"'Bhishma said, "Once again Janaka, the ruler of Mithila, questioned the
high-souled Parasara endued with certain knowledge in respect of all
duties.
"'"Janaka said, 'What is productive of good? What is the best path (for
living creatures)? What is that which being accomplished is never
destroyed? What is that spot repairing whither one has not to come back?
Tell me all this, O thou of high intelligence!'
"'"Parasara said, 'Dissociation (from attachments) is the root of what is
good.[1558] Knowledge is the highest path. Penances practised are never
destroyed, Gifts also, made to deserving persons, are not lost. When one,
breaking the bonds of sin, begins to take pleasure in righteousness, and
when one makes that highest of all gifts, viz., the pledge of
harmlessness unto all creatures, then does one achieve success. He who
gives away thousands of kine and hundreds of horses (to deserving
persons), and who gives unto all creatures the pledge of harmlessness,
receives in return the pledge of harmlessness from all. One may live in
the midst of all kinds of wealth and enjoyment, yet, if blessed with
intelligence, one does not live in them: while he that is destitute of
intelligence lives wholly in objects of enjoyment that are even
unsubstantial.[1559] Sin cannot attach to a man of wisdom even as water
cannot drench the leaves of the lotus. Sin adheres more firmly to him who
is without attachment even as lac and wood adhere firmly to each other.
Sin, which cannot be extinguished except by endurance of its fruits,
never abandons the doer. Verily, the doer, when the time comes, has to
endure the consequences arising from it.[1560] They, however, that are of
cleansed souls and that realise the existence of Brahma, are never
afflicted by the fruits of their acts. Heedless in respect of one's
senses of knowledge and of action, one that is not conscious of one's
wicked acts, and whose heart is attached to both good and bad, becomes
afflicted with great fear. One who at all times becomes entirely freed
from attachments and who completely subjugates the passion of wrath, is
never stained by sin even if he lives in the enjoyment of worldly
objects. As a dyke built across a river, if not washed away, causes the
waters thereof to swell up, even so the man who, without being attached
to objects of enjoyments, creates the dyke of righteousness whose
materials consist of the limitations set down in the scriptures, has
never to languish. On the other hand, his merits and penances increase.
As the pure gem (called Suryakanta) absorbs and attracts to itself, the
rays of the Sun, even so, O tiger among kings, does Yoga proceed by help
of concentrated attention.[1561] As sesame seeds, in consequence of their
repeated intermingling with (fragrant) flowers, become in respect of
quality very agreeable, even so the quality of Sattwa arises in men in
proportion to the measure of their association with persons of cleansed
souls.[1562] When one becomes desirous of dwelling in heaven, one casts
off one's spouses and wealth and rank and vehicles and diverse kinds of
good acts. Indeed, when one attains to such a frame of mind, one's
understanding is said to be dissociated from the objects of the senses.
That man (on the other hand) who, with understanding attached to the
objects of the senses, becomes blind to what is for his real good, is
dragged (to his ruin) by his heart which runs after all worldly objects,
like a fish (dragged to its ruin) by the bait of meat. Like unto the body
that is made up of different limbs and organs, all mortal creatures exist
depending upon one another. They are as destitute of vigour as the pith
of the banana plant. (Left to themselves) they sink in the world's ocean
like a boat (made of weak materials). There is no fixed time for the
acquisition of righteousness. Death waits for no man. When man is
constantly running towards the jaws of Death, the accomplishment of
righteous acts is proper at all times. Like a blind man who, with
attention, is capable of moving about his own house, the man of wisdom,
with mind set on Yoga, succeeds in proceeding along the track (he should
follow).[1563] It has been said that death arises in consequence of
birth. Birth is subject to the sway of death. One unacquainted with the
course of the duties of Emancipation revolves like a wheel between birth
and death, unable to free oneself from that fate. One who walketh along
the track recommended by the understanding earns happiness both here and
hereafter. The Diverse are fraught with misery, while the Few are
productive of happiness. Fruits represented by the not-Soul are said to
constitute the Diverse. Renunciation is (said to constitute the Few and
that is) productive of the soul's happiness.[1564] As the lotus stalk
quickly leaves the mire attached to it, even so the Soul can speedily
cast off the mind.[1565] It is the mind that at first inclines the Soul
to Yoga. The latter then merges the former into itself. When the Soul
achieves success in Yoga, it then beholds itself uninvested with
attributes.[1566] Engaged amid the objects of the senses, one who regards
such engagement to be one's employment falleth away from one's true
employment in consequence of such devotion to those objects. The soul of
the wise man attains, through its righteous acts, to a state of high
felicity in heaven, while that of the man who is not possessed of wisdom
sinks very low or obtains birth among intermediate creatures. As a liquid
substance, if kept in a baked earthen vessel, does not escape therefrom
but remains undiminished, after the same manner one's body with which one
has undergone austerities enjoys (without rejecting) all objects of
enjoyment (up to what are contained in the region of Brahma himself).
Verily, that man who enjoys worldly objects can never be emancipated.
That man, on the other hand, who casts off such objects (in this world),
succeeds in enjoying great happiness hereafter. Like one afflicted with
congenital blindness and, therefore, incapable of seeing his way, the
sensualist, with soul confined in an opaque case, seems to be surrounded
by a mist and fails to see (the true object for which he should strive).
As merchants, going across the sea, make profits proportioned to their
capital, even so creatures, in this world of mortals, attain to ends
according to their respective acts. Like a snake devouring air, Death
wanders in this world made up of days and nights in the form of
Decrepitude and devours all creatures. A creature, when born, enjoys or
endures the fruits of acts done by him in his previous lives. There is
nothing agreeable or disagreeable which one enjoys or endures without its
being the result of the acts one has done in one's previous lives.
Whether lying or proceeding, whether sitting idly engaged in his
occupations, in whatever state a man may be, his acts (of past lives)
good or bad always approach him. One that has attained to the other shore
of the ocean, wishes not to cross the main for returning to the shore
whence he had sailed.[1567] As the fisherman, when he wishes, raises with
the help of his chord his boat sunk in the waters (of a river or lake),
after the same manner the mind, by the aid of Yoga-contemplation, raises
Jiva sunk in the world's ocean and unemancipated from consciousness of
body.[1568] As all rivers running towards the ocean, unite themselves
with it, even so the mind, when engaged in Yoga, becomes united with
primal Prakriti.[1569] Men whose minds become bound by diverse chains of
affection, and who are engulfed in ignorance, meet with destruction like
houses of sand in water.[1570] That embodied creature who regards his
body as only a house and purity (both external and internal) as its
sacred water, and who walks along the path of the understanding, succeeds
in attaining to happiness both here and hereafter.[1571] The Diverse are
productive of misery; while the Few are productive of happiness. The
Diverse are the fruits represented by the not-Soul. Renunciation (which
is identical with Few) is productive of the soul's benefit.[1572] One's
friends who spring up from one's determination, and one's kinsmen whose
attachment is due to (selfish) reasons, one's spouses and sons and
servants, only devour one's wealth. Neither the mother, nor the father,
can confer the slightest benefit upon one in the next world. Gifts
constitute the diet upon which one can subsist. Indeed, one must have to
enjoy the fruits of one's own acts.[1573] The mother, the son, the sire,
the brother, the wife, and friends, are like lines traced with gold by
the side of gold itself.[1574] All acts, good and bad, done in past lives
come to the doer. Knowing that everything one enjoys or endures at
present is the result of the acts of past lives, the soul urges the
understanding on different directions (so that it may act in such a way
as to avoid all unpleasant fruits). Relying on earnest endeavour, and
equipped with proper aids, he who sets himself to accomplish his tasks
never meets with failure. As the rays of light never abandon the Sun,
even so prosperity never abandons one who is endued with undoubting
faith. That act which a man of stainless soul does with faith and
earnestness, with the aid of proper means, without pride, and with
intelligence, becomes never lost. A creature obtains from the very time
of his abode in the mother's womb all his own acts good and bad that were
achieved by him in his past lives. Death, which is irresistible, aided by
Time which brings about the destruction of life, leads all creatures to
their end like wind scattering the dust of sawed timber.[1575] Through
acts good and bad performed by himself in his past lives, man obtains
gold and animals and spouses, and children, and honour of birth, and
possessions of value, and his entire affluence.'"
"'Bhishma continued, "Thus addressed conformably to the truth by the sage,
Janaka, that foremost of righteous persons, O king, heard everything the
Rishi said and obtained great happiness from it."'"