Bhismadeva instructing Maharaja Yudhistira...

[Guest guest]

****************** MAHARABARATA SECTION CCLXXIV SANTI PRAVA ****************

 

"Yudhistira said, 'Thou hast said , O grandsire, that Liberation is to be

won by means and not otherwise. I desire to hear duly what those means are.'

 

"Bhishma said, O thou of great wisdom, this enquiry that thou hast

addressed to me and that is connected with a subtle topic, is really worthy

of thee, since thou, O sinless one, always seekst to accomplish all thy

objects by the application of means. That state of mind which is present when

one sets oneself to make an earthen jar for one's use, disappears after the

jar has been completed. After the same manner, that cause which urges persons

who regard virtue as the root of advancement and prosperity ceases to operate

with them that seek Liberation. That path which leads to the Eastern Ocean is

not the path by which one can go to the Western Ocean. There is only one path

that leads to Liberation. Listen to me as I discourse on it to thee in

detail. One should, by practicing forgiveness, exterminate wrath, and by

abandoning all purposes, root out desire. By practicing the quality of

sattwa, one should conquer over sleep. By heedfulness one should keep off

fear, and by contemplation of the soul one should conquer breath. Desire,

aversion, and lust, one should dispel by patience; error, ignorance, and

doubt, by study of the truth. By pursuit after knowledge one should avoid

insouciance *1 and inquire after things of no interest. By frugal *2 and

easily digestible fare *3 one should drive off all disorders and diseases.

By contentment one should dispel greed and stupefaction of judgment, and all

worldly concerns should be avoided by a knowledge of the truth. By practising

benevolence one should conquer iniquity, *4 and by regard for all creatures

one should acquire virtue. One should avoid expectation by the reflection

that is concerned with the future; and one should cast off wealth by

abandoning desire itself. The man of intelligence should abandon affection by

recollecting that everything is transitory. He should subdue hunger by

practicing Yoga. By practicing benevolence one should keep off all ideas of

self-importance, and drive off all sorts of carving by adopting contentment.

By exertion one should subdue procrastination, *5 and by certainty all kinds

of doubt, by taciturnity, *6 loquaciousness,*7 and by courage, every kind of

fear. Speech and mind are to be subdued by the understanding, and the

understanding, in turn, is to be kept under control by the eye of knowledge.

Knowledge, again, is to be controlled by acquaintance with the Soul, and

finally the Soul is to be controlled by the Supreme Soul. This last is

attainable by those that are of pure-acts and endured with tranquillity of

soul, the means being the subjugation of those five impediments of Yoga of

which the learned speak. By casting off desire and wrath and covetousness and

fear and sleep, one should, restraining speech, practise what is favorable to

Yoga, viz, contemplation, study, gift, truth, modesty, candour, *8

forgiveness, purity of hart, purity in respect to food, and the subjugation

of the senses. By these one's energy is increased, sins are dispelled,

wishes crowned with fruition, and knowledge gained. When one becomes cleansed

of one's sins and possessed of energy and frugal of fare and the master of

one's senses, one then, having conquered both desire and wrath, seeks to

attain to Brahma. The avoidance of ignorance ( By study of Sastra ), the

absence of attachment ( By renunciation ), freedom from desire and wrath ( by

adoption of contentment and forgiveness ), the puissance that is won by Yoga,

the absence of pride and haughtiness, *9 freedom from anxiety ( by

subjugation of fear ), absence of attachment of anything like home and

family,-- these constitute the path of Liberation. That path is delightful,

stainless, and pure. Similarly, the restraining of speech, of body, and of

mind, when practised from the absence of desire, constitutes also the path of

Liberation.

 

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*1 insouciance: Blithe lack of concern; nonchalance.

 

*2 Furgal: Costing little; a frugal lunch.

 

*3 Fare: Food and drink; diet:

 

*4 Iniquity: a sin, Gross immorality or injustice; wickedness.

 

*5 procrastination: To postpone or delay needlessly.

 

*6 taciturn: Habitually untalkative. See Synonyms at silent.

 

*7 loquacious: Very talkative; garrulous. See Synonyms at talkative

 

*8 candor: Frankness or sincerity of expression; openness.

 

*9 haughtiest: Scornfully and condescendingly proud.