SECTION XVIII
Vaisampayana said, "When Yudhishthira, after saying these words, became
silent, Arjuna, afflicted by that speech of the king, and burning with
sorrow and grief, once more addressed his eldest brother, saying, 'People
recite this old history, O Bharata, about the discourse between the ruler
of the Videhas and his queen. That history has reference to the words
which the grief-stricken spouse of the ruler of the Videhas had said to
her lord when the latter, abandoning his kingdom, had resolved to lead a
life of mendicancy. Casting off wealth and children and wives and
precious possessions of various kinds and the established path for
acquiring religious merit and fire itself.[53] King Janaka shaved his
head (and assumed the garb of a mendicant). His dear spouse beheld him
deprived of wealth, installed in the observance of the vow of mendicancy,
resolved to abstain from inflicting any kind of injury on others, free
from vanity of every kind, and prepared to subsist upon a handful of
barley fallen off from the stalk and to be got by picking the grains from
crevices in the field. Approaching her lord at a time when no one was
with him, the queen, endued with great strength of mind, fearlessly and
in wrath, told him these words fraught with reason: 'Why hast thou
adopted a life of mendicancy, abandoning thy kingdom full of wealth and
corn? A handful of fallen off barley cannot be proper for thee. Thy
resolution tallies not with thy acts,[54] since abandoning thy large
kingdom thou covetest, O king, a handful of grain! With this handful of
barley, O king, wilt thou succeed in gratifying thy guests, gods. Rishis
and Pitris? This thy labour, therefore, is bootless. Alas, abandoned by
all these, viz., gods, guest and Pitris, thou leadest a life, of
wandering mendicancy, O king, having cast off all action. Thou wert,
before this, the supporter of thousands of Brahmanas versed in the three
Vedas and of many more besides. How canst thou desire to beg of them thy
own food today? Abandoning thy blazing prosperity, thou castest thy eyes
around like a dog (for his food). Thy mother hath today been made sonless
by thee, and thy spouse, the princess of Kosala, a widow. These helpless
Kshatriyas, expectant of fruit and religious merit, wait upon thee,
placing all their hopes on thee. By killing those hopes of theirs, to
what regions shalt thou go, O king, especially when salvation is doubtful
and creatures are dependent on actions?[55] Sinful as thou art, thou hast
neither this world nor the other, since thou wishest to live, having cast
off thy wedded wife?[56] Why, indeed, dost thou lead a life of wandering
mendicancy, abstaining from all actions, after having abandoned garlands
and perfumes and ornaments and robes of diverse kinds? Having been, as it
were, a large and sacred take unto all creatures, having been a mighty
tree worthy of adoration and granting its shelter unto all, alas, how
canst thou wait upon and worship others? If even an elephant desists from
all work, carnivorous creatures coming in packs and innumerable worms
would eat it up. What need be said of thyself that art so powerless?[57]
How couldst thy heart be set on that mode of life which recommends an
earthen pot, and a triple-headed stick, and which forces one to abandon
his very clothes and which permits the acceptance of only a handful of
barley after abandonment of everything? If, again, thou sayest that
kingdom and a handful of barley are the same to thee, then why dost thou
abandon the former! If, again, a handful of barley becomes an object of
attachment with thee, then, thy original resolution (of abandoning
everything) falls to the ground, If, again, thou canst act up to thy
resolution of abandoning everything! then who am I to thee, who art thou
to me, and what can be thy grace to me?[58] If thou beest inclined to
grace, rule then this Earth! They that are desirous of happiness but are
very poor and indigent and abandoned by friends may adopt renunciation.
But he who imitates those men by abandoning palatial mansions and beds
and vehicles and robes and ornaments, acts improperly, indeed. One always
accepts gifts made by others; another always makes gifts. Thou knowest
the difference between the two. Who, indeed, of these two shouldst be
regarded the superior? If a gift be made to one who always accepts gifts,
or to one that is possessed of pride, that gift becomes bootless like the
clarified butter that is poured upon a forest-conflagration.[59] As a
fire, O king, never dies till it has consumed all that has been thrown
into it, even so a beggar can never be silenced tilt he receives a
donative. In this world, the food that is given by a charitable person is
the sure support of the pious. If, therefore, the king does not give
(food) where will the pious that are desirous of salvation go?[60] They
that have food (in their houses) are house-holders. Mendicants are
supported by them. Life flows from food. Therefore, the giver of food is
the giver of life. Coming out from among those that lead a domestic mode
of life, mendicants depend upon those very persons from whom they come.
Those self-restrained men, by doing this, acquire and enjoy fame and
power. One is not to be called a mendicant for his having only renounced
his possessions, or for his having only adopted a life of dependence on
eleemosynary charity. He who renounces the possessions and pleasures of
the world in a sincere frame of mind is to be regarded a true
mendicant.[61] Unattached at heart, though attached in outward show,
standing aloof from the world, having broken all his bonds, and regarding
friend and foe equally, such a man, O king, is regarded to be
emancipated! Having shaved their heads clean and adopted the brown robe,
men may be seen to betake themselves to a life of wandering mendicancy,
though bound by various ties and though ever on the lookout for bootless
wealth. They who, casting off the three Vedas, their usual occupations,
and children, adopt a life or mendicancy by taking up the triple-headed
crutch and the brown robe, are really persons of little understanding.
Without having cast off anger and other faults, the adoption of only the
brown robe, know, O king, is due to the desire of earning the means of
sustenance. Those persons of clean-shaven heads that have set up the
banner of virtue, have this only (viz., the acquisition of sustenance)
for their object in life. Therefore, O king, keeping thy passions under
control, do thou win regions of bliss hereafter by supporting them that
are truly pious amongst men of matted locks or clean-shaven heads, naked
or clad in rags, or skins or brown robes. Who is there that is more
virtuous than he who maintains his sacred fire, who performs sacrifices
with presents of animals and Dakshina, and who practises charity day and
night?'
"Arjuna continued, 'King Janaka is regarded to have been a truth-knowing
person in this world. Even he, in this matter (viz., the ascertainment of
duty) had become stupefied. Do not yield to stupefaction! Even thus the
duties of Domesticity are observed by persons practising charity. By
abstaining from injuries of all kinds, by casting off desire and wrath,
by being engaged in protecting all creatures, by observing the excellent
duty of charity, and lastly by cherishing superiors and persons of age,
we shall succeed in attaining such regions of bliss as we like. By duly
gratifying gods, guests, and all creatures, by worshipping Brahmanas, and
by truthfulness of speech, we shall certainly attain to desirable regions
of bliss.'"
