by Bibek Debroy
‘“Surrounded by a few of his advisers, Prahlada, the beloved devotee, was roaming around the worlds, wishing to ascertain the nature of people. On the banks of the Kaveri, on the slopes of Sahya, 798 he saw him lying down on the bare ground. He was covered with dust all over his body and his spotless energy was hidden. Through his deeds, form, words or signs, people were unable to understand his varna or ashrama, who he was and who he was not. The asura, the great devotee of the illustrious one, bowed down and honoured him in the proper way, touching his feet with his head. He wished to know and asked the following question. ‘You possess a strong body, like someone who enjoys and can make efforts. Wealth comes to those who make efforts and in this world, objects of pleasure accrue to those who possess wealth. The bodies of those who enjoy become stout, not otherwise. O brahmana! You are lying down, without making any efforts. Clearly, you do not possess wealth to acquire objects of pleasure. O brahmana! Your body has not experienced objects of pleasure. Pardon me. But how is it that you are stout? You are wise, accomplished and skilled. You are impartial and can speak colourful and agreeable words. You can see people exerting themselves in tasks, but you are simply lying down here.’ The lord of the daityas asked the great sage in this way. Attracted by the amrita of his speech, he smiled and replied.
‘“The brahmana said, ‘O best among asuras! You are revered as a noble person and you already know all this. Through the vision of adhyatma, you know the fruits of acts and their renunciation. Since you are devoted to the illustrious one, the god Narayana is always in your heart. Like the sun dispelling darkness, it is devotion alone that can bring about knowledge. O king! Nevertheless, according to what I have heard, I will tell you the answer to your question. If a person wishes to purify himself, he must speak to a person like you. I was driven by the thirst for material objects and was engaged in trying to satisfy desire. I engaged in tasks and was born as many different kinds of species. Whirled around by wilful karma, I obtained this human form. This is a gate to heaven, liberation, birth as inferior species, or birth as a human again. In this form, couples unite to bring about happiness and avoid misery. I saw them engage in tasks and, acting in a contrary way, have now withdrawn. Happiness is the nature of the atman and is manifested when one withdraws from all material activities. On seeing that objects of pleasure are nothing but mental states one plunges into, I am lying down. A man forgets that his benefit is in his own atman. Because the false and the material are alluring, he obtains this terrible state of samsara. The water is covered in overgrowth. Not realizing this, an ignorant person desires water and rushes after a mirage. Though interested in his own welfare, he searches elsewhere. He searches for his happiness, but his body and other things 799 are controlled by destiny. Under the control of this, he seeks to alleviate suffering. But all his attempts are repeatedly unsuccessful. With a great deal of difficulty, a mortal person may obtain riches to satisfy his desires. But what purpose does this serve? He is never able to free himself from adhyatmika and other kinds of misery. 800 I perceive the miseries of rich people. They are greedy and have not been able to conquer their atmans. Because of their fear, they cannot sleep. They are suspicious of everything. Those anxious about both life and wealth are always scared of kings, thieves, enemies, their own relatives, animals, birds, those who seek their wealth, time and even of their own selves. The root cause of grief, confusion, fear, anger, attachment, lassitude and exhaustion is the desire for life and wealth. A learned man must give this up. In this world, the bee and the giant serpent are the two best preceptors. They teach us detachment and satisfaction with whatever has been obtained. From the bee, I have learnt not to be attached to all the objects of desire. Wealth is like honey and is acquired with a great deal of hardship. However, someone else slays the owner and takes it away. 801 I do not desire anything and am satisfied with whatever comes to me on its own. Like a large serpent, I resort to my spirit and lie down for many days. Sometimes, I get a little bit of food. Sometimes, I get a lot. Sometimes, it is tasty. Sometimes, it is not tasty. Sometimes, it has a lot of qualities. Sometimes, it has no qualities at all. Sometimes, it is given to me with a great deal of respect. Sometimes, it is given to me with no respect at all. Sometimes I have to eat food just after I have eaten. Depending on availability, I eat during the day or at night. I wear garments made out of linen, silk, deer skin, rags or bark, or whatever else is available. My mind is content with whatever destiny brings me. Sometimes, I lie down on the bare ground. Sometimes, I lie down on grass, leaves, stones or ashes. Sometimes, depending on the wishes of another, I lie down on a couch in a palace, with a pillow. Sometimes, I bathe and anoint my limbs with unguents. I wear excellent garments and adorn myself with garlands. Sometimes, I ride on a chariot, an elephant or a horse. O lord! Sometimes, like a demon, I am attired in nothing but the directions. 802 People vary in their natures and I do not criticize or praise them. I desire their benefit and hope for their union with the great-souled one. This differentiation 803 is the cause of all confusion in the mind and must be offered as an oblation to the consciousness. Like that, the mind must be offered as an oblation into vaikarika ahamkara and that must be offered as an oblation to maya. A sage who can see the truth must offer maya as an oblation to realization of the atman. Without any material desires, one then ceases all activity and is based on realization of the atman. I have thus described to you my conduct, which is extremely secret. This differs from the sacred texts of the worlds. However, you are devoted to the illustrious one.’” 804
‘Narada continued, “The lord of the asuras heard about this paramahamsa dharma from the sage. Delighted, he worshipped him. Taking his leave, he left for his residence.”’
Chapter 7(14)
‘Yudhishthira asked, “O devarshi! Tell me about the path that a householder can easily follow. How can a foolish person like me, as a householder, attain the objective?”’
‘Narada replied, “O king! A person who is a grihastha must perform the appropriate rites, which are a direct offering to Vasudeva, and serve the great sages. He must always faithfully hear about the accounts, which are like amrita, of the illustrious one’s avataras. At the right time, 805 he must surround himself with tranquil people. Through association with virtuous people, he will gradually free himself from attachment to his own self, his wife, his sons and other things. When these are severed, he will wake up, as if from a dream. As long as a learned person is pursuing artha and has the body and the household, as a human in this world of men, he must appear to be attached to these, but is really not attached. Without any sense of ownership, he must agree to whatever his relatives, his parents, his sons, his brothers and other well-wishers say and desire. A learned person acts so that he enjoys all the wealth that Achyuta devises from heaven, from the earth and from the firmament. 806 As long as an embodied being does not die, he can claim ownership on only what is required to fill the stomach. A person who thinks of anything more is a thief and deserves to be punished. Deer, camels, asses, monkeys, rats, reptiles, birds and flies are like one’s own sons. Why should one look on them as something different? A person who is a householder should not make a great deal of effort in pursuing the three objectives, 807 but should be content with whatever the time and the place provide. Objects of pleasure must be divided even among dogs, sinners and antyajas. The wife is accepted as part of one’s own self, but even she must be used to welcome people. 808 One gives up one’s life for the wife and even kills a father or a preceptor for her. When one gives up the sense of ownership in the wife, one has conquered what is unconquerable. This body is insignificant and attachment to it must end. It becomes worms, excrement or ashes. 809 Similarly, what is the attachment for the wife? The atman is like the sky and pervades everything. A person must devise a means of subsistence for himself from the leftovers of successful sacrifices. 810 In the end, a wise person gives up any sense of ownership and obtains a state of greatness. Through the riches obtained, every day, a man must separately share with
gods, rishis, humans, creatures and ancestors and provide for his own self. In this way, he worships Purusha. If he possesses all the rights and the wealth required for performing sacrifices, he must follow the prescribed rites and perform agnihotra and other sacrifices. O king! However, the illustrious one who enjoys all the sacrifices is not satisfied as much through oblations offered through the fire’s mouth as much as he is through oblations offered through the mouths of brahmanas. Therefore, as they deserve, kshetrajna must be worshipped by offering objects of pleasure and sacrificing to brahmanas, gods and mortals. Indeed, he is in brahmanas. If a brahmana possesses wealth, in krishna paksha in the month of Proshthapada, 811 depending on his wealth, he must perform funeral rites for his ancestors and their relatives. He must also perform these at the time of the summer and winter solstices, 812 during vyatipata, 813 at the end of a lunar tithi, during the eclipse of the sun and the moon, on the twelfth lunar day, when the nakshatra Shravana is in the ascendance, on the third lunar day in shukla paksha, 814 the ninth lunar day in the month of Kartika, 815 the four ashtakas in the seasons of Hemanta and Shishira, 816 the seventh lunar day in shukla paksha in the month of Magha, the night of the full moon when the nakshatra Magha is in the ascendant, the days of raka and anumati when the nakshatra that led to the naming of the month is in the ascendant, 817 the twelfth lunar day when the nakshatras Anuradha, Shravana or the three named Uttara 818 are in the ascendant, the eleventh lunar day when any of these three are in the ascendant 819 and when there is a conjunction between one’s birth nakshatra and Shravana. These are the best of times and increase the welfare of men. Therefore, with all one’s soul, one must try so that welfare and lifespan increase. Bathing, meditation, oblations, worship of gods and brahmanas and donations to ancestors, gods, men and creatures 820 are never destroyed. O king! For the sake of one’s own prosperity, one must observe the rites at the time of sacraments for one’s own self, one’s wife and one’s offspring and also at the time of shraddha and funeral rites. I will now describe the regions best suited for the performance of rites connected with dharma. These are the most sacred spots, where virtuous recipients are found. He 821 is an image of the illustrious one, who is in all mobile and immobile objects. People from brahmana lineages, possessing austerities and learning, are found there. Any place where Hari is worshipped is the most auspicious of places. These are regions where Ganga and the other rivers, famous in the Puranas, flow. O king! There are lakes like Pushkara; kshetras like Kurukshetra, resorted to by revered people; Gayashira; 822 Prayaga; Pulaha’s hermitage; Naimisha; Phalguna; 823 Setu; 824 Prabhasa; Kushasthali; 825 Varanasi; Madhupuri; 826 Pampa; Bindusara; the hermitage of Narayana; 827 Nanda; 828 the hermitage of Rama and Sita; 829 and all the kulachalas, Mahendra, Malaya and the others. These are the most auspicious spots and Hari is worshipped there. If a person desires his benefit, he should reside in these places. If a person performs act of dharma there, the fruits are multiplied one thousand times. O lord of the earth! Wise and the most worthy of recipients have determined that Hari alone is a worthy recipient. All mobile and immobile objects are pervaded by him. O king! Gods, rishis, virtuous people and Brahma’s sons and others were present, 830 when it was decided that Achyuta is the foremost recipient. The entire cosmic egg is like a gigantic tree and it is full of innumerable categories of living beings. However, since Achyuta is the foundation, his worship is tantamount to worshipping all beings and one’s own self. He is the one who created the habitations for humans, inferior species, rishis and gods. The Purusha form lies down in the bodies of all these living beings. O king! In all these species, the illustrious being exists in differing degrees. Therefore, though each is a worthy recipient, Purusha’s respective presence varies, depending on the nature of the atman. O king! The wise ones saw that humans pointlessly disrespected each other. Therefore, in treta and the other yugas, 831 they instituted Hari’s worship. Among those who worship Hari, some do it with faith and the required objects. But even if there is worship, if there is hatred towards men, the worship becomes futile. O Indra among kings! Among men, know that brahmanas are excellent recipients. Because of austerities, learning and satisfaction, they are like the Vedas, Hari’s body. O king! Krishna is the atman of the universe. However, the dust of their feet purifies the three worlds and they are like the great divinity himself.”’
Chapter 7(15)
‘Narada said, “Some brahmanas are devoted to rites, others are devoted to austerities. Some are interested in studying and expounding. Some are engaged in jnana yoga. A person desiring to offer oblations to ancestors and gods should offer these to those who are devoted to jnana. In their absence, others can be recipients, depending on their worth. For rites connected with gods, two brahmanas must be fed. For those connected with ancestors, three must be fed. But in either case, one can also be fed. Even if a person is extremely affluent, at shraddha ceremonies, a large number should not be fed. If the time and the place is appropriate, one should not extend copious donations to one’s own relatives, if this means that objects faithfully offered to worthy recipients become deficient. When the time and the place present themselves, food faithfully offered in the proper way to worthy recipients are like those offered to sages and the divinity Hari. They lead to everlasting satisfaction of desire. When food is shared among gods, rishis, creatures, one’s own self and one’s own relatives, all these must be looked upon as entities in whose atmans Purusha resides. A person who knows about dharma must not serve meat at shraddha ceremonies, or eat it. Food offered to sages brings the greatest pleasure when it does not involve injury to animals. For men who desire virtuous dharma, there is no dharma as supreme as that which does not involve chastisement of creatures, in thoughts, words and deeds. There are some learned people who know about sacrifices and who have no desires. Instead of performing sacrifices with rites, they control their atmans and use the lamp of knowledge to offer oblations. 832 On seeing those who sacrifice with sacrificial objects, 833 creatures become terrified and say, ‘This one is without compassion and ignorant. He will certainly kill me, desiring to take life.’ Therefore, a person who knows about dharma should be satisfied with the food of sages, obtained by chance. Day after day, he must always undertake the daily rites. A person who knows about dharma must avoid five kinds of adharma—vidharma, paradharma, abhasa, upama and chhala. These are five branches of adharma. Obstructions to dharma are known as vidharma. Dharma urged by someone else is known as paradharma. 834 Upadharma is that followed by insolent heretics. Debating with words is chhala. 835 If a man deviates from his own dharma and wilfully does whatever he wants, that is known as abhasa. If one follows one’s natural and ordained dharma, why is that not capable of bringing about serenity? A person who doesn’t possess riches should not seek to acquire wealth for the sake of subsistence, or for pursuing dharma or artha. His conduct must be like the great snake, without desire and without activity. There is happiness in contentment, lack of desire and delight in one’s own atman. Driven by desire and avarice and seeking artha, why should one run around in all the directions? When one is content in one’s mind, all the directions are auspicious. For a person wearing footwear, there is no danger from gravel or thorns. O king! A person who is content will ensure his subsistence with water alone. However, if one serves the genital organs and the stomach, one will be like a miserable creature kept at home. 836 If a brahmana is not content, because of the senses and avarice, his energy, learning, austerities and fame are dissipated and his learning is also destroyed. When a person is hungry or thirsty, there is an end to desire. Similarly, anger is also destroyed when its fruits result. 837 However, even if a person conquers and enjoys all the directions in the world, greed is never satisfied. O king! There are many learned people, with a great deal of experience and capable of dispelling the doubts of others. They are fit to be the leaders of assemblies. Even then, because of their discontentment, they have fallen down. One must conquer desire through determination. Anger is conquered by giving up desi
re. Greed is conquered by considering what is beneficial and what is not beneficial. Fear is conquered by ascertaining the truth. Grief and delusion can be conquered through reflection, insolence through association with the great, obstructions to yoga through silence, and violence through lack of desire in material objects. Misery to creatures can be conquered through compassion, unhappiness because of destiny, through meditation, ailments to the body through yoga and energy and sleep through serving sattva. Rajas and tamas can be conquered through sattva, and sattva through withdrawal. Through great devotion to the preceptor, a man can easily conquer all these. By bestowing the lamp of knowledge, the preceptor is the illustrious one himself. If a person has the wicked intelligence that he is no different from an ordinary mortal, all his knowledge is like cleaning an elephant. 838 He is the illustrious one himself, the supreme lord and Purusha. In this world, he 839 is thought of as a human being, but his feet are sought after by the lords of yoga. All the principles that are ordained are for the single-minded objective of controlling the six categories. 840 If the pursuit of yoga does not lead to their end, it is a complete waste of effort. Pursuits undertaken for artha do not attain the end pursued through yoga. Like that, pure rites observed by a wicked person do not lead to any benefit. With a desire to conquering the mind, one must be alone and without any attachments. He must seek refuge in a solitary place. As a mendicant, he must subsist on what he begs as alms. O king! In a pure and level region, he must spread out his seat. He must sit down, with his body upright, steady, comfortable and balanced. He must chant ‘Oum!’ He must control prana and apana through puraka, kumbhaka and rechaka. 841 As long as the mind is unable to give up desire, the gaze must be fixed on the tip of his nose. Affected by desire, the mind wanders around here and there. Whenever that happens, a learned person will gradually restrain it and confine it within the core of the heart. As one continuously practices this, within a short period of time, the practitioner’s heart attains nirvana, like a fire without any kindling. When one is not affected by desire and other things, all the activities of the mind become tranquil. The consciousness is touched by the bliss of the brahman and does not want to ever come out again. If a person becomes a mendicant, withdrawing from the material field of the three objectives, but subsequently pursues these objectives again, that shameless mendicant is like one who eats vomited out food. There are those who consider the mortal body to be different from the atman, destined to become excrement, worms or ashes. If they again identify with the body and praise it, they are the vilest of persons.