Chapter 235

“Vyasa said, ‘The knowledge called Trayi which occurs in the Vedas andtheir branches should be acquired. That knowledge is to be derived fromthe Richs, the Samans, and the sciences called Varna and Akshara. Thereare besides, the Yajuses and the Atharvans. In the six kinds of actsindicated in these, dwells the Divine Being. They that are well-versed inthe declarations of the Vedas, that have knowledge of the Soul, that areattached to the quality of Goodness, and that are highly blessed, succeedin understanding the origin and the end of all things. A Brahmana shouldlive in the observance of the duties laid down in the Vedas. He should doall his acts like a good man of restrained soul. He should earn hislivelihood without injuring any creature. Having derived knowledge fromthe good and wise, he should control his passions and propensities.Well-versed in the scriptures, he should practise those duties that havebeen laid down for him, and do all acts in this world guided by thequality of goodness. Leading even the domestic mode of life., theBrahmana should be observant of the six acts already spoken of.[901] Hisheart full of faith, he should worship the deities in the five well-knownsacrifices. Endued with patience, never heedless, having self-control,conversant with duties, with a cleansed soul, divested of joy, pride, andwrath, the Brahmana should never sink in languor. Gifts, study of theVedas, sacrifices, penances, modesty, guilelessness, andself-restraint,–these enhance one’s energy and destroy one’s sins. Oneendued with intelligence should be abstemious in diet and should conquerone’s senses. Indeed, having subdued both lust and wrath, and havingwashed away all his sins, he should strive for attaining to Brahma. Heshould worship the Fire and Brahmanas, and bow to the deities. He shouldavoid all kinds of inauspicious discourse and all acts of unrighteousinjury. This preliminary course of conduct is first laid down for aBrahmana. Subsequently, when knowledge comes, he should engage himself inacts, for in acts lies success.[902] The Brahmana who is endued withintelligence succeeds in crossing the stream of life that is so difficultto cross and that is so furious and terrible, that has the five sensesfor its waters that has cupidity for its source, and wrath for its mire.He should never shut his eyes to the fact that Time stands behind him ina threatening attitude.–Time who is the great stupefier of all things,and who is armed with very great and irresistible force, issuing from thegreat Ordainer himself. Generated by the current of Nature, the universeis being ceaselessly carried along. The mighty river of Time, overspreadwith eddies constituted by the years, having the months for its waves andthe seasons for its current, the fortnights for its floating straw andgrass, and the rise and fall of the eyelids for its froth, the days andthe nights for its water, and desire and lust for its terriblecrocodiles, the Vedas and sacrifices for its rafts, and the righteousnessof creatures for its islands, and Profit and Pleasure for its springs,truthfulness of speech and Emancipation for its shores, benevolence forthe trees that float along it, and the yugas for the lakes along itscourse,–the mighty river of Time,–which has an origin as inconceivableas that of Brahma itself, is ceaselessly bearing away all beings createdby the great Ordainer towards the abode of Yama.[903] Persons possessedof wisdom and patience always succeed in crossing this awful river byemploying the rafts of knowledge and wisdom. What, however, can senselessfools, destitute of similar rafts do (when thrown into that furiousstream)? That only the man of wisdom succeeds in crossing this stream andnot he that is unwise, is consistent with reason. The former beholds froma distance the merits and faults of everything. (Accordingly, he succeedsin adopting or rejecting what is deserving of adoption or rejection). Theman, however, of unstable and little understanding, and whose soul isfull of desire and cupidity, is always filled with doubt. Hence the mandestitute of wisdom never succeeds in crossing that river. He also whosits inactively (in doubt) can never pass it over. The man destitute ofthe raft of wisdom, in consequence of his having to bear the heavy weightof great faults, sinks down. One that is seized by the crocodile ofdesire, even if possessed of knowledge, can never make knowledge one’sraft.[904] For these reasons, the man of wisdom and intelligence shouldstrive to float over the stream of Time (without sinking in it). Heindeed, succeeds in keeping himself afloat who becomes conversant withBrahma. One born in a noble race, abstaining from the three duties ofteaching, officiating at other’s sacrifices and accepting gifts, anddoing only the three other acts, viz., studying, sacrificing, and giving,should, for those reasons, strive to float over the stream. Such a man issure to cross it aided by the raft of wisdom. One who is pure in conduct,who is self-restrained and observant of good vows, whose soul is undercontrol, and who is possessed of wisdom, certainly wins success in thisand the other world. The Brahmana leading a domestic mode of life shouldconquer wrath and envy, practise the virtues already named, andworshipping the deities in the five sacrifices, eat after having fed thedeities, Pitris, and guests. He should conform to those duties which areobserved by the good; he should do all his acts like a person of governedsoul; and he should, without injuring any creature, draw his substance byadopting a course that is not censurable. One who is well-versed in thetruths of the Vedas and the other branches of knowledge, whose behaviouris like that of a person of well-governed soul, who is endued with aclear vision, who observes those duties that are laid down for his order,who does not, by his acts, produce an inter-mixture of duties, whoattends to the observances set down in the scriptures, who is full offaith, who is self-restrained, who is possessed of wisdom, who isdestitute of envy and malice, and who is well-conversant with thedistinctions between righteousness and inequity, succeeds in crossing allhis difficulties. That Brahmana who is possessed of fortitude, who isalways heedful, who is self-restrained, who is conversant withrighteousness, whose soul is under control, and who has transcended joy,pride, and wrath, has never to languish in grief. This is the course ofconduct that was ordained of old for a Brahmana. He should strive for theacquisition of Knowledge, and do all the scriptural acts. By living thus,he is sure to obtain success. One who is not possessed of clear visiondoes wrong even when one wishes to do right. Such a person, by evenexercising his judgment, does such acts of virtue as partake of thenature of inequity. Desiring to do what is right, one does what is wrong.Similarly, desiring to do what is wrong one does what is right. Such aperson is a fool. Not knowing, the two kinds of acts, one has to undergorepeated rebirths and deaths.'”