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"Bhishma said, 'I think, there is no doubt in this. Listen to me, O thou of great wisdom! I shall answer thee. The question thou |
hast asked is certainly proper. It is easy to cherish doubt. But the solution of that doubt is difficult. Innumerable are the |
instances, in respect of both direct perception and audition (or the scriptures), in which doubts may arise. Certain persons, who |
delight in the name of logicians, verily imagining themselves to be possessed of superior wisdom, affirm that direct perception |
is the only authority. They assert that nothing, however true, is existent which is not directly perceivable; or, at least they doubt |
the existence of those objects. Indeed, such assertions involve an absurdity and they who make them are of foolish |
understanding, whatever may be their pride of learning. If, on the other hand, thou doubtest as to how the one (indivisible |
Brahman) could be the cause, I answer that one would understand it only after a long course of years and with the assistance of |
Yoga practised without idleness. Indeed, O Bharata, one that lives according to such means as present themselves (without, i.e., |
one's being wedded to this or that settled mode of life), and one that is devoted (to the solution of the question), would be |
capable of understanding it. None else, truly, is competent for comprehending it. When one attains to the very end of reasons |
(or reasoning processes), one then attains to that excellent and all comprehending knowledge--that vast mass of effulgence |
which illumines all the universe (called Brahma). That knowledge, O king, which is derived from reason (or inferences) can |
scarcely be said to be knowledge. Such knowledge should be rejected. It should be noted that it is not defined or comprehended |
by the word. It should, therefore, be rejected!'"[619] |
"Yudhisthira said, 'Tell me, O grandsire, which among these (four) is most authoritative, viz., direct perception, inference from |
observation, the science of Agama or scriptures, and diverse kinds of practices that distinguish the good.' |
"Bhishma said, 'While Righteousness is sought to be destroyed by wicked persons possessed of great might, it is capable of |
being protected for the time being by those that are good exerting themselves with care and earnestness. Such protection, |
however, avails not in the long run, for destruction does overtake Righteousness at the end. Then, again, Righteousness often |
proves a mask for covering Unrighteousness, like grass and straw covering the mouth of a deep pit and concealing it from the |
view. Hear, again, O Yudhisthira! In consequence of this, the practices of the good are interfered with and destroyed by the |
wicked. Those persons who are of evil conduct, who discard the Srutis--indeed, those wicked wights who are haters of |
Righteousness,--destroy that good course of conduct (which could otherwise be set up as a standard). Hence, doubts attach to |
direct perception, inference, and good conduct.[620] Those, therefore, among the good that are possessed of understanding |
born of (or cleansed by) the scriptures and that are ever contented, are to be regarded as the foremost. Let those that are anxious |
and deprived of tranquillity of soul, approach these. Indeed, O Yudhishthira., do thou pay court to them and seek of them the |
solutions of thy doubt![621] Disregarding both pleasure and wealth which always follow cupidity and awakened into the belief |
that only Righteousness should be sought, do thou, O Yudhishthira, wait upon and ask those persons (for enlightening thyself). |
The conduct of those persons never goes wrong or meets with destruction, as also their sacrifices and Vedic study and rites. |
Indeed, these three, viz., conduct as consisting of overt acts, behaviour in respect of (mental) purity, and the Vedas together |
constitute Righteousness.' |
"Yudhishthira said, 'O grandsire, my understanding is once more stupefied by doubt. I am on this side the ocean, employed in |
searching after the means of crossing it. I do not, however, behold the other shore of the ocean! If these three, viz., the Vedas, |
direct perception (or acts that are seen), and behaviour (or, mental purity) together constitute what is to be regarded as |
authority, it can be alleged that there is difference between them. Righteousness then becomes really of three kinds, although it |
is one and indivisible.' |
"Bhishma said, 'Righteousness is sometimes seen to be destroyed by wicked wights of great power. If thou thinkest, O king, |
that Righteousness should really be of three kinds, my reply is that thy conclusion is warranted by reason. The truth is that |
Righteousness is one and indivisible, although it is capable of being viewed from three different points. The paths (indications) |
of those three that constitute the foundation of Righteousness have each been laid down. Do thou act according to the |
instructions laid down. Thou shouldst never wrangle about Righteousness and then seek to have those doubts solved into which |
thou mayst arrive. O chief of the Bharatas, let no doubts like these ever take possession of thy mind! Do thou obey what I say |
without scruple of any kind. Follow me like a blind man or like one who, without being possessed of sense himself, has to |
depend upon that of another. Abstention from injury, truth, absence of wrath (or forgiveness), and liberality of gifts,--these |
four, O king, that hast no foe, do thou practise, for these four constitute eternal Righteousness! Do thou also, O mighty-armed |
prince, pursue that conduct towards the Brahmanas which is consistent with what has been observed towards them by thy sires |
and grandsires. These are the principal indications of Righteousness. That man of little intelligence who would destroy the |
weight of authority by denying that to be a standard which has always been accepted as such would himself fail to become an |
authority among men. Such a man becomes the cause of much grief in the world. Do thou reverence the Brahmanas and treat |
them with hospitality. Do thou always serve them in this way. The universe rests on them. Do thou understand them to be |
such!' |
"Yudhishthira said, 'Tell me, O grandsire, what the respective ends are of those that hate Righteousness and of those that adore |
and observe it!' |
"Bhishma said, 'Those men that hate Righteousness are said to have their hearts overwhelmed by the attributes of passion and |
darkness. Such men have always to go to Hell. Those men, on the other hand, O monarch, who always adore and observe |
Righteousness, those men who are devoted to truth and sincerity, are called good. They always enjoy the pleasures or felicity |
of heaven. In consequence of their waiting upon their preceptors with reverence their hearts always turn towards |
Righteousness. Verily, they who adore Righteousness attain to the regions of the deities. Those individuals, whether human |
beings or deities who divest themselves of cupidity and malice and who emaciate or afflict their bodies by the observance of |
austerities, succeed, in consequence of the Righteousness which then becomes theirs to attain to great felicity. Those that are |
gifted with wisdom have said that the Brahmanas, who are the eldest sons of Brahmana, represent Righteousness. They that are |
righteous always worship them, their hearts regarding them with as much love and affection as a hungry man's stomach |
entertains for ripe and delicious fruits.' |
"Yudhishthira said, 'What is the appearance presented by those that are wicked, and what are those acts which they that are |
called good are to do? Explain to me this, O holy one! Indeed, tell me what the indications are of the good and the wicked.' |
"Bhishma said, 'They that are wicked are evil in their practices, ungovernable or incapable of being kept within the restraints of |
rules, and foul mouthed. They, on the other hand, they are good, are always good in their acts. Verily, the acts these men do are |
regarded as the indications of that course of conduct which is called good. They that are good or righteous, O monarch, never |
answer the two calls of nature on the public road, or in the midst of a cow-pen, or on a field of paddy, After feeding the five |
they take their own food.[622] They never talk while eating, and never go to sleep with wet hands (i.e., without rubbing them |
dry with towels or napkins). Whenever they see any of the following, they circumambulate them for showing them reverence, |
viz., a blazing fire, a bull, the image of a deity, a cow-pen, a place where four roads meet, and an old and virtuous Brahmana. |
They give the way, themselves standing aside, unto those that are old, those that are afflicted with burdens, ladies, those that |
hold high appointments in the village or town administration, Brahmanas, kine, and kings. The righteous or good man is he that |
protects his guests, servants and other dependents, his own relatives, and all those that seek his protection. Such a man always |
welcomes these with the usual enquiries of politeness. Two times have been appointed by the deities for human beings to take |
their food, viz., morning and evening. During the interval one should not eat anything. By following this rule about eating, one |
is said to observe a fast. As the sacred fire waits for libations to be poured upon it when the hour for Homa arrives, even so a |
woman, when her functional period is over, expects an act of congress with her husband. One that never approaches one's |
spouses at any other time save after the functional period, is said to observe the vow of Brahmacharya. Amrita (nectar), |
Brahmanas, and kine,--these three are regarded as equal. Hence, one should always worship, with due rites, Brahmanas and |
kine. One does not incur any fault or stain by eating the meat of animals slain in sacrifices with the aid of Tantras from the |
Yajur Veda. The flesh of the back-bone, or that of animals not slain in sacrifice, should be avoided even as one avoids the flesh |
of one's own son. One should never cause one's guest to go without food whether when one resides in one's own country or in a |
foreign land. After completing one's study one should present the Dakshina unto one's preceptor. When one sees one's |
preceptor, one should congratulate him with reverence and worshipping him present him a seat. By worshipping one's |
preceptor, one increases the period of one's life as also one's fame and prosperity. One should never censure the old, nor send |
them on any business[623]. One should never be seated when any one that is old is standing. By acting in this way one protects |
the duration of one's life. One should never cast one's eyes on a naked woman, nor a naked man. One should never indulge in |
sexual congress except in privacy. One should eat also without being seen by others. Preceptors are the foremost of Tirthas; the |
heart is the foremost of all sacred objects; knowledge is the foremost of all objects of search; and contentment is the foremost |
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