SECTION CCVI
"Markandeya said, 'Continually reflecting upon that wonderful discourse
of the woman, Kausika began to reproach himself and looked very much like
a guilty person and meditating on the subtle ways of morality and virtue,
he said to himself, 'I should accept with reverence what the lady hath
said and should, therefore, repair to Mithila. Without doubt there
dwelleth in that city a fowler of soul under complete control and fully
acquainted with the mysteries of virtue and morality. This very day will
I repair unto that one endued with wealth of asceticism for enquiring of
him about virtue.' His faith in her was assured by her knowledge of the
death of the she-crane and the excellent words of virtuous import she had
uttered. Kausika thus reflecting with reverence upon all she had said,
set out for Mithila, filled with curiosity. And he traversed many forests
and villages and towns and at last reached Mithila that was ruled over by
Janaka and he beheld the city to be adorned with the flags of various
creeds. And he beheld that beautiful town to be resounding with the noise
of sacrifices and festivities and furnished with splendid gateways. It
abounded with palatial residences and protected by walls on all sides; it
had many splendid buildings to boast of. And that delightful town was
also filled with innumerable cars. And its streets and roads were many
and well-laid and many of them were lined with shops. And it was full of
horses and cars and elephants and warriors. And the citizens were all in
health and joy and they were always engaged in festivities. And having
entered that city, that Brahmana beheld there many other things.
And there the Brahmana enquired about the virtuous fowler and was
answered by some twice-born persons. And repairing to the place indicated
by those regenerate ones, the Brahmana beheld the fowler seated in a
butcher's yard and the ascetic fowler was then selling venison and
buffalo meat and in consequence of the large concourse of buyers gathered
round that fowler, Kausika stood at a distance. But the fowler,
apprehending that the Brahmana had come to him, suddenly rose from his
seat and went to that secluded spot where the Brahmana was staying and
having approached him there, the fowler said, 'I salute thee, O holy one!
Welcome are thou, O you best of Brahmanas! I am the fowler. Blessed be
thou! Command me as to what I may do for thee. The word that the chaste
woman said unto thee, viz., Repair you to Mithila, are known to me. I
also know for what purpose you hast come hither.' Hearing these words of
the fowler that Brahmana was filled with surprise. And he began to
reflect inwardly, saying, 'This indeed, is the second marvel that I see!'
The fowler then said unto the Brahmana, saying, 'Thou are now standing in
place that is scarcely proper for thee, O sinless one. If it pleasest
thee, let us go to my abode, O holy one!'
"Markandeya continued, 'So be it,' said the Brahmana unto him, gladly.
And thereupon, the fowler proceeded towards his home with the Brahmana
walking before him. And entering his abode that looked delightful, the
fowler reverenced his guest by offering him a seat. And he also gave him
water to wash his feet and face. And accepting these, that best of
Brahmanas sat at his ease And he then addressed the fowler, saying, 'It
seems to me that this profession doth not befit thee. O fowler, I deeply
regret that you shouldst follow such a cruel trade.' At these words of
the Brahmana the fowler said, 'This profession is that of my family,
myself having inherited it from my sires and grandsires. O regenerate
one, grieve not for me owing to my adhering to the duties that belong to
me by birth. Discharging the duties ordained for me beforehand by the
Creator, I carefully serve my superiors and the old. O you best of
Brahmanas! I always speak the truth, never envy others; and give to the
best of my power. I live upon what remaineth after serving the gods,
guests, and those that depend on me. I never speak ill of anything, small
or great. O you best of Brahmanas, the actions of a former life always
follow the doer. In this world there are three principal professions,
viz., agriculture, rearing of cattle, and trade. As regards the other
world, the three Vedas, knowledge, and the science of morals are
efficacious. Service (of the other three orders) hath been ordained to be
the duty of the Sudra. Agriculture hath been ordained for the Vaisyas,
and fighting for the Kshatriyas, while the practice of the Brahmacharya
vow, asceticism, recitation of mantras, and truthfulness have been
ordained for the Brahmanas. Over subjects adhering to their proper
duties, the king should rule virtuously; while he should set those
thereto that have fallen away from the duties of their order. Kings
should ever be feared, because they are the lords of their subjects. They
restrain those subjects of theirs that fall away from their duties as
they restrain the motions of the deer by means of their shafts. O
regenerate Rishi, there existeth not in the kingdom of Janaka a single
subject that followeth not the duties of his birth. O you best of the
Brahmanas, all the four orders here rigidly adhere to their respective
duties. King Janaka punisheth him that is wicked, even if he be his own
son; but never doth he inflict pain on him that is virtuous. With good
and able spies employed under him, he looketh upon all with impartial
eyes. Prosperity, and kingdom, and capacity to punish, belong, O thou
best of Brahmanas, to the Kshatriyas. Kings desire high prosperity
through practice of the duties that belong to them. The king is the
protector of all the four orders. As regards myself, O Brahmana, I always
sell pork and buffalo meat without slaying those animals myself. I sell
meat of animals, O regenerate Rishi, that have been slain by others. I
never eat meat myself; never go to my wife except in her season; I always
fast during the day, and eat, O regenerate one, in the night. Even though
the behaviour of his order is bad, a person may yet be himself of good
behaviour. So also a person may become virtuous, although he may be
slayer of animals by profession. It is in consequence of the sinful acts
of kings that virtue decreaseth greatly, and sin beginneth to prosper.
And when all this taketh place the subjects of the kingdom begin to
decay. And it is then, O Brahmana, that ill-looking monsters, and dwarfs,
and hunch-backed and large-headed wights, and men that are blind or deaf
or those that have paralysed eyes or are destitute of the power of
procreation, begin to take their birth. It is from the sinfulness of
kings that their subjects suffer numerous mischiefs. But this our king
Janaka casteth his eyes upon all his subjects virtuously, and he is
always kind unto them who, on their part, ever adhere to their respective
duties. Regarding myself, I always with good deeds please those that
speak well, as also those that speak ill of me. Those kings that live in
the observance of their own proper duties, who are always engaged in the
practice of acts that are good and honest, who are of souls under
complete control and who are endued with readiness and alacrity, may not
depend upon anything else for supporting their power. Gift of food to the
best of one's power, endurance of heat and cold, firmness in virtue, and
a regard and tenderness for all creatures,--these attributes can never
find place in a person, without an innate desire being present in him of
separating himself from the world. One should avoid falsehood in speech,
and should do good without solicitation. One should never cast off virtue
from lust, from wrath, or from malice. One should never joy immoderately
at a good turn or grieve immoderately at a bad one. One should never feel
depressed when overtaken by poverty, nor when so overtaken abandon the
path of virtue. If at any time one doth what is wrong, he should never do
its like again. One should always urge his soul to the doing of that
which he regardeth as beneficial. One should never return wrong for
wrong, but should act honestly by those that have wronged him. That
wretched man who desireth to do what is sinful, slayeth himself. By doing
what is sinful, one only imitates them that are wicked and sinful,
Disbelieving in virtue they that mock the good and the pure saying,
'There is no virtue' undoubtedly meet with destruction. A sinful man
swelleth up like a leather bag puffed up with wind. The thoughts of these
wretches filled with pride and folly are feeble and unprofitable. It is
the heart, the inner soul, that discovereth the fool like the sun that
discovereth forms during the day. The food cannot always shine in the
world by means of self-praise. The learned man, however, even if he be
destitute of beauty, displayeth his lustre by refraining from speaking
ill of others and well of himself. No example, however, can be met with,
in this world, of a person shining brilliantly on account of attributes
to be found in him in their reputed measure. If one repenteth of a wrong
done by him, that repentance washeth off his sin. The resolution of never
doing it again saveth him from future sin, even as, O you best of
Brahmanas, he may save himself from sin by any of those expiations
obtained in the scriptures. Even this, O regenerate one, is the sruti
that may be seen in respect of virtue. He that having before been
virtuous, committeth a sin, or committeth it unknowingly may destroy that
sin. For virtue, O Brahmana, driveth off the sin that men commit from
ignorance. A man, after having committed a sin, should cease to regard
himself any longer as a man. No man can conceal his sins. The gods behold
what one does, also the Being that is within every one. He that with
piety and without detraction hideth the faults of the honest and the wise
like holes in his own attire, surely seeketh his salvation. If a man
seeketh redemption after having committed a sin, without doubt he is
purged of all his sins and looketh pure and resplendent like the moon
emerged from the clouds. A man that seeketh redemption is washed of all
his sins, even as the sun, upon rising, dispelleth all darkness. O best
of Brahmanas, it is temptation that constitutes the basis of sin. Men
that are ignorant commit sin, yielding to temptation alone. Sinful men
generally cover themselves with a virtuous exterior, like wells whose
mouths are covered by long grass. Outwardly they seem to possess
self-control and holiness and indulge in preaching virtuous texts which,
in their mouth are of little meaning. Indeed, everything may be noticed
in them except conduct that is truly virtuous!'
"Markandeya continued, 'At these words, O best of men, of the fowler,
that Brahmana endued with great wisdom, then asked the fowler, saying,
'How shall I know what is virtuous conduct? Blessed be thou, I desire to
hear this, O you foremost of virtuous men, from thee. Therefore, O thou
of exalted soul, tell me all about it truly.' Hearing these words, the
fowler replied, saying, 'O best of Brahmanas, Sacrifices, Gift,
Asceticism, the Vedas, and Truth--these five holy things are ever present
in conduct that is called virtuous. Having subjugated lust and wrath
pride avarice, and crookedness, they that take pleasure in virtue because
it is virtue, are regarded as really virtuous and worthy of the
approbation of persons that are virtuous. These persons who are devoted
to sacrifices; and study of the Vedas have no independent behaviour. They
follow only the practices of the honest and the good. This indeed, is the
second attribute of the virtuous. Waiting upon superiors, Truth, Freedom
from anger, and Gift, these four, O Brahmana, are inseparably connected
with behaviour that is virtuous. For the reputation that a person
acquires by setting his heart on virtuous behaviour and adhering to it
rigidly is incapable of acquisition except by practising the four virtues
named above. The essence of the Vedas is Truth: the essence of Truth is
self-control, and the essence of self-control is abstention from the
pleasures of the world. These all are to be noticed in behaviour that is
virtuous. They that follow those deluded fools that mock the forms of
faith prevailing among men, are dragged into destruction for walking in
such a sinful path. They, however, that are virtuous and engaged in the
observance of vows, who are devoted to the srutis and the virtue of
abstention from the pleasure of the world, they in fact who tread in
virtue's path and follow the true religion, they that are obedient to the
mandates of their preceptors, and who reflect upon the sense of the
scriptures with patience and carefulness,--is these that are said to be
possessed of behaviour that is virtuous; it is these, O Brahmana, that
are said to properly guide their higher intelligence. Forsaking those
that are atheists, those that transgress virtue's limits, those that are
of wicked souls, those that live in sinfulness, betake thyself to
knowledge reverencing those that are virtuous. Lust and temptation are
even like sharks in the river of life; the waters are the five senses. Do
thou cross over to the other side of this river in the boat of patience
and resignation, avoiding the shoals of corporeal existence (repeated
births in this world). The supreme virtue consisting in the exercise of
the intelligent principle and abstraction, when gradually super-added to
virtuous conduct, becomes beautiful like dye on white fabrics.
Truthfulness and abstention from doing injury to any one, are virtues
highly beneficial to all creatures. Of these, that latter is a cardinal
virtue, and is based on truth. Our mental faculties have their proper
play when their foundation is laid in truth, and in the exercise of
virtue truth is of the highest value. Purity of conduct is the
characteristic of all good men. Those that are distinguished for holy
living are good and virtuous. All creatures follow the principles of
conduct which are innate in their nature. The sinful being who has no
control over self acquire lust, anger and other vices. It is the
immemorial rule that virtuous actions are those that are founded on
justice, and it is also ordained by holy men that all iniquitous conduct
is sin. Those who are not swayed by anger, pride, haughtiness and envy,
and those who are quiet and straight-forward, are men of virtuous
conduct. Those who are diligent in performing the rites enjoined in the
three Vedas, who are wise, and of pure and virtuous conduct, who exercise
self-restraint and are full of attention to their superior, are men of
virtuous conduct. The actions and conduct of such men of great power, are
very difficult of attainment. They are sanctified by the purification of
their own actions, and consequently sin in them dies out of itself. This
virtue of good conduct is wonderful, ancient, immutable and eternal; and
wise men observing this virtue with holiness, attain to heaven. These men
who believe in the existence of the Deity, who are free from false pride,
and versed in holy writ, and who respect regenerate (twice-born) men, go
to heaven. Among holy men, virtue is differentiated in three ways--that
great virtue which is inculcated in the Vedas, the other which is
inculcated in the dharmashastras (the minor scriptures), and virtuous
conduct. And virtuous conduct is indicated by acquisition of knowledge,
pilgrimage to sacred places, truthfulness, forbearance, purity and
straight-forwardness. Virtuous men are always kind to all creatures, and
well-disposed towards regenerate men. They abstain from doing injury to
any creature, and are never rude in speech. Those good men who know well
the consequences of the fruition of their good and evil deeds, are
commended by virtuous men. Those who are just and good-natured, and
endowed with virtue, who wish well of all creatures, who are steadfast in
the path of virtue, and have conquered heaven, who are charitable,
unselfish and of unblemished character, who succour the afflicted, and
are learned and respected by all, who practise austerities, and are kind
to all creatures, are commended as such by the virtuous. Those who are
charitably disposed attain prosperity in this world, as also the regions
of bliss (hereafter). The virtuous man when solicited for assistance by
good men bestow alms on them by straining to the utmost, even to the
deprivation of the comforts of his wife and servants. Good men having an
eye to their own welfare, as also virtue and the ways of the world, act
in this way and thereby grow in virtue through endless ages. Good persons
possessing the virtues of truthfulness, abstention from doing injury to
any one, rectitude, abstention from evil towards any one, want of
haughtiness, modesty, resignation, self-restraint, absence of passion,
wisdom, patience, and kindness towards all creatures, and freedom from
malice and lust, are the witnesses of the world. These three are said to
constitute the perfect way of the virtuous, viz., a man must not do wrong
to any body, he must bestow alms, and must always be truthful. Those
high-souled good men of virtuous conduct, and settled convictions, who
are kind to all and are full of compassion, depart with contentment from
this world to the perfect way of virtue. Freedom from malice,
forbearance, peace of mind, contentment, pleasant speech, renunciation of
desire and anger, virtuous conduct and actions regulated according to the
ordinances of holy writ, constitute the perfect way of the virtuous. And
those who are constant in virtue follow these rules of virtuous conduct,
and having reached the pinnacle of knowledge, and discriminating between
the various phases of human conduct, which are either very virtuous or
the reverse, they escape from the great danger. Thus, O great Brahmana,
having introduced the subject of virtuous conduct, have I described to
thee all this, according to my own knowledge and to what I have heard on
the subject."
--------------------END OF PARVA 3 : UPA-PARVA 206 ---------------------
