"'Yudhishthira said, "In this world, O Bharata, acts good and bad attach
themselves to man for the purpose of producing fruits for enjoyment or
endurance. Is man, however, to be regarded as their doer or is he not to
be regarded so? Doubt fills my mind with respect to this question. I
desire to hear this in detail from thee, O grandsire!"
"'Bhishma said, "In this connection, O Yudhishthira, is cited the old
narrative of a discourse between Prahlada and Indra. The chief of the
Daityas, viz., Prahlada, was unattached to all worldly objects. His sins
had been washed away. Of respectable parentage, he was possessed of great
learning. Free from stupefaction and pride, ever observant of the quality
of goodness, and devoted to various vows, he took praise and censure
equally. Possessed of self-restraint, he was then passing his time in an
empty chamber. Conversant with the origin and the destruction of all
created objects, mobile and immobile, he was never angry with things that
displeased him and never rejoiced at the accession of objects that were
agreeable. He cast an equal eye upon gold and a clump of earth. Steadily
engaged in study of the Soul and in acquiring Emancipation, and firm in
knowledge, he had arrived at fixed conclusions in respect of truth.
Acquainted with what is supreme and what is not so among all things,
omniscient and of universal sight, as he was seated one day in a solitary
chamber with his senses under complete control, Sakra approached him, and
desirous of awakening him, said these words, 'O king, I behold all those
qualities permanently residing in thee by which a person wins the esteem
of all. Thy understanding seems to be like that of a child, free from
attachment and aversion. Thou knowest of the Soul. What, thinkest thou,
is the best means by which a knowledge of the Soul may be attained? Thou
art now bound in cords, fallen off from thy former position, brought
under the sway of thy foes, and divested of prosperity. Thy present
circumstances are such as may well inspire grief. Yet how is it, O
Prahlada, that thou dost not indulge in grief? Is this due, O son of
Diti, to the acquisition of wisdom or is it on account of thy fortitude?
Behold thy calamities, O Prahlada, and yet thou seemest like one that is
happy and tranquil.' Thus urged by Indra, the chief of the Daityas,
endued with determinate conclusions in respect of truth, replied unto the
former in these sweet words indicative of great wisdom.
"'"Prahlada said, 'He who is unacquainted with the origin and the
destruction of all created objects, is, in consequence of such ignorance,
stupefied. He, however, who is conversant with these two things, is never
stupefied. All kinds of entities and non-entities come into being or
cease in consequence of their own nature. No kind of personal exertion is
needed (for the production of such phenomena).[833] In the absence,
therefore, of personal exertion, it is evident that no personal agent
exists for the production of all this that we perceive. But though (in
reality) the person (or the chit) never does anything, yet (through the
influence of Ignorance) a consciousness in respect of angry overspreads
itself on it. He who regards himself as the doer of acts good or bad,
possesses a wisdom that is vitiated. Such a person is, according to my
judgment, unacquainted with the truth.[834] If, O Sakra, the being called
person were really the actor, then all acts undertaken for his own
benefit would certainly be crowned with success. None of those acts would
be defeated. Among even persons struggling their utmost the suspension of
what is not desired and the occurrence of what is desired are not to be
seen. What becomes then of personal exertion? In the case of some, we see
that without any exertion on their part, what is not desired is suspended
and what is desired is accomplished. This then must be the result of
Nature. Some persons again are seen to present extraordinary aspects, for
though possessed of superior intelligence they have to solicit wealth
from others that are vulgar in features and endued with little
intelligence. Indeed, when all qualities, good or bad, enter a person,
urged by Nature, what ground is there for one to boast (of one's superior
possessions)? All these flow from Nature. This is my settled conclusion.
Even Emancipation and knowledge of self, according to me, flow from the
same source.
"''"In this world all fruits, good or bad, that attach themselves to
persons, are regarded as the result of acts. I shall now discourse to
thee in full on the subject of acts. Listen to me. As a crow, while
eating some food, proclaims the presence of that food (to the members of
its species) by its repeated cawing, after the same manner all our acts
only proclaim the indications of Nature. He who is acquainted with only
the transformations of Nature but not with Nature that is supreme and
exists by herself, feels stupefaction in consequence of his ignorance.
He, however, who understands the difference between Nature and her
transformations is never stupefied. All existent things have their origin
in Nature. In consequence of one's certainty of conviction in this
respect, one would never be affected by pride or arrogance. When I know
what the origin is of all the ordinances of morality and when I am
acquainted with the unstability of all objects, I am incapable, O Sakra,
of indulging in grief. All this is endued with an end. Without
attachments, without pride, without desire and hope, freed from all
bonds, and dissociated from everything, I am passing my time in great
happiness, engaged in beholding the appearance and disappearance of all
created objects. For one that is possessed of wisdom, that is
self-restrained, that is contented, that is without desire and hope, and
that beholds all things with the light of self-knowledge, no trouble or
anxiety exists, O Sakra! I have no affection or aversion for either
Nature or her transformations. I do not behold any one now who is my foe
nor any one who is mine own. I do not O, Sakra, at any time covet either
heaven, or this world, or the nether regions. It is not the case that
there is no happiness in understanding the Soul. But the Soul, being
dissociated from everything, cannot enjoy felicity. Hence I desire
nothing.'
"'"Sakra said, 'Tell me the means, O Prahlada, by which this kind of wisdom
may be attained and by which this kind of tranquillity may be made one's
own. I solicit thee.'
"'"Prahlada said, 'By simplicity, by heedfulness, by cleansing the Soul, by
mastering the passions, and by waiting upon aged seniors, O Sakra, a
person succeeds in attaining to Emancipation. Know this, however, that
one acquires wisdom from Nature, and that the acquisition of tranquillity
also is due to the same cause. Indeed, everything else that thou
perceivest is due to Nature.'"
"'"Thus addressed by the lord of the Daityas, Sakra became filled with
wonder, and commended those words, O king, with a cheerful heart. The
lord of the three worlds then, having worshipped the lord of the Daityas,
took his leave and proceeded to his own abode."'"