Chapter 227

“Yudhishthira said, ‘What, indeed, is good for a man that is sunk in diredistress, when loss of friends or loss of kingdom, O monarch hasoccurred? In this world, O bull of Bharata’s race, thou art the foremostof our instructors. I ask thee this. It behoveth thee to tell me what Iask.’

“Bhishma said, ‘For one that has been deprived of sons and wives andpleasures of every kind and wealth, and that has been plunged into diredistress, fortitude is of the highest good, O king! The body is neveremaciated of one that is always possessed of fortitude. Grieflessnessbears happiness within it, and also health that is a superior possession.In consequence again of this health of body, once may again acquireprosperity. That wise man, O sire, who adheres to a course of righteousconduct (while afflicted by distress) succeeds in acquiring prosperity,patience, and perseverance in the accomplishment of all his objects. Inthis connection is once more cited the old narrative of the discoursebetween Vali and Vasava, O Yudhishthira! After the battle between thegods and the Asuras, in which a large number of Daityas and Danavas fell,had come to an end. Vali became king. He was deceived by Vishnu who oncemore established his sway over all the worlds. He, of a hundredsacrifices was once more invested with the sovereignty of the deities.After the rule of the deities had thus been re-established, and the fourorders of men had been re-established in the practice of their respectivecourses of duty, the three worlds once more swelled with prosperity, andthe Self-born became glad at heart. At that time, accompanied by theRudras, the Vasus, the Adityas, the Aswins, the celestial Rishis, theGandharvas, the Siddhas, and other superior orders of beings, thepuissant Sakra, seated in splendour on his four-tusked prince ofelephants, called Airavata, made a progress through all the worlds. Oneday, while thus engaged, the wielder of the thunderbolt beheldVirochana’s son Vali within a certain mountain cave on the sea-shore.Seeing the prince of Danavas, he approached him. Beholding the chief ofthe deities, viz., Indra, thus seated on the back of Airavata andsurrounded by the several orders of the celestials, the prince of theDaityas showed no signs of sorrow or agitation. Indra also, seeing Valistaying unmoved and fearless, addressed him from the back of his foremostof elephants, saying, ‘How is it, O Daitya, that thou art so unmoved? Isit due to thy heroism or thy having waited with reverence upon agedpersons? Is it due to thy mind having been cleansed by penances? Towhatever cause it may be due, this frame of mind is certainly verydifficult of attainment. Hurled from a position that was certainly thehighest, thou art now divested of all thy possessions, and thou hast beenbrought under the sway of thy foes. O son of Virochana, what is that byhaving recourse to which thou dost not grieve although the occasion isfor grief? Formerly, when thou wert invested with the sovereignty of thyown order, unrivalled pleasures were thine. Now, however, thou artdivested of thy wealth and jewels and sovereignty. Tell us why thou artso unmoved. Thou wert before this a god, seated on the throne of thy sireand grandsires. Beholding thyself stripped today by thy foes, why dostthou not grieve? Thou art bound in Varuna’s noose and hast been struckwith my thunderbolt. Thy wives have been taken away and thy wealth also.Tell us why thou dost not indulge in grief. Divested of prosperity andfallen away from affluence, thou indulgest not in grief. This, indeed, issomething that is very remarkable. Who else, O Vali, than one like thee,could venture to bear the burthen of existence after being shorn of thesovereignty of the three worlds?’ Hearing without any pain these andother cutting speeches that Indra addressed to him, asserting the whilehis own superiority over him, Vali, the son of Virochana, fearlesslyanswered his interrogator, saying the following words.’

“Vali said, ‘When calamities have oppressed me, O Sakra, what dost thougain by such brag now? Today I behold thee, O Purandara, stand before mewith the thunderbolt upraised in thy hand! Formerly, however, thoucouldst not bear thyself so. Now thou hast by some means gained thatpower. Indeed, who else than thou could utter such cruel speeches? Thatperson who, though able to punish, shows compassion towards a heroic foevanquished and brought under his sway, is truly a very superiorindividual. When two persons fight, victory in the battle is certainlydubious. One of the two certainly becomes victorious, and the otherbecomes vanquished. O chief of the deities, let not thy disposition besuch! Do not imagine that thou hast become the sovereign of all creaturesafter having conquered all with thy might and prowess! That we havebecome so is not, O Sakra, the result of any act of ours.[855] That thouhast become so, O wielder of the thunderbolt, is not the result of anyact of thine. What I am now thou wilt be in the future. Do not disregardme, thinking that thou hast done an exceedingly difficult feat. A personobtains happiness and misery one after another in course of Time. Thouhast, O Sakra, obtained the sovereignty of the universe in course of Timebut not in consequence of any especial merit in thee. It is Time thatleads me on in his course. That same Time leads thee also onward. It isfor this that I am not what thou art today, and thou also art not what weare! Dutiful services done to parents, reverential worship of deities,due practice of any good quality,–none of these can bestow happiness onany one. Neither knowledge, nor penances, nor gifts, nor friends, norkinsmen can rescue one that is afflicted by Time. Men are incapable ofaverting, by even a thousand means, an impending calamity. Intelligenceand strength go for nothing in such cases. There is no rescuer of menthat are afflicted by Time’s course. That thou, O Sakra, regarded thyselfas the actor lies at the root of all sorrow. If the ostensible doer of anact is the real actor thereof, that doer then would not himself be thework of some one else (viz., the Supreme Being). Hence, because theostensible doer is himself the product of another, that another is theSupreme Being above whom there is nothing higher. Aided by Time I hadvanquished thee. Aided by Time thou hast vanquished me. It is Time thatis the mover of all beings that move. It is Time that destroys allbeings. O Indra, in consequence of thy intelligence being of the vulgarspecies thou seest not that destruction awaits all things. Some, indeed,regard thee highly as one that has acquired by his own acts thesovereignty of the universe. For all that, how can one like us that knowthe course of the world, indulge in grief in consequence of having beenafflicted by Time, or suffer our understanding to be stupefied, or yieldto the influence of error? Shall my understanding or that of one like me,even when we are overwhelmed by Time, coming in contact with a calamity,suffer itself to be destroyed like a wrecked vessel at sea?[856] Myself,thyself, and all those who will in future become the chiefs of thedeities, shall have, O Sakra, to go the way along which hundreds ofIndras have gone before thee. When thy hour matures itself, Time willsurely destroy thee like me,–thee that art now so invincible and thatnow blazest with unrivalled splendour. In Time’s course many thousands ofIndras and of deities have been swept off yuga after yuga. Time, indeed,is irresistible. Having attained to thy present position, thou regardestthyself very highly, even as the Creator of all beings, the divine andeternal Brahman. This position of thine had been attained by many beforethee. With none did it prove stable or unending. In consequence, however,of a foolish understanding, thou alone regardest it to be immutable andeternal. Thou trustest in that which is not deserving of trust. Thoudeemest that to be eternal which is not eternal. O chief of the deities,one that is overwhelmed and stupefied by Time really regards oneselfafter this manner. Led by folly thou regardest thy present regalprosperity to be thine. Know, however, that it is never stable in respectof either thee or me or others. It had belonged to innumerable personsbefore thee. Passing over them, it has now become thine. It will staywith thee, O Vasava, for some time and then prove its instability. Like acow abandoning one drinking ditch for another, it will surely desert theefor somebody else. So many sovereigns have gone before thee that Iventure not to make an enumeration. In the future also, O Purandara,innumerable sovereigns will rise after thee. I do not behold those rulersnow that had formerly enjoyed this earth with her trees and plants andgems and living creatures and waters and mines. Prithu, Aila, Maya,Bhima, Naraka, Samvara, Aswagriva, Puloman, Swarbhanu, whose standard wasof immeasurable height, Prahlada, Namuchi, Daksha, Vipprachitti,Virochana, Hrinisheva, Suhotra, Bhurihan, Pushavat, Vrisha, Satyepsu,Rishava, Vahu, Kapilaswa, Virupaka, Vana, Kartaswara, Vahni,Viswadanshtra, Nairiti, Sankocha, Varitaksha, Varaha, Aswa, Ruchiprabha,Viswajit, Pratirupa, Vrishanda, Vishkara, Madhu, Hiranyakasipu, theDanava Kaitabha, and many others that were Daityas and Danavas andRakshasas, these and many more unnamed, belonging to remote and remoterages, great Daityas and foremost of Danavas, whose names we haveheard,–indeed, many foremost of Daityas of former times,–having goneaway, leaving the Earth. All of them were afflicted by Time. Time provedstronger than all of them. All of them had worshipped the Creator inhundreds of sacrifices. Thou art not the one person that hast done so.All of them were devoted to righteousness and all of them alwaysperformed great sacrifices. All of them were capable of roaming throughthe skies, and all were heroes that never showed their backs in battle.All of them had very strong frames and all had arms that resembled heavybludgeons. All of them were masters of hundreds of illusions, and allcould assume any form they wished. We have never heard that havingengaged themselves in battle any of them had ever sustained a defeat. Allwere firm observers of the vow of truth, and all of them sported as theywished. Devoted to the Vedas and Vedic rites, all of them were possessorsof great learning. Possessed of great might, all of them had acquired thehighest prosperity and affluence. But none of those high-souledsovereigns had the least tincture of pride in consequence of sovereignty.All of them were liberal, giving unto each what each deserved. All ofthem behaved properly and duly towards all creatures. All of them werethe offspring of Daksha’s daughters. Endued with great strength, all werelords of the creation. Scorching all things with the energy all of themblazed with splendour. Yet all of them were swept off by time. As regardsthee, O Sakra, it is evident that when thou shalt have, after enjoyingthe earth, to leave her, thou wilt not be able to control thy grief. Castoff this desire that thou cherishest for objects of affection andenjoyment. Cast off this pride that is born of prosperity. If thou actestin this manner, thou wilt then be able to bear the grief that attends theloss of sovereignty. When the hour of sorrow comes, do not yield tosorrow. Similarly, when the hour of joy comes, do not rejoice.Disregarding both the past and the future, live contentedly with thepresent. When Time that never sleeps came upon me that had always beenheedful of my duties, turn thy heart to the ways of peace, O Indra, forthat same Time will very soon come over thee! Thou piercest me with thywords, and thou seemest to be bent upon inspiring dread in me. Indeed,finding me collected, thou regardest thy own self very highly. Time hadfirst assailed me. It is even now behind thee. I was at first vanquishedby Time. It was for that reason that thou didst afterwards succeed invanquishing me for which thou roarest in pride thus. Formerly, when Ihappened to become angry, what person was there on earth that could standbefore me in battle? Time, however, is stronger. He has overwhelmed me.It is for this reason, O Vasava, that thou art able to stand before me!Those thousand (celestial years), that are the measure of thy sway, willsurely come to an end. Thou shalt then fall and thy limbs will become asmiserable as mine now even though I am possessed of mighty energy. I havefallen away from the high place that is occupied by the sovereign of thethree worlds. Thou art now the actual Indra in heaven. In this delightfulworld of living beings, thou art now, in consequence of Time’s course, anobject of universal adoration. Canst thou say what is that by having donewhich thou hast become Indra today and what also is that by having donewhich we have fallen off from the position we had? Time is the onecreator and destroyer. Nothing else is cause (in the universe for theproduction of any effect). Decline, fall, sovereignty, happiness, misery,birth and death,–a learned person by encountering any of these neitherrejoices nor indulges in sorrow. Thou, O Indra, knowest us. We also, OVasava, know thee. Why then dost thou brag in this fashion before me,forgetting, O shameless one, that it is Time that hath made thee whatthou art? Thou didst thyself witness what my prowess was in those days.The energy and might I used to display in all my battles, furnishsufficient evidence. The Adityas, the Rudras, the Sadhyas, the Vasus, andthe Maruts, O lord of Sachi, were all vanquished by me. Thou knowest itwell thyself, O Sakra, that in the great encounter between the gods andthe Asuras, the assembled deities were quickly routed by me by the furyof my attack. Mountains with their forests and the denizens that lived inthose forests, were repeatedly hurled by us. Many were the mountainsummits with craggy edges that I broke on thy head. What, however, can Ido now? Time is incapable of being resisted. If it were not so, do notthink that I would not have ventured to kill thee with that thunderboltof thine with even a blow of my fist. The present, however, is not thehour with me for the display of prowess. The hour that hath come is suchthat I should adopt tranquillity now and tolerate everything. It is forthis reason, O Sakra, that I put up with all this insolence of thine.Know, however, that I am less able to bear insolence than even thou. Thoubraggest before one who, upon his time having matured, is surrounded onall sides by Time’s conflagration and bound strongly in Time’s cords.Yonder stands that dark individual who is incapable of being resisted bythe world. Of fierce form, he stands there, having bound me like aninferior animal bound with cords. Gain and loss, happiness and misery,lust and wrath, birth and death, captivity and release,–these all oneencounters in Time’s course. I am not the actor. Thou art not the actor.He is the actor who, indeed, is omnipotent. That Time ripens me (forthrowing me down) like a fruit that has appeared on a tree. There arecertain acts by doing which one person obtains happiness in Time’scourse. By doing those very acts another obtains misery in the course ofTime. Versed as I am with the virtues of Time, it behoves me not toindulge in grief when it is Time that has assailed me. It is for thisreason, O Sakra, that I do not grieve. Grief cannot do us any good. Thegrief of one that indulges in grief never dispels one’s calamity. On theother hand, grief destroys one’s power. It is for this that I do notindulge in grief.’

“Thus addressed by the chief of the Daityas, he of a hundred sacrifices,viz., the puissant and thousand-eyed chastiser of Paka, restrained hiswrath and said these words.’

“Sakra said, ‘Beholding this upraised arm of mine, equipped with thethunderbolt, and those nooses of Varuna, who is there whose understandingwould not be agitated, including the very Destroyer himself thatcompasses the death of all beings? Thy understanding, however, so firmand so endued with vision of the truth, hath not been agitated. O thou ofinvincible prowess, verily, thou art unmoved today in consequence of thyfortitude. Beholding all things in this universe to be fleeting, who isthere in it, endued with body, that would venture to repose confidence oneither his body or all the objects of his desire? Like thyself I alsoknow that this universe is not eternal, and that it has been thrown intoTime’s conflagration that is dreadful though hidden from the view, thatis continuously burning, and that is truly endless. Every one is assailedhere by Time. Nothing among beings that are subtile or gross enjoys animmunity from Time’s sway. All things are being cooked in Time’scauldron. Time has no master. Time is ever heedful. Time is alwayscooking all things within itself. No one who has once entered the domainof Time which is ceaselessly going on, can escape therefrom. All embodiedbeings may be heedless of Time, but Time is heedful and is broad awakebehind them. No one has ever been seen to have driven off Time from him.Ancient and eternal, and the embodiment of justice, Time is uniform inrespect of all living creatures. Time cannot be avoided, and there is noretrogression in its course. Like a usurer adding up his interest, Timeadds up its subtile portions represented by kalas, and lavas, andkashthas, and kshanas, and months, and days and nights. Like the currentof a river washing away a tree whose roots are reached by it, Time,getting at him who says, ‘This I will do today but this other act I willdo tomorrow’ sweeps him away. Time sweeps away one and men exclaim, ‘Isaw him a little while ago. How has he died?’ Wealth, comforts, rank,prosperity, all fall a prey to Time. Approaching every living creature,Time snatches away his life. All things that proudly raise their headshigh are destined to fall down. That which is existent is only anotherform of the non-existent. Everything is transitory and unstable. Such aconviction is, however, difficult to come at. Thy understanding, so firmand endued with true vision, is unmoved. Thou dost not, even mentally,realise what thou wert some time ago. Time that is strong, assailing theuniverse, cooks it within itself and sweeps away everything withoutconsideration of seniority of years or the reverse. For all that, onethat is being dragged by Time is unconscious of the noose thrown roundone’s neck. People, given to jealousy and vanity and cupidity to lust,wrath, and fear, to desire, heedlessness, and pride, suffer themselves tobe stupefied. Thou, however, art acquainted with the truth of existence.Thou art possessed of learning and endued with wisdom and penance. Thoubeholdest Time as clearly as if it were an emblic myrobalan on the palmof thy hand. O son of Virochana, fully conversant art thou with the topicof Time’s conduct. Thou art well-versed in all branches of knowledge.Thou art of cleansed Soul and a thorough master of thy persons. Thou art,for this, an object of affection with all persons endued with wisdom.Thou hast, with thy understanding, fully comprehended the whole universe.Though thou hast enjoyed every kind of happiness, thou art never attachedto anything, and hence thou hast not been stained by anything. Thequalities of Passion and Darkness do not soil thee for thou hastconquered thy senses. Thou waitest only upon thy Soul which is divestedof both joy and sorrow. The friend of all creatures, without animosity,with thy heart set upon tranquillity, beholding thee thus, my heart isinclined to compassion towards thee. I do not desire to afflict anenlightened person like thee by keeping him in an enchained condition.Abstention from injury is the highest religion. I feel compassion towardsthee. These nooses of Varuna, with which thou hast been bound, willloosen Time’s course in consequence of the misconduct of men. Blessed bethou, O great Asura! When the daughter-in-law will set the agedmother-in-law to work, when the son, through delusion, will command thesire to work for him, when Sudras will have their feet washed byBrahmanas and have sexual congress fearlessly with women of regeneratefamilies, when men will discharge the vital seed into forbidden wombs,when the refuse of houses will begin to be carried upon plates andvessels made of white brass, and when sacrificial offerings intended forthe deities will begin to be borne upon forbidden vessels, when all thefour orders will transgress all restraints, then these bonds of thinewill begin one by one, to loosen. From us thou hast no fear. Waitquietly. Be happy. Be divested of all sorrow. Let thy heart be cheerful.Let no illness be thine.’ Having said these words unto him, the divineIndra, having the prince of elephants for his vehicle, left that spot.Having vanquished all the Asuras, the chief of the deities rejoiced ingladness and became the one sole lord of all the worlds. The great Rishishymned the praises of that lord of all mobile and immobile creatures. Thedeity of fire once more began to bear the libations of clarified butterthat were poured (by all) into his visible form, and the great god tookcharge of the nectar that was committed to his care. His praises hymnedby the foremost of Brahmanas engaged in sacrifices, the lord Indra,blazing with splendour, his wrath pacified, and his heart tranquillised,became gladdened, and returning to his own abode in heaven, began to passhis days in great happiness.'”[857]