Chapter 32

“Draupadi said, ‘I do not ever disregard or slander religion, O son ofPritha! Why should I disregard God, the lord of all creatures? Afflictedwith woe, know me, O Bharata, to be only raving I will once more indulgein lamentations; listen to me with attention O persecutor of all enemies,every conscious creature should certainly act in this world. It is onlythe immobile, and not other creatures, that may live without acting. Thecalf, immediately after its birth, sucketh the mothers’ teat. Personsfeel pain in consequence of incantations performed with their statues. Itseemeth, therefore, O Yudhishthira, that creatures derive the characterof their lives from their acts of former lives. Amongst mobile creaturesman differeth in this respect that he aspireth, O bull of the Bharatarace, to affect his course of life in this and the other world by meansof his acts. Impelled by the inspiration of a former life, all creaturesvisibly (reap) in this world the fruits of their acts. Indeed, allcreatures live according to the inspiration of a former life, even theCreator and the Ordainer of the universe, like a crane that liveth on thewater (untaught by any one.) If a creature acteth not, its course of lifeis impossible. In the case of a creature, therefore, there must be actionand not inaction. Thou also shouldest act, and not incur censure byabandoning action. Cover thyself up, as with an armour, with action.There may or may not be even one in a thousand who truly knoweth theutility of acts or work. One must act for protecting as also increasinghis wealth; for if without seeking to earn, one continueth to only spend,his wealth, even if it were a hoard huge as Himavat, would soon beexhausted. All the creatures in the world would have been exterminated,if there were no action. If also acts bore no fruits, creatures wouldnever have multiplied. It is even seen that creatures sometimes performacts that have no fruits, for without acts the course of life itselfwould be impossible. Those persons in the world who believe in destiny,and those again who believe in chance, are both the worst among men.Those only that believe in the efficacy of acts are laudable. He thatlieth at ease, without activity, believing in destiny alone, is soondestroyed like an unburnt earthen pot in water. So also he that believethin chance, i.e., sitteth inactive though capable of activity liveth notlong, for his life is one of weakness and helplessness. If any personaccidentally acquireth any wealth, it is said he deriveth it from chance,for no one’s effort hath brought about the result. And, O son of Pritha,whatever of good fortune a person obtaineth in consequence of religiousrites, that is called providential. The fruit, however that a personobtaineth by acting himself, and which is the direct result of those actsof his, is regarded as proof of personal ability. And, O best of men,know that the wealth one obtaineth spontaneously and without cause issaid to be a spontaneous acquisition. Whatever is thus obtained bychance, by providential dispensation, spontaneously, of as the result ofone’s acts is, however, the consequence of the acts of a former life. AndGod, the Ordainer of the universe, judging according to the acts offormer lives, distributeth among men their portions in this world.Whatever acts, good or bad, a person performeth, know that they are theresult of God’s, arrangements agreeably to the acts of a former life.This body is only the instruments in the hands of God, for doing the actsthat are done. Itself, inert, it doth as God urgeth it to do. O son ofKunti, it is the Supreme Lord of all who maketh all creatures do whatthey do. The creatures themselves are inert. O hero, man, having firstsettled some purpose in his mind, accomplisheth it, himself working withthe aid of his intelligence. We, therefore, say that man is himself thecause (of what he doeth). O bull among men, it is impossible to numberthe acts of men, for mansions and towns are the result of man’s acts.Intelligent men know, by help of their intellect, that oil may be hadfrom sesame, curds from milk, and that food may be cooked by means ofigniting fuel. They know also the means for accomplishing all these. Andknowing them, they afterwards set themselves, with proper appliances, toaccomplish them. And creatures support their lives by the resultsachieved in these directions by their own acts. If a work is executed bya skilled workman, it is executed well. From differences (incharacteristics), another work may be said to be that of an unskilfulhand. If a person were not, in the matter of his acts, himself the causethereof, then sacrifices would not bear any fruits in his case nor wouldany body be a disciple or a master. It is because a person is himself thecause of his work that he is applauded when he achieved success. So thedoer is censured if he faileth. If a man were not himself the cause ofhis acts, how would all this be justified? Some say that everything isthe result of Providential dispensation; others again, that this is notso, but that everything which is supposed to be the result of destiny orchance is the result of the good or the bad acts of former lives. It isseen, possessions are obtained from chance, as also from destinySomething being from destiny and something from chance, something isobtained by exertion. In the acquisition of his objects, there is nofourth cause in the case of man. Thus say those that are acquainted withtruth and skilled in knowledge. If, however, God himself were not thegiver of good and bad fruits, then amongst creatures there would not beany that was miserable. If the effect of former acts be a myth, then allpurposes for which man would work should be successful. They, therefore,that regard the three alone (mentioned above) as the doors of all successand failure in the world, (without regarding the acts of former life),are dull and inert like the body itself. For all this, however, a personshould act. This is the conclusion of Manu himself. The person that dothnot act, certainly succumbeth, O Yudhishthira. The man of action in thisworld generally meeteth with success. The idle, however, never achievethsuccess. If success, becometh impossible, then should one seek to removethe difficulties that bar his way to success. And, O king, if a personworketh (hard), his debt (to the gods) is cancelled (whether he achievethsuccess or not). The person that is idle and lieth at his length, isovercome by adversity; while he that is active and skillful is sure toreap success and enjoy prosperity. Intelligent persons engaged in actswith confidence in themselves regard all who are diffident as doubtingand unsuccessful. The confident and faithful, however, are regarded bythem as successful. And this moment misery hath overtaken us. If,however, thou betakest to action, that misery will certainly be removed.If thou meetest failure, then that will furnish a proof unto thee andVrikodara and Vivatsu and the twins (that ye are unable to snatch thekingdom from the foe). The acts of others, it is seen, are crowned withsuccess. It is probable that ours also will be successful. How can oneknow beforehand what the consequence will be? Having exerted thyself thouwilt know what the fruit of thy exertion will be. The tiller tilleth withthe plough the soil and soweth the seeds thereon. He then sitteth silent,for the clouds (after that) are the cause that would help the seeds togrow into plants. If however, the clouds favour him not, the tiller isabsolved from all blame. He sayeth unto himself, ‘What others do, I havedone. If, notwithstanding this, I meet with failure, no blame can attachto me.’ Thinking so, he containeth himself and never indulgeth inself-reproach. O Bharata, no one should despair saying, ‘Oh, I am acting,yet success is not mine! For there are two other causes, besidesexertion, towards success. Whether there be success or failure, thereshould be no despair, for success in acts dependeth upon the union; ofmany circumstances. If one important element is wanting, success doth notbecome commensurate, or doth not come at all. If however, no exertion ismade, there can be no success. Nor is there anything to applaud in theabsence of all exertion. The intelligent, aided by their intelligence,and according to their full might bring place, time, means, auspiciousrites, for the acquisition of prosperity. With carefulness and vigilanceshould one set himself to work, his chief guide being his prowess. In theunion of qualities necessary for success in work, prowess seemeth to bethe chief. When the man of intelligence seeth his enemy superior to himin many qualities, he should seek the accomplishment of his purposes bymeans, of the arts of conciliation and proper appliances. He should alsowish evil unto his foe and his banishment. Without speaking of mortalman, if his foe were even the ocean or the hills, he should be guided bysuch motives. A person by his activity in searching for the holes of hisenemies, dischargeth his debt to himself as also to his friends. No manshould ever disparage himself for the man that disparageth himself neverearneth high prosperity. O Bharata, success in this world is attainableon such conditions! In fact, success in the World is said to depend onacting according to time and circumstances. My father formerly kept alearned Brahmana with him. O bull of the Bharata race, he said all thisunto my father. Indeed, these instructions as to duty, uttered byVrihaspati himself, were first taught to my brothers. It was from themthat I heard these afterwards while in my father’s house. And, OYudhishthira, while at intervals of business, I went out (of the innerapartments) and sat on the lap of my father, that learned Brahmana usedto recite unto me these truths, sweetly consoling me therewith!”