Chapter 180

“Yudhishthira said, ‘Which of these, O grandsire, viz., kinsmen, or acts,or wealth, or wisdom should be the refuge of a person? Questioned by me,answer me this!’

“Bhishma said, ‘Wisdom is the refuge of creatures. Wisdom is regarded asthe highest of acquisitions. Wisdom is the highest felicity in the world.Wisdom is heaven in the estimation of the good and virtuous. It wasthrough wisdom that Vali, Prahlada, Namuchi, and Manki, when they losttheir (earthly) prosperity, succeeded in acquiring felicity. What isthere that is superior to wisdom? In this connection is cited the oldstory of the discourse between Indra and Kasyapa. Listen to it, OYudhishthira! Once on a time a prosperous Vaisya, in the enjoyment ofprosperity, and proud of his affluence, threw down, by negligentlydriving his car, a Rishi’s son of rigid vows named Kasyapa, devoted topenances. Prostrated on the ground, the young man, in exceeding pain,gave way to his wrath; and under the influence of despair resolved,saying, ‘I shall cast off my life. A poor man has no need of life in thisworld.’ While the Brahmana was lying in that state, silent and agitated,deprived of energy and at the point of death, Indra appeared on the scenein the form of a jackal and addressing him, said, ‘All (inferior)creatures covet birth in the human race. Among men again, the status of aBrahmana is much desired. Thou, O Kasyapa, art a human being! Amongsthuman beings, thou art again a Brahmana. Among Brahmanas, thou art againone that is conversant with the Vedas. Having obtained that which isattainable with very great difficulty, it behoveth thee not to give uplife from folly! All kinds Of (worldly) acquisitions are fraught withpride. The declaration of the Srutis in that respect is perfectly true.Thou lookest the picture of contentment. In forming such a resolve (whichis so derogatory of thy own self) about casting off thy life, thou actestfrom cupidity! O, they are crowned with success that have hands! Ieagerly wish for the status of those creatures that have hands! We covethands as eagerly as you covet riches. There is no acquisition that ismore valuable than the acquisition of hands. Behold, O Brahmana, I cannotextract this thorn that has entered my body, or crush these insects andworms that are biting and afflicting me greatly! They that have bestowedupon them two hands with ten fingers, succeed in throwing away orcrushing the worms (by scratching) that bite their limbs. They succeed inconstructing shelters for themselves from rain, cold, and heat. Theysucceed also in enjoying excellent clothes for themselves, good food,comfortable beds, and excellent habitations. Lying on this Earth, theythat have hands enjoy kine and other animals and cause them to carryburthens or drag their vehicles, and by the aid of diverse means bringthose animals under sway (for their own purposes). Those living creaturesthat are without tongues, that are helpless, of little strength, anddestitute of hands, bear all the several kinds of misery (indicatedabove). By good luck, O ascetic, thou art not like them. By good luck,thou art not a jackal, nor a worm, nor a mouse, nor a frog, nor an animalof any other miserable order. With this measure of gain (that thou hastwon), thou shouldst, O Kasyapa, be contented! How happy, again, shouldstthou feel at the thought that amongst living creatures thou art asuperior Brahmana! These worms are biting me! For want of hands I amunable to drive them off. Behold this my miserable plight! I do not castoff life because to do so is a very sinful act, and lest, indeed, I fallinto a more miserable order of existence! This order of existence, viz.,that of a jackal, to which I now belong is rather tolerable. Miserable asit is, there are many orders of existence below it that are moremiserable still. By birth certain classes of creatures become happierthan others who become subject to great woe. But I never see that thereis any order of being which can be said to be in the possession ofperfect happiness. Human beings, obtaining affluence, next wish forsovereignty. Having achieved sovereignty their next wish is for thestatus of gods. Having won that status they then wish for the chiefdom ofthe celestials. If thou becomest affluent, thou wilt never succeed inbecoming a king (for thou art a Brahmana by birth), nor in becoming a god(because, in reality, thy status of Brahmanahood is equal if not superiorto that of a god). If by any means (led away by the alluring prospect ofheavenly bliss) thou becomest a god (instead of attaining to a superiorposition), thou wilt then covet for the chiefdom of the gods. In nocondition wilt thou be contented. Contentment does not result fromacquisition of desirable objects. Thirst is never slaked although thereis profusion of water.[539] The thirst for acquisition only blazes upwith each fresh acquisition like a fire with new faggots thrown into it.In thee there is grief. But joy also dwells in thee. Both happiness andmisery dwell in thee. Why then shouldst thou yield to grief? One shouldshut up, like birds in a cage, the very springs, viz., the understandingand the senses of, all one’s desires and acts. There can be no cutting ofa second head, nor of a third hand. That which does not exist can produceno fear. One that is not acquainted with the enjoyment a certain objectaffords, never feels a desire for that object. Desires arise from theactual experience of the pleasures that touch or sight, or hearing gives.Thou hast no idea of the taste of the wine called Varuni or of the meatof the birds called Ladwaka. There is no drink and no food more deliciousthan these. Thou hast no idea also, O Kasyapa, of every other superiorkind of drink and food that exists among men, for thou hast never tastedit. Without doubt, therefore, not to taste, not to see, should be the vowof a man if he is to win happiness. Creatures that have hands, withoutdoubt, become strong and earn wealth. Men are reduced by men to a stateof servitude, and are repeatedly afflicted (at the hands of their ownspecies) with death, imprisonment, and other tortures. Although such istheir condition, yet even they (without yielding to grief) laugh andsport and indulge in merriment. Others again, though endued with might ofarms, and possessed of knowledge and great energy of mind, followcensurable, sinful, and miserable professions. They seek to change suchprofessions for other pursuits (that are more dignified) but then theyare bound by their own acts (of a previous life) and by the force ofDestiny. The vilest man of the Pukkasa or the Chandala orders neverwishes to cast off his life. He is quite contented with the order of hisbirth. Behold the illusion in this respect! Beholding those amongst thyspecies that are destitute of arms, or struck with palsy, or afflictedwith other diseases, thou canst regard thyself as very happy andpossessed of valuable accompaniments amongst the members of thy ownorder. If this thy regenerated body remains safe and sound, and free fromdisease, and all thy limbs remain perfect, thou art sure of neverincurring any reproach amongst men. It would not behove thee, O Brahmana,to cast off thy life even if any blame, founded on fact and capable ofbringing about thy dismissal from caste, attached to thee! Rise, andpractise virtue. It is not meet that thou shouldst throw away thy life!If, O regenerate one, thou listen to me and place credence on my words,thou wilt then obtain the highest reward of the religion inculcated inthe Vedas. Do thou set thyself to Vedic studies, and duly maintain thysacred fire, and observe truth, and self-restraint, and charity. Nevercompare thyself boastfully with another. They who, by devoting themselvesto the study of the Vedas, become competent for performing sacrifices forthemselves and others, have no need to indulge in any kind of regret orfear any kind of evil. They that are born under an auspiciousconstellation on an auspicious lunation and at an auspicious hour, strivetheir best for performing sacrifices, practising charity, and procreatingchildren, and desiring to pass their time cheerfully in those acts, atlast win very great happiness.[540] They, on the other hand, that areborn under evil constellations, inauspicious lunations, and at evilhours, become destitute of sacrifices and progeny and at last fall intothe Asura order.[541] In my former life I had much useless learning. Ialways sought for reasons and had very little faith. I was a slanderer ofthe Vedas. I was destitute of the (fourfold) objects of life, and wasdevoted to that science of argumentation which is based upon ocular ortangible proofs.[542] I used to utter words based on (plausible) reasons.Indeed, in assemblies, I always spoke of reasons (and never faith). Iused to speak irreverently of the declarations of the Srutis and addressBrahmanas in domineering tones. I was an unbeliever, skeptical ofeverything, and though really ignorant, proud of my learning. This statusof a jackal that I have obtained in this life is the consequence, Oregenerate one, of those sins of mine! If even after hundreds of days andnights I that am a jackal can once again obtain the status of humanity, Ishall then pass my life in contentment, heedful of the true objects ofexistence, and engaged in sacrifices and gifts. I shall then know whatshould be known, and avoid what should be avoided!’ Thus addressed, theascetic Kasyapa, rising up, said, ‘O, thou art certainly possessed ofknowledge and great intelligence! I am really surprised at all this!’With eyes whose vision was extended by knowledge, the Brahmana thenbeheld that being who had addressed him to be Indra, chief of the godsand the lord of Sachi. Kasyapa then worshipped that god having the bestof steeds for the animal that bore him. Receiving afterwards the god’spermission, the Brahmana returned to his abode.'”