Markandeya said: - -
1. O Yudhishthira, that foremost of all virtuous men, that pious fowler, then skillfully thus again spoke to that best of Brahmanas.
The Fowler said: - -
2. It is ordained by the old as found in the Shruti that the ways of virtue are subtle, diverse and infinite.
3. In life being at risk and in marriage, it is proper to speak an untruth. Sometimes by untruth, truth is maintained and by truth untruth is maintained.
4. Whatever conduces to the greatest good of all creatures is considered to be the truth. Virtue is thus perverted. Do you mark its subtle ways?
5-6. O excellent one, man’s actions are either good or bad and he undoubtedly reaps their fruits. The ignorant man, having attained to an object state, grossly abuses the gods, not knowing that it is the result of his own evil Karma.
7. O foremost of Brahmanas, the foolish men, designing men and the fickle men attain the very reverse of happiness or misery.
8-9. Neither learning nor good morals, nor personal exertion can save them. If the fruits of one’s exertions were not dependent on any thing else, men would have obtained the object of their desire by their own exertions. Able, intelligent and diligent men.
10-11. Are seen to have been baffled in their efforts; and they attain the fruits of their actions. Persons who are always active in injuring others and in practising deception lead a happy life in this world. There are many who obtain prosperity without any exertion.
12. There are other again who with the greatest exertion are unable to obtain what is their own dues. The miserly persons with the object of having sons worship the celestials and perform asceticism.
13. These sons, remaining for ten months in the womb, (when born) become the stains of their family. Other enjoy luxury, wealth and coins amassed by their ancestors.
14-16. The diseases from which men suffers are certainly the result of their own Karma. They then behave like small deer in the hands of the hunters. They are afflicted with mental troubles. O Brahmana, as deer are stopped by the hunters, so these diseases are checked by able and skillful physician with their many drugs. Those that have objects of enjoyments suffer from severe bowl complaints.
17. Behold, O foremost of all virtuous men, he cannot enjoy. O those who possess great strength of arms suffer from misery.
18. O foremost of Brahmanas, they are enabled to earn their livelihood with (only) good deal of difficulty. Thus men are helpless, afflicted with grief and illusion and
19-20. Again and again tossed and overpowered by the powerful current of his own actions. If there were absolute freedom of action, then no creature would die and none would be subject to decay or await his evil doom. Every body would then attain the object of his desire. All persons try to excel their neighbours; they try to do it with the utmost of their power, but the result becomes the reverse.
21. Many persons are born under the influence of the same star and the same auspicious good luck, but a great diversity is observed in all their actions.
22. O Brahmana, O excellent one, none can be the dispenser of his own destiny. The actions done in a former life is seen to produce fruits in this life.
23. O Brahmana, it is said in the everlasting Shruti that the soul is eternal and everlasting, but the bodies of all creatures are liable to be destroyed here (in this world).
24. Thereupon when death occurs, only the body is destroyed, but the spirit bound in the bonds of actions goes elsewhere.
The Brahmana said: - -
25. O excellent one, learned in the mystery of Karma, O foremost of speakers, how does the spirit become eternal? I desire to hear this in detail.
The Fowler said: - -
26. The spirit does not die, -in death it simply has a change of abode. They are mistaken who foolishly say that all creatures are to die. The soul only goes to another body and its this change of abode is called the Death.
27. In the world of men none reaps the fruits of another man’s Karma. Whatever one does, he is sure to reap the fruits of his own actions, for the consequences of Karma are never destroyed.
28. The virtuous become endued with great virtue and the sinful become the perpetrators of wicked deeds. Men’s actions follow them and influenced by these (fruits of his actions) they are born again.
The Brahmana said: - -
29. Why does the soul take its birth and how does it become sinful or virtuous? O excellent one, how does it come to belong to a sinful or virtuous man?
The Fowler said: - -
30-31. This mystery belongs to the subject of procreation, but I shall briefly describe it to you. O foremost of Brahmanas, the soul is again born with its accumulated load of Karma, the virtuous ones in the virtuous and the sinful ones in the sinful.
32. By performing (only) virtuous actions, it attains to the state of the celestials. By a combination of good and bad (actions), it acquires the state of human beings. By indulging in sensuality and similar vicious propensities, it is born as lower animals and by sinful acts it goes to hell.
33. Afflicted with the miseries of birth, death and dotage, man is destined to rot here (on earth) from the evil effects of his own actions (in a previous birth).
34. Passing through hell and also through thousands of various births, our souls bound by the bonds of their own Karma travel (for everlasting time).
35. Animate creatures become miserable in the next world from their own actions and as the result of those miseries they are (again) born as lower animals.
36. Then they again accumulate a new store of actions and consequently they suffer misery over again, as does a diseased man who eats unwholesome food.
37. Although they are thus afflicted with misery, they consider themselves to be (very) happy and comfortable; and consequently their bonds (of Karma) are not loosened and new Karma thus again arises.
38. Suffering from various miseries, they turn in this world like a wheel. If they cast off their bonds (of actions) and if they purify themselves by their actions,
39. If they perform asceticism and practise religious meditation, then, O foremost of Brahmanas, men by their acts can attain to the region of bliss.
40. By casting off their bonds (of Karma) and by purifying Karma, men attain those regions of bliss where misery is unknown.
41. The sinful man who is addicted to vices never comes to the end of his course of inequities. Therefore, we must do what is virtuous and forbear from doing what is sinful.
42. Whoever with a heart full of gratitude and free from malice try to do what is good, obtain wealth, virtue, happiness and heaven.
43. Those who are freed from sin, those who are wise, forbearing, righteous and self-controlled enjoy continuous bliss in this world and in the world next.
44-45. O Brahmana, man must follow the standard of virtue of the good; and in his acts he must imitate the example of the virtuous. There are virtuous men learned in the holy Shastras and conversant in all moralities. Man’s proper duty consists in his following his own proper avocations such being the case, these avocations never become confused and mixed up.
46-47. The wise man delights in virtue and he lives by virtue. O foremost of Brahmanas, such a man with the wealth of virtue which he thus acquires waters the root of the plant (particular righteousness) in which he finds most virtue. The virtuous man thus acts and his mind becomes thus calm.
48-49. He is pleased with his friend, in this world and he also enjoys happiness in the world next. O excellent one, know, virtuous men acquire sovereignty over all and obtain (the pleasure) of beauty, flavour, sound and touch according to their desire. O Brahmana, (an enlightened) man is not satisfied with the fruits of virtue.
50-52. Not satisfied with it, he with the light of spiritualism becomes indifferent to pain and pleasure; the worldly vices cannot influence him. Of his own free will, he becomes indifferent to all worldly pursuits, but he does not forsake virtue. Observing every thing worldly as transcient, he tries to renounce everything and not calculating on mere charge, he devises means for the attainments of salvation. Thus does he renounce all worldly pursuits and shuns all sins.
53. He thus becomes virtuous and he thus finally attains salvation. Tara (meditation) is the chief requisite for obtaining salvation, resignation and forbearance are its roots.
54. By this means he obtains all the objects of his desire. By subduing his senses and by means of truthfulness and forbearness, O foremost of Brahmanas, he obtains the supreme state of Brahma.
The Brahmana said: - -
55-56. O foremost of all virtuous and vow-observing men, you talk of the senses; what are they? How might they be subdued? What is the good of subduing them? How does a creature obtain the fruits of doing it? I eagerly desire to know all about these matters.
Thus ends the two hundred and eighth chapter colloquy between the Fowler and the Brahmana in the Markandeya Samasya of the Vana Parva.