Vaisampayana said, "Vyasa then dispelled the grief of the eldest son
of Pandu., who, burning with sorrow on account of the slaughter of his
kinsmen, had resolved to make an end of himself."
Vyasa said, 'In this connection is cited the old story, O tiger among
men, that is known by the name of Asma's discourse. Listen to it, O
Yudhishthira! Janaka the ruler of the Videhas, O king, filled with
sorrow and grief, questioned a wise Brahmana of the name of Asma for the
resolution of his doubts.'
"Janaka said, 'How should a man desirous of his own good behave upon
occasions of the accession and the destruction of both kinsmen and
wealth?'
"Asma said, 'Immediately after the formation of a man's body, joys
and griefs attach themselves to it. Although there is a possibility of
either of the two overtaking the person, yet whichever actually
overtakes him quickly robs him of his reason like the wind driving away
gathering clouds. (In times of prosperity) one thinks in this strain,
viz.,
- 'I am of high birth!
- I can do whatever I like!--
- I am not an ordinary man!'
His mind becomes soaked with such triple vanity. Addicted to all
earthly enjoyments, he begins to waste the wealth hoarded by his
ancestors. Impoverished in course of time, he regards the appropriation
of what belongs to others as even laudable. Like a hunter piercing a
deer with his shafts, the king then punishes that wicked wight that
robber of other people's possessions, that transgressor of law and rule.
Without attaining to a hundred years (the usual period of human life),
such men scarcely live beyond twenty or thirty years. Carefully
observing the behaviour of all creatures, a king should, by the exercise
of his intelligence, apply remedies for alleviating the great sorrows
of his subjects. The causes of all mental sorrow are two,
viz.,
delusion of the mind and the accession of distress. No third cause
exists. All these diverse kinds of woe as also those arising from
attachment to earthly enjoyments, that overtake man, are even such. Decrepitude and Death, like a pair of wolves, devour all creatures,
strong or weak, short or tall. No man can escape decrepitude and death,
not even the subjugator of the whole earth girt by the sea. Be it
happiness or be it sorrow that comes upon creatures., it should be
enjoyed or borne without elation or depression. There is no method of
escape from them. The evils of life, O king, overtake one in early or
middle or old age. They can never he avoided, while those (sources of
bliss) that are coveted never come. The absence, of what is agreeable, the presence of what is
disagreeable, good and evil, bliss and woe, follow Destiny. Similarly,
the birth of creatures and their death, and the accessions of gain and
loss, are all pre-ordained. Even as scent, colour, taste, and touch
spring naturally, happiness and misery arise from what has been
pre-ordained. Seats and beds and vehicles, prosperity and drink and
food, ever approach leaving creatures according to Time's course. Physicians even get ill. The strong become weak. They that are in the
enjoyment of prosperity lose all and become indigent. The course of Time
is very wonderful. High birth, health, beauty, prosperity, and objects
of enjoyment, are all won through Destiny. The indigent, although they
may not desire it, have many children. The affluent again are seen to be
childless. Wonderful is the course of Destiny. The evils caused by
disease, fire, water, weapons, hunger, poison, fever, and death, and
falls from high places, overtake a man according to the Destiny under
which he is born. It is seen in this world that somebody without
sinning, suffers diverse ills, while another, having sinned, is not borne down by the weight of calamity. It is seen that
somebody in the enjoyment of wealth perishes in youth; while some one
that is poor drags on his existence, borne down by decrepitude, for a
hundred years. One borne in an ignoble race may have a very long life,
while one sprung from a noble line perishes soon like an insect. In this
world, it is very common that persons in affluent circumstances have no
appetite, while they that are indigent can digest chips of wood.
Impelled by destiny, whatever sins the man of wicked soul, discontented
with his condition, commits, saying, '
I am the doer,' he regards
to be all for his good. Hunting, dice, women, wine, brawls, these are
censured by the wise. Many persons, however, possessed of even extensive
knowledge of the scriptures are seen to be addicted to them. Objects,
whether coveted or otherwise, come upon creatures in consequence of
Time's course. No other cause can be traced. Air, space, fire, moon,
sun, day, night, the luminous bodies (in the firmament), rivers, and
mountains,--who makes them and who supports them? Cold, and heat, and
rain, come one after another in consequence of Time's course. It is even
so, O bull among men, with the happiness and the misery of mankind.
Neither medicines, nor incantations, can rescue the man assailed by
decrepitude or overtaken by death. As two logs of wood floating on the
great ocean, come together and are again (when the time comes)
separated, even so creatures come together and are again (when the time
comes) separated. Time acts equally towards those men that (are in
affluent circumstances and that) enjoy the pleasures of song and dance
in the company of women and those helpless men that live upon the food
that others supply. In this world a thousand kinds of relationship are
contracted, such as mother and father and son and wife. In reality,
however, whose are they and whose are we? No one can become anyone's
own, nor can anyone become anybody else's own. Our union herewith wives
and kinsfolk and well-wishers is like that of travellers at a road-side
inn.
- Where am I?
- Where shall go?
- Who am I?
- How come I here!
- What for and whom I grieve?
Reflecting on these questions one obtains tranquillity. Life and its
environments are constantly revolving like a wheel, and the
companionship of those that are dear is transitory. The union with
brother, mother, father, and friend is like that of travellers in an
inn. Men of knowledge behold, as if with corporeal eyes, the next world
that is unseen. Without disregarding the scriptures, one desirous of
knowledge should have faith. One possessed of knowledge should perform
the rites laid down in respect of the
Pitris and the gods,
practise all religious duties, perform sacrifices, judiciously pursue
virtue, profit, and pleasure. Alas, no one understands that the world is
sinking on the ocean of Time that is so very deep and that is infested
with those huge crocodiles called decrepitude and death. Many physicians
may be seen afflicted with all the members of their families, although
they have carefully studied the science of Medicine.
1
Taking bitters and diverse kinds of oily drugs, these succeed not in
escaping death, like ocean in transcending its continents. Men
well-versed in chemistry, notwithstanding chemical compounds applied judiciously, are seen to be broken down by decrepitude like trees
broken down by elephants. Similarly, persons possessed of ascetic merit,
devoted to study of the Vedas, practising charity, and frequently
performing sacrifices, succeed not in escaping decrepitude and death. As
regards all creatures that have taken birth, neither years, nor months,
nor fortnights, nor days, nor nights, that have once passed, do ever
return. Man, whose existence is so transitory, is forced, in course of
Time, whether he will or not, to come upon this inevitable and broad
path that has to be trodden by every creature.
1
Whether the body springs from the creature or the creature springs from
the body, one's union however, with wives and other friends is like
that of travellers in an inn.
2
one cannot obtain a lasting companionship with anyone. One cannot
obtain such companionship with one's own body. How then it can be had
with anyone else? Where, O king, is thy sire today and where thy
grandsire? Thou beholdst them not today and they do not behold thee. O
sinless one! No person can see either heaven or hell. The scriptures,
however, are the eyes of the virtuous. O king, frame thy conduct
according to the scriptures.
What pure heart, one should practise first
the vow of
Brahmacharya and then beget children and then perform sacrifices, for paying off the debt one owes to the
Pitris, the gods, and men. Performing sacrifices and engaged in procreating (children), after having first observed the vow of
Brahmacharya, one who bath wisdom for his eyes, casting off all anxiety of heart, should pay court to heaven, this world, and his own soul.
That king bent upon the practice of virtue who strives judiciously for
acquiring Heaven and Earth and who takes of earthly goods just what is
ordained (as the king's share) in the scriptures, wins a reputation that
spread over all the worlds and among all creatures, mobile and
immobile. The ruler of the Videhas, of clear understanding, having heard
these words full of reason, become freed from grief, and taking Asma's
leave proceeded towards his abode, O thou of unfading glory, cast off
thy grief and rise up. Thou art equal to Sakra himself. Suffer thy soul
to be gladdened. The earth has been won by thee in the exercise of
Kshatriya duties. Enjoy her, O son of Kunti, and do not disregard my
words.'"
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