practices also approach him then, O king! Seized by these, he never
obtains happiness. At that season he succeeds not in obtaining the fruit
of his acts, right or wrong. They, however, that set their hearts on
reflection, succeed in protecting their souls. The person governed by his
senses does not know that death has come at his door. At last, dragged by
the messengers of the Destroyer, he meets with destruction at the
appointed time. Agitated by his senses, for whatever good and evil has
been done at the outset and having enjoyed or suffered the fruits of
these, he once more becomes indifferent to his acts of self-slaughter.
Alas, the world is deceived, and covetousness brings it under its
dominion. Deprived of understanding by covetousness, wrath, and fear, one
knows not ones own self. Filled with joy at ones own respectability of
birth, one is seen to traduce those that are not high-born. Swelled also
with pride of wealth, one is seen to contemn the poor. One regards others
to be ignorant fools, but seldom takes a survey of ones own self. One
attributes faults to others but is never desirous to punish ones own
self. Since the wise and the ignorant, the rich and the poor, the
high-born and the lowborn, the honoured and the dishonoured, all go to
the place of the dead and sleep there freed from every anxiety, with
bodies divested of flesh and full only of bones united by dried-up
tendons, whom amongst them would the survivors look upon as distinguished
above the others and by what signs would they ascertain the attributes of
birth and beauty? When all, stretched after the same fashion, sleep on
the bare ground, why then should men, taking leave of their senses,
desire to deceive one another? He that, looking at this saying (in the
scriptures) with his own eyes or hearing it from others, practiseth
virtue in this unstable world of life and adhereth to it from early age,
attaineth to the highest end. Learning all this, he that adhereth to
Truth, O king, succeedeth in passing over all paths."
5
"Dhritarashtra said, Tell me in detail everything about the ways of that
intelligence by which this wilderness of duties may be safely covered.
"Vidura said, Having bowed down to the Self-create, I will obey thy
behest by telling thee how the great sages speak of the wilderness of
life. A certain brahmana, living in the great world, found himself on one
occasion in a large inaccessible forest teeming with beasts of prey. It
abounded on every side with lions and other animals looking like
elephants, all of which were engaged in roaring aloud. Such was the
aspect of that forest that Yama himself would take fright at it.
Beholding the forest, the heart of the brahmana became exceedingly
agitated. His hair stood on end, and other signs of fear manifested
themselves, O scorcher of foes! Entering it, he began to run hither and
thither, casting his eyes on every point of the compass for finding out
somebody whose shelter he might seek. Wishing to avoid those terrible
creatures, he ran in fright. He could not succeed, however, in distancing
them or freeing himself from their presence. He then saw that that
terrible forest was surrounded with a net, and that a frightful woman
stood there, stretching her arms. That large forest was also encompassed
by many five-headed snakes of dreadful forms, tall as cliffs and touching
the very heavens. Within it was a pit whose mouth was covered with many
hard and unyielding creepers and herbs. The brahmana, in course of his
wanderings, fell into that invisible pit. He became entangled in those
clusters of creepers that were interwoven with one another, like the
large fruit of a jack tree hanging by its stalk. He continued to hang
there, feet upwards and head downwards. While he was in that posture,
diverse other calamities overtook him. He beheld a large and mighty snake
within the pit. He also saw a gigantic elephant near its mouth. That
elephant, dark in complexion, had six faces and twelve feet. And the
animal gradually approached that pit covered with creepers and trees.
About the twigs of the tree (that stood at the mouth of the pit), roved
many bees of frightful forms, employed from before in drinking the honey
gathered in their comb about which they swarmed in large numbers.
Repeatedly they desired, O bull of Bharatas race, to taste that honey
which though sweet to all creatures could, however, attract children
only. The honey (collected in the comb) fell in many jets below. The
person who was hanging in the pit continually drank those jets. Employed,
in such a distressful situation, in drinking that honey, his thirst,
however, could not be appeased. Unsatiated with repeated draughts, the
person desired for more. Even then, O king, he did not become indifferent
to life. Even there, the man continued to hope for existence. A number of
black and white rats were eating away the roots of that tree. There was
fear from the beasts of prey, from that fierce woman on the outskirts of
that forest, from that snake at the bottom of the well, from that
elephant near its top, from the fall of the tree through the action of
the rats, and lastly from those bees flying about for tasting the honey.
In that plight he continued to dwell, deprived of his senses, in that
wilderness, never losing at any time the hope of prolonging his life."
6
"Dhritarashtra said, Alas, great was the distress of that person and very
painful his mode of life! Tell me, O first of speakers, whence was his
attachment to life and whence his happiness? Where is that region, so
unfavourable to the practice of virtue, in which that person resides? Oh,
tell me how will that man be freed from all those great terrors? Tell me
all this! We shall then exert ourselves properly for him. My compassion
has been greatly moved by the difficulties that lie in the way of his
rescue!
"Vidura said, They that are conversant, O monarch, with the religion of
moksha cite this as a simile. Understanding this properly, a person may
attain to bliss in the regions hereafter. That which is described as the
wilderness is the great world. The inaccessible forest within it is the
limited sphere of ones own life. Those that have been mentioned as beasts
of prey are the diseases (to which we are subject). That woman of
gigantic proportions residing in the forest is identified by the wise
with Decrepitude which destroys complexion and beauty. That which has
been spoken of as the pit is the body or physical frame of embodied
creatures. The huge snake dwelling in the bottom of that pit is time, the
destroyer of all embodied creatures. It is, indeed, the universal
destroyer. The cluster of creepers growing in that pit and attached to
whose spreading stems the man hangeth down is the desire for life which
is cherished by every creature. The six-faced elephant, O king, which
proceeds towards the tree standing at the mouth of the pit is spoken of
as the year. Its six faces are the seasons and its twelve feet are the
twelve months. The rats and the snakes that are cutting off the tree are
said to be days and nights that are continually lessening the periods of
life of all creatures. Those that have been described as bees are our
desires. The numerous jets that are dropping honey are the pleasures
derived from the gratification of our desires and to which men are seen
to be strongly addicted. The wise know lifes course to be even such.
Through that knowledge they succeed in tearing off its bonds."
7
"Dhritarashtra said, Excellent is this parable that thou hast recited!
Indeed, thou art acquainted with truth! Having listened to thy nectarlike
speech, I desire to hear thee more.
"Vidura said, Listen to me, O king, I shall once more discourse in detail
on those means an acquaintance with which enable the wise to free
themselves from the ties of the world. As a person, O king, who has to
travel a long way is sometimes obliged to halt when fatigued with toil,
even so, O Bharata, they that are of little intelligence, travelling
along the extended way of life, have to make frequent halts in the shape
of repeated births in the womb. They, however, that are wise are free
from that obligation. Men conversant with the scriptures, for this,
describe lifes course as a long way. The wise also call lifes round with
all its difficulties a forest. Creatures, O bull of Bharatas race,
whether mobile or immobile, have to repeatedly return to the world. The
wise alone escape. The diseases, mental and physical, to which mortals
are subject, whether visible or invisible, are spoken of as beasts of
prey by the wise. Men are always afflicted and impeded by them, O
Bharata! Then again, those fierce beasts of prey, represented by their
own acts in life, never cause any anxiety to them that are of little
intelligence. If any person, O monarch, somehow escapes from diseases,
Decrepitude, that destroyer of beauty, overwhelmshim afterwards. Plunged
in a slough by the objects of the different senses - sound and form and
taste and touch and scent - man remains there without anything to rescue
him thence. Meanwhile, the years, the seasons, the months, the
fortnights, the days, and the nights, coming one after another, gradually
despoil him of beauty and lessen the period allotted to him. These all
are messengers of death. They, however, that are of little understanding
know them not to be such. The wise say that all creatures are governed by
the Ordainer through their acts. The body of a creature is called the
car. The living principle is the driver of (that car). The senses are
said to be steeds. Our acts and the understanding are the traces. He who
followeth after those running steeds has to come repeatedly to this world
in a round of rebirths. He, however, who, being self-restrained restrains
them by his understanding hath not to come back. They, however, that are
not stupefied while wandering in this wheel of life that is revolving
like a real wheel, do not in reality wander in a round of rebirths. He
that is wise should certainly take care to prevent the obligation of
rebirth. One should not be indifferent to this, for indifference may
subject us to it repeatedly. The man, O king, who has restrained his
senses and subdued wrath and covetousness, who is contented, and truthful
in speech, succeeds in obtaining peace. This body is called the car of
Yama. Then those that are of little intelligence are stupefied by it.
Such a person, O king, would obtain that which thou hast obtained. The
loss of kingdom, of friends, and of children, O Bharata, and such as
these, overtake him who is still under the influence of desire. He that
is wise should apply the medicine of intelligence to all great griefs.
Indeed, obtaining the medicine of wisdom, which is truly very efficacious
and is almost unattainable, the man of restrained soul would kill that
serious disease called sorrow. Neither prowess, nor wealth, nor friend,
nor well-wishers can cure a man of his grief so effectually as the
self-restrained soul. Therefore, observant of the great duty of
abstention from all injuries, or friendship for all creatures, be of
pious behaviour, O Bharata! Self-restraint, renunciation, and heedfulness
are the three steeds of Brahman. He who rides on the car of his soul,
unto which are yoked these steeds with the aid of traces furnished by
good conduct, and drives it, casting off all fear of death, proceedeth, O
king, to the regions of Brahman. That person, O monarch, who gives unto
all creatures an assurance of his harmlessness, goes to the highest of
regions, the blessed realm of Vishnu. The fruit that one obtains by an
assurance unto all creatures of his harmlessness cannot be obtained by a
1,000 sacrifices or by daily fasts. Amongst all things there is certainly
nothing dearer than self. Death is certainly disliked by all creatures, O
Bharata! Therefore, compassion should certainly be shown unto all. Endued
with diverse kinds of errors entangled by the net of their own
intelligence, they that are wicked and are of good vision, wander
repeatedly on the earth. They however, that are wise and endued with
subtle sight, attain to a union with Brahman."
8
Vaishampayana said, "Even after hearing the words of Vidura, the chief of
the Kurus, afflicted with grief on account of the death of his sons, fell
down senseless on the Earth. Beholding him fall down in that state, his
friends, as also the island-born Vyasa, and Vidura, and Sanjaya, and
other well-wishers, and the attendants who used to wait at the gates and
who enjoyed his confidence, sprinkled cool water over his body, and
fanned him with palm leaves, and gently rubbed him with their hands. For
a long while they comforted the king while in that condition. The
monarch, recovering his senses after a long time, wept for a long while,
overwhelmed with grief on account of the death of his sons. He said, Fie
on the state of humanity! Fie on the human body! The woes that are
suffered in this life frequently arise from the very state of humanity.
Alas, O lord, great is the grief, like poison or fire, that one suffers
at the loss of sons, of wealth, of kinsmen, and relatives. That grief
causes the limbs to burn and our wisdom to be destroyed. Overwhelmed with
that grief, a person regards death to be preferable. This calamity that
has overtaken me through ill-luck is even like that. It will not, I see,
end except with life itself. O best of regenerate ones, I shall,
therefore, put an end to my life this very day. Having said these words
unto his high-souled sire, that foremost of all persons conversant with
Brahman, Dhritarashtra, overwhelmed with grief, became stupefied. The
king, O monarch reflecting on his woes, became speechless. Hearing these
words of his, the puissant Vyasa thus spoke unto his son afflicted with
grief on account of the death of his children.
"Vyasa said, O mighty-armed Dhritarashtra, listen to what I say. Thou art
possessed of learning, thou hast great intelligence, and thou, O puissant
one, art skilled in understanding duties. Nothing of that which should be
known is unknown to thee, O scorcher of foes! Without doubt, thou knowest
the instability of all things doomed to death. When the world of life is
unstable when this world itself is not eternal, when life is sure to end
in death, why then, O Bharata, dost thou grieve? Before thy very eyes, O
king, the concatenation of facts brought about by Time making thy son the
cause, produced this hostility. This destruction of the Kurus, O king,
was inevitable. Why then dost thou grieve for those heroes that have
attained to the highest end? O thou of mighty arms, the high-souled
Vidura knew everything. With all his might he had endeavoured, O king, to
bring about peace. It is my opinion that the course marked out by Destiny
cannot be controlled by anyone, even if one struggles for eternity. The
course that was settled by the gods was heard directly by me. I will
recite it to thee, so that tranquillity of mind may be thine. Once
before, without any fatigue, I repaired very quickly to the court of
Indra. There I beheld all the denizens of heaven assembled together.
There were, O sinless one, all the celestial rishis also, headed by
Narada. There, O monarch, I saw also the Earth (in her embodied form).
The latter had repaired to the gods for the accomplishment of a
particular mission. Approaching the gods, she said, "That which ye all
should do for me hath, ye blessed ones, been already promised by you
while you were in Brahmas abode. Let that be accomplished soon." Hearing
these words of hers, Vishnu, the adored of all the worlds, smilingly
addressed her in the midst of the celestial conclave, saying, "The eldest
of the hundred sons of Dhritarashtra, who is known by the name of
Duryodhana, will accomplish thy business. Through that king, thy purpose
will be achieved. For his sake, many kings will assemble together on the
field of Kuru. Capable of smiting, they will cause one another to be
slain through the instrumentality of hard weapons. It is evident, O
goddess, that thy burthen will then be lightened in battle. Go quickly to
thy own place and continue to bear the weight of creatures, O beauteous
one!" From this thou wilt understand, O king, that thy son Duryodhana,
born in Gandharis womb, was a portion of Kali, sprung for the object of
causing a universal slaughter. He was vindictive, restless, wrathful, and
difficult of being gratified. Through the influence of Destiny his
brothers also became like him. Shakuni became his maternal uncle and
Karna his great friend. Many other kings were born on earth for aiding in
the work of destruction. As the king is, so do his subjects become. If
the king becomes righteous, even unrighteousness (in his dominions)
assumes the shape of righteousness. Servants, without doubt, are affected
by the merits and defects of their masters. Those sons of thine, O king,
having obtained a bad king, have all been destroyed. Conversant with
truth, Narada, knew all this. Thy sons, through their own faults, have
been destroyed, O king! Do not grieve for them, O monarch! There is no
cause for grief. The Pandavas have not, O Bharata, the least fault in
what has happened. Thy sons were all of wicked souls. It is they that
caused this destruction on earth. Blessed be thou; Narada had truly
informed Yudhishthira of all this in his court on the occasion of the
rajasuya sacrifice, saying, "The Pandavas and the Kauravas, encountering
each other, will meet with destruction. Do that, O son of Kunti, which
thou shouldst!" Upon these words of Narada, the Pandavas became filled
with grief. I have thus told thee that which is an eternal secret of the
gods. This will destroy thy grief and restore to thee a love of thy
life-breath, and cause thee to cherish affection for the Pandavas, for
all that has happened has been due to what had been ordained by the gods.
O thou of mighty arms, I had learnt all this sometime before. I also
spoke of it to king Yudhishthira the just on the occasion of his foremost
of sacrifices, the rajasuya. When I secretly informed him of all this,
Dharmas son endeavoured his best for preserving peace with the Kauravas.
That, however, which is ordained by the gods proved too powerful (to be
frustrated by him). The fiat, O king of the Destroyer, is incapable of
being baffled anyhow by mobile and immobile creatures. Thou art devoted
to virtue and possessed of superior intelligence, O Bharata! Thou knowest
also that which is the way and that which is not the way of all
creatures. If king Yudhishthira learns that thou art burning with grief
and losing thy senses frequently, he will cast off his very life-breath.
He is always compassionate and possessed of wisdom. His kindness extends
even to all the inferior creatures. How is it possible, O king, that he
will not show compassion to thee, O monarch? At my command, and knowing
that what is ordained is inevitable, as also from kindness to the
Pandavas, continue to bear thy life, O Bharata! If thou livest thus, thy
fame will spread in the world. Thou shalt then be able to acquire a
knowledge of all duties and find many years for obtaining ascetic merit.
This grief for the death of thy sons that has arisen in thy heart, like a
blazing fire, should always be extinguished, O king, by the water of
wisdom!""
Vaishampayana continued, "Hearing these words of Vyasa of immeasurable
energy and reflecting upon them for a little while, Dhritarashtra said, O
best of regenerate ones, I am exceedingly afflicted by a heavy load of
grief. My senses are repeatedly forsaking me and I am unable to bear up
my own self. Hearing, however, these words of thine about what had been
ordained by the gods, I shall not think of casting off my life-breath and
shall live and act without indulging in grief! Hearing these words of
Dhritarashtra, O monarch, Satyavatis son, Vyasa, disappeared then and
there."
9
Janamejaya said, "After the holy Vyasa had departed, what, O regenerate
sage, did king Dhritarashtra, do? It behoveth thee to tell me this. What
also did the Kuru king, the high-souled son of Dharma, do? And how did
those three, Kripa and others, do? I have heard of the feats of
Ashvatthama and the mutual denouncement of curses. Tell me what happened
next and what Sanjaya next said (unto the old king)."
Vaishampayana said, "After Duryodhana had been slain and all the troops
slaughtered, Sanjaya, deprived of his spiritual sight, came back to
Dhritarashtra.
"Sanjaya said, The kings of diverse peoples, that came from diverse
realms, have all, O king, gone to the regions of the dead, along with thy
sons. Thy son, O king, who had constantlybeen implored (for peace) but
who always wished to terminate his hostility (with the Pandavas by
slaughtering them) has caused the earth to be exterminated. Do thou, O
king, cause the obsequial rites of thy sons and grandsons and sires to be
performed according to due order!"
Vaishampayana continued, "Hearing these terrible words of Sanjaya, the
king fell down on the Earth and lay motionless like one deprived of life.
Approaching the monarch who was lying prostrate on the Earth, Vidura,
conversant with every duty, said these words: Rise, O king, why dost thou
lie down thus? Do not grieve, O bull of Bharatas race! Even this, O lord
of Earth, is the final end of all creatures. At first creatures are
non-existent. In the interim, O Bharata, they become existent. At the
end, they once more become non-existent. What cause of sorrow is there in
all this? By indulging in grief, one cannot get back the dead. By
indulging in grief, one cannot die himself. When such is the course of
the world, why dost thou indulge in grief? One may die without having
been engaged in battle. One also escapes with life after being engaged in
battle. When ones Time comes, O king, one cannot escape! Time drags all
kinds of creatures. There is none dear or hateful to Time, O best of the
Kurus! As the wind tears off the ends of all blades of grass, even so all
creatures, O bull of Bharatas race, are brought by Time under its
influence. All creatures are like members of the same caravan bound for
the same destination. What cause of sorrow is there if Time meets with
one a little earlier than with another? Those again, O king, that have
fallen in battle and for whom thou grievest, are not really objects of
thy grief, since all those illustrious ones have gone to heaven. By
sacrifices with profuse presents, by ascetic austerities, and by
knowledge, people cannot so easily repair to heaven as heroes by courage
in battle. All those heroes were conversant with the Vedas; all of them
were observant of vows; all of them have perished, facing the foe in
battle. What cause of sorrow then is there? They poured their arrowy
libations upon the bodies of their brave foes as upon a fire. Foremost of
men, they bore in return the arrowy libations poured upon themselves. I
tell thee, O king, that there is no better way to heaven for a Kshatriya
than through battle. All of them were high-souled Kshatriyas, all of them
were heroes and ornaments of assemblies. They have attained to a high
state of blessedness. One should not grieve for them. Do thou comfort thy
own self. Do not grieve, O bull among men! It behoveth thee not to suffer
thyself to be overwhelmed with sorrow and abandon all action."
10
Vaishampayana said, "Hearing these words of Vidura, that bull of Bharatas
race (Dhritarashtra) ordered his car to be yoked. The king once more
said, Bring Gandhari hither without delay, and all the Bharata ladies.
Bring hither Kunti also, as well as all the other ladies with her. Having
said these words unto Vidura, conversant with every duty, Dhritarashtra
of righteous soul, deprived of his senses by sorrow, ascended on his car.
Then Gandhari, afflicted with grief on account of the death of her sons,
accompanied by Kunti and the other ladies of the royal household, came at
the command of her lord to that spot where the latter was waiting for
her. Afflicted with grief, they came together to the king. As they met,
they accosted each other and uttered loud wails of woe. Then Vidura, who
had become more afflicted than those ladies, began to comfort them.
Placing those weeping fair ones on the cars that stood ready for them, he
set out (with them) from the city. At that time a loud wail of woe arose
from every Kuru house. The whole city, including the very children,
became exceedingly afflicted with grief. Thoseladies that had not before
this been seen by the very gods were now helpless, as they were, for the