert master, Duryodhana, while sitting before his father, spake of
what he had seen to the latter. Having heard the words of Duryodhana,
Dhritarashtra, addressing his son and Karna, replied unto him as follows.
"'"Dhritarashtra said, 'Why dost thou grieve, O son! I desire to hear the
cause in detail. If after ascertaining the reasons they appear to be
adequate, I shall then endeavour to instruct thee. O subjugator of
hostile towns, thou too hast obtained great affluence. All thy brothers
are ever obedient to thee, as also all thy friends and relatives. Thou
coverest thy limbs with the best robes. Thou eatest the richest
food.[378] Steeds of the best kind bear thee. Why then hast thou become
pale and emaciated?'
"'"Duryodhana said, 'Ten thousands of high-souled Snataka Brahmanas daily
eat at Yudhishthira's palace off plates of gold. Beholding his excellent
mansion adorned with excellent flowers and fruit, his steeds of the
Tittiri and the Kalmasha breeds, his robes of diverse kinds, indeed,
beholding that high prosperity of my enemies viz., the sons of Pandu, a
prosperity that resembles the high affluence of Vaisravana himself, I am
burning with grief, O Bharata!'
"'"Dhritarashtra said, 'If thou wishest, O sire, to win prosperity like
that of Yudhishthira or that which is even superior to it, do thou then, O
son, endeavour to be of virtuous behaviour. Without doubt, one may, by
behaviour alone, conquer the three worlds. There is nothing impossible of
attainment by persons of virtuous behaviour. Mandhatri conquered the
whole world in course of only one night, Janamejaya, in course of three,
and Nabhaga, in course of seven. All these kings were possessed of
compassion and of virtuous behaviour. For this reason the earth came to
them of their own accord, won over by their virtue.'
"'"Duryodhana said, 'I desire to hear, O Bharata, how that behaviour may be
acquired, that behaviour, viz., in consequence of which the earth was won
so speedily (by the kings named by thee).'
"'"Dhritarashtra said, 'In this connection, the following old narrative is
cited. It was formerly recited by Narada on the subject of virtuous
behaviour. In days of yore, the Daitya Prahlada, by the merit of his
behaviour, snatched from the high-souled Indra his sovereignty and
reduced the three worlds to subjection. Sukra then, with joined hands,
approached Vrihaspati. Possessed of great wisdom, the chief of the
celestials addressed the great preceptor, saying, "I desire thee to tell
me what is the source of felicity." Thus addressed, Vrihaspati said unto
him that Knowledge (leading to emancipation) is the source of the highest
felicity. Indeed, Vrihaspati indicated Knowledge to be the source of
supreme felicity. Indra, however, once more asked him as to whether there
was anything higher than that.
"'"'Vrihaspati said, "There is something, O son, that is still higher. The
high-souled Bhargava (Usanas) will instruct thee better. Repair to him,
blessed be thou, and enquire of him, O chief of the celestials!"
Possessed of great ascetic merit and endued with great splendour, the
chief of the celestials then repaired to Bhargava and obtained from him
with a gratified heart, a knowledge of what was for his great good.
Obtaining the permission of the high-souled Bhargava, the performer of a
hundred sacrifices once more asked the sage as to whether there was
anything higher (as the means for the acquisition of felicity) than what
the sage had already told him. The omniscient Bhargava said, "The
high-souled Prahlada has better knowledge." Learning this, Indra became
highly delighted. The chastiser of Paka, possessed of great intelligence,
assumed the form of a Brahmana, and repairing to Prahlada, asked him,
saying, "I desire to hear what conduces to felicity." Prahlada answered
the Brahmana, saying, "O chief of regenerate ones, I have no time, being
wholly occupied in the task of ruling the three worlds, I cannot,
therefore, instruct thee." The Brahmana said, "O king, when thou mayst
have leisure, I desire to listen to thy instructions about what course of
conduct is productive of good." At this answer, king Prahlada became
delighted with that utterer of Brahma. Saying, "So be it!" he availed of
a favourable opportunity for imparting to the Brahmana the truths of
knowledge. The Brahmana duly observed towards Prahlada the conduct which
a disciple should observe towards his preceptor, and began with his whole
heart to do what Prahlada desired. Many a time the Brahmana enquired,
saying, "O chastiser of foes, by what means hast thou been able to win
the sovereignty of the three worlds? Tell me, O righteous king, what
those means are." Prahlada, O monarch, answered the question the Brahmana
asked.
"'"'Prahlada said, "I do not, O regenerate one, feel any pride in
consequence of my being a king, nor do I cherish any hostile feelings
towards the Brahmanas. On the other hand, I accept and follow the
counsels of policy they declare unto me based upon the teachings of
Sukra. In complete trustfulness they say unto me what they wish to say,
and restrain me from courses that are unrighteous or improper. I am ever
obedient to the teachings of Sukra. I wait upon and serve the Brahmanas
and my seniors. I bear no malice. I am of righteous soul. I have
conquered wrath. I am self-restrained, and all my senses are under my
control. These regenerate ones that are my instructors pour beneficial
instructions upon me like bees dropping honey into the cells of their
comb. I taste the nectar dropped by those learned men, and like the Moon
among the constellations I live among the members of my race.[379] Even
this is nectar on earth, even this is the clearest eye, viz., listening
to the teaching of Sukra from the lips of Brahmanas and acting according
to them. In these consists the good of a man." Thus said Prahlada unto
that utterer of Brahma. Served dutifully by him, the chief of the Daityas
once more said, "O foremost of regenerate ones, I am exceedingly
gratified with thee in consequence of thy dutiful behaviour towards me.
Ask of me the boon thou desirest, blessed be thou, for verily I shall
grant thee what thou wilt ask." The Brahmana answered the chief of the
Daityas saying, "Very well. I will obey thee." Prahlada, gratified with
him, said, "Take what thou wishest."
"'"'The Brahmana said, "If, O king, thou hast been gratified with me and
if thou wishest to do what is agreeable to me, I desire then to acquire
thy behaviour. Even this is the boon that I solicit."[380] At this, though
delighted, Prahlada became filled with a great fear. Indeed, when this
boon was indicated by the Brahmana, the Daitya chief thought the
solicitor could not be a person of ordinary energy. Wondering much,
Prahlada at last said, "Let it be so." Having, however, granted the boon,
the Daitya chief became filled with grief. The Brahmana, having received
the boon, went away, but Prahlada, O king, became penetrated by a deep
anxiety and knew not what to do. While the Daitya chief sat brooding over
the matter, a flame of light issued out of his body. It had a shadowy
form of great splendour and huge proportions. Prahlada asked the form,
saying, "Who art thou?" The form answered, saying, "I am the embodiment
of thy Behaviour. Cast off by thee I am going away. I shall henceforth, O
king, dwell in that faultless and foremost of Brahmanas who had become
thy devoted disciple." Having said these words, the form disappeared and
soon after entered the body of Sakra. After the disappearance of that
form, another of similar shape issued out of Prahlada's body. The Daitya
chief addressed it, saying, "Who art thou?" The form answered, saying,
"Know me, O Prahlada, for the embodiment of Righteousness. I shall go
there where that foremost of Brahmanas is, for, O chief of the Daityas, I
reside there where Behaviour dwells." Upon the disappearance of
Righteousness, a third form, O monarch, blazing with splendour, issued
out of the body of the high souled Prahlada. Asked by Prahlada as to who
he was, that form possessed of great effulgence answered, saying, "Know,
O chief of the Daityas, that I am Truth. I shall leave thee, following
the way of Righteousness." After Truth had left Prahlada, following in
the wake of Righteousness, another great person issued out of Prahlada's
body. Asked by the Daitya's king, the mighty being answered, "I am the
embodiment of Good deeds. Know, O Prahlada, that I live there where Truth
lives." After this one had left Prahlada, another being came out,
uttering loud and deep cries. Addressed by Prahlada, he answered, "Know
that I am Might. I dwell there where Good deeds are." Having said these
words, Might went away to that place whither Good deeds had gone. After
this, a goddess of great effulgence issued out of Prahlada's body. The
Daitya chief asked her and she answered him saying that she was the
embodiment of Prosperity, adding, "I dwelt in thee, O hero, O thou of
prowess incapable of being baffled! Cast off by thee, I shall follow in
the wake of Might." The high-souled Prahlada, penetrated with great
fear, once more asked the goddess, saying, "Where dost thou go, O
goddess, O thou that dwellest amid lotuses? Thou art ever devoted to
truth, O goddess, and thou art the first of deities. Who is that foremost
of Brahmanas (who was my disciple)? I desire to know the truth."
"'"'The goddess of Prosperity said, "Devoted to the vow of Brahmacharya,
that Brahmana who was instructed by thee was Sakra. O puissant one, he
robbed thee of that sovereignty which thou hadst over the three worlds. O
righteous one, it was by thy behaviour that thou hadst reduced the three
worlds to subjection. Knowing this, the chief of the celestials robbed
thee of thy behaviour. Righteousness and Truth and Good deeds and Might
and myself, O thou of great wisdom, all have our root verily in
Behaviour."'
"'Bhishma continued, "Having said these words, the goddess of Prosperity
went away, as also all the rest, O Yudhishthira! Duryodhana, once more
addressing his father, said these words: 'O delighter of the Kurus, I
wish to know the truth about Behaviour. Tell me the means by which it may
be acquired.'
"'"Dhritarashtra said, 'Those means were indicated by the high-souled
Prahlada while discoursing unto Indra. Listen, however, O ruler of men,
as how in brief Behaviour may be acquired. Abstention from injury, by
act, thought, and word, in respect of all creatures, compassion, and
gift, constitute behaviour that is worthy of praise. That act or exertion
by which others are not benefited, or that act in consequence of which
one has to feel shame, should never be done. That act, on the other hand,
should be done in consequence of which one may win praise in society. O
best of the Kurus, I have now told thee in brief as to what Behaviour is.
If O king, persons of wicked behaviour do ever win prosperity, they do
not enjoy it long, O son, and are seen to be exterminated by the root.'
"'"Dhritarashtra continued, 'Knowing all this truly, do thou, O son, be of
good behaviour, if thou desirest to obtain prosperity greater than that
of Yudhishthira.'"
"'Bhishma continued, "Even this was what king Dhritarashtra said unto his
son. Do thou act according to these instructions, O son of Kunti, and
thou wilt then surely obtain their fruit."'"