SECTION XV
Vaisampayana said, "Hearing these words of Yajnasena's daughter, Arjuna
once more spoke, showing proper regard for his mighty-armed eldest
brother of unfading glory.
"Arjuna said, 'The man armed with the rod of chastisement governs all
subjects and protects them. The rod of chastisement is awake when all
else is sleep. For this, the wise have characterised the rod of
chastisement to be Righteousness itself. The rod of chastisement protects
Righteousness and Profit. It protects also, O king! For this, the rod of
chastisement is identified with the triple objects of life. Corn and
wealth are both protected by the rod of chastisement. Knowing this, O
thou that art possessed of learning, take up the rod of chastisement and
observe the course of the world. One class of sinful men desist from sin
through fear of the rod of chastisement in the king's bands. Another
class desist from similar acts through fear of Yama's rod, and yet
another from fear of the next world. Another class of persons desist from
sinful acts through fear of society. Thus, O king, in this world, whose
course is such, everything is, dependent on the rod of chastisement.
There is a class of persons who are restrained by only the rod of
chastisement from devouring one another. If the rod of chastisement did
not protect people, they would have sunk in the darkness of hell. The rod
of chastisement (danda) has been so named by the wise because it
restrains the ungovernable and punishes the wicked, The chastisement of
Brahmanas should be by word of mouth; of Kshatriyas, by giving them only
that much of food as would suffice for the support of life; of Vaisyas,
by the imposition of fines and forfeitures of property, while for Sudras
there is no punishment.[34] For keeping men awake (to their duties) and
for the protection of property, ordinances, O king, have been established
in the world, under the name of chastisement (or punitive legislation).
Thither where chastisement, of dark complexion and red eyes, stands in an
attitude of readiness (to grapple with every offender) and the king is of
righteous vision, the subjects never forget themselves. The Brahmacharin
and the house-holder, the recluse in the forest and the religious
mendicant, all these walk in their respective ways through fear of
chastisement alone. He that is without any fear, O king, never performs a
sacrifice. He that is without fear never giveth away. The man that is
without any fear never desires to adhere to any engagement or compact.
Without piercing the vitals of others, without achieving the most
difficult feats and without staying creatures like a fisherman (slaying
fish), no person can obtain great prosperity.[35] Without slaughter, no
man has been able to achieve fame in this world or acquire wealth or
subjects. Indra himself, by the slaughter of Vritra, became the great
Indra. Those amongst the gods that are given to slaughtering others are
adored much more by men. Rudra, Skanda, Sakra, Agni, Varuna, are all
slaughterers. Kala and Mrityu and Vayu and Kuvera and Surya, the Vasus,
the Maruts, the Sadhyas, and the Viswadevas, O Bharata, are all
slaughterers. Humbled by their prowess, all people bend to those gods,
but not to Brahman or Dhatri or Pushan at any time. Only a few men that
are noble of disposition adore in all their acts those among the gods
that are equally disposed towards all creatures and that are
self-restrained and peaceful. I do not behold the creature in this world
that supports life without doing any act of injury to others. Animals
live upon animals, the stronger upon the weaker. The mongoose devours
mice; the cat devours the mongoose; the dog devours the cat; the dog
again is devoured by the spotted leopard. Behold all things again are
devoured by the Destroyer when he comes! This mobile and immobile
universe is food for living creatures. This has, been ordained by the
gods. The man of knowledge, therefore, is never stupefied at it. It
behoveth thee, O great king, to become that which thou art by birth.
Foolish (Kshatriyas) alone, restraining wrath and joy take refuge in the
woods. The very ascetics cannot support their lives without killing
creatures. In water, on earth, and fruits, there are innumerable
creatures. It is not true that one does not slaughter them. What higher
duty is there than supporting one's life?[36] There are many creatures
that are so minute that their existence can only be inferred. With the
failing of the eyelids alone, they are destroyed. There are men who
subduing wrath and pride betake themselves to ascetic courses of life and
leaving village and towns repair to the woods. Arrived there, those men
may be seen to be so stupefied as to adopt the domestic mode of life once
more. Others may be seen, who (in the observance of domesticity) tilling
the soil, uprooting herbs, cutting off trees and killing birds and
animals, perform sacrifices and at last attain to heaven. O son of Kunti,
I have no doubt in this that the acts of all creatures become crowned
with success only when the policy of chastisement is properly applied. If
chastisement were abolished from the world, creatures wood soon be
destroyed. Like fishes in the water, stronger animals prey on the weaker.
This truth was formerly spoken by Brahmana himself, viz., that
chastisement, properly applied upholds creatures. Behold, the very fires,
when extinguished, blaze up again, in fright, when blown. This is due to
the fear of force or chastisement. If there were no chastisement in the
world distinguishing the good from the bad, then the whole world would
have been enveloped in utter darkness and all things would have been
confounded. Even they that are breakers of rules, that are atheists and
scoffers of the Vedas, afflicted by chastisement, soon become disposed to
observe rules and restrictions.[37] Everyone in this world is kept
straight by chastisement. A person naturally pure and righteous is
scarce. Yielding to the fear of chastisement, man becomes disposed to
observe rules and restraints. Chastisement was ordained by the Creator
himself for protecting religion and profit, for the happiness of all the
four orders, and for making them righteous and modest. If chastisement
could not inspire fear, then ravens and beasts of prey would have eaten
up all other animals and men and the clarified butter intended for
sacrifice. If chastisement did not uphold and protect, then nobody would
have studied the Vedas, nobody would have milked a milch cow, and no
maiden would have married.[38] If chastisement did not uphold and
protect, then ravage and confusion would have set in on every side, and
all barriers would have been swept away, and the idea of property would
have disappeared. If chastisement did not uphold and protect, people
could never duly perform annual sacrifices with large presents. If
chastisement did not uphold and protect, no one, to whatever mode of life
he might belong, would observe the duties of that mode as declared (in
the scriptures), and no one would have succeeded in acquiring
knowledge.[39] Neither camels, nor oxen, nor horses, nor mules, nor
asses, would, even if yoked thereto, drag cars and carriages, if
chastisement did not uphold and protect. Upon chastisement depend all
creatures. The learned, therefore, say that chastisement is the root of
everything. Upon chastisement rests the heaven that men desire, and upon
it rests this world also. Thither where foe-destroying chastisement is
well applied, no sin, no deception, and no wickedness, is to be seen. If
the rod of 'chastisement be not uplifted, the dog will lick the
sacrificial butter. The crow also would take away the first (sacrificial)
offering, if that rod were not kept uplifted. Righteously or
unrighteously, this kingdom hath now become ours. Our duty now is to
abandon grief. Do thou, therefore, enjoy it and perform sacrifices. Men
that are fortunate, living with their dear wives (and children), eat good
food, wear excellent clothes, and cheerfully acquire virtue. All our
acts, without doubt, are dependent on wealth; that wealth again is
dependent on chastisement. Behold, therefore, the importance of
chastisement. Duties have been declared for only the maintenance of the
relations of the world. There are two things here, viz., abstention from
injury and injury prompted by righteous motives. Of these, two, that is
superior by which righteousness may be acquired.[40] There is no act that
is wholly meritorious, nor any that is wholly wicked. Right or wrong, in
all acts, something of both is seen. Subjecting animals to castration,
their horns again are cut off. They are then made to bear weights, are
tethered, and chastised. In this world that is unsubstantial and rotten
with abuses and rendered painful, O monarch, do thou practise the ancient
customs of men, following the rules and analogies cited above. Perform
sacrifices, give alms, protect thy subjects, and practise righteousness.
Slay thy foes, O son of Kunti, and protect thy friends. Let no
cheerlessness be thine. O king, while slaying foes. He that does it, O
Bharata, does not incur the slightest sin. He that takes up a weapon and
slays an armed foe advancing against him, does not incur the sin of
killing a foetus, for it is the wrath of the advancing foe that provokes
the wrath of the slayer. The inner soul of every creature is incapable of
being slain. When the soul is incapable of being slain, how then can one
be slain by another? As a person enters a new house, even so a creature
enters successive bodies. Abandoning forms that are worn out, a creature
acquires new forms. People capable of seeing the truth regard this
transformation to be death.'"
