Chapter 3

“Dhritarashtra said, O thou of great wisdom, my grief has been dispelledby thy excellent words! I desire, however, to again hear thee speak. How,indeed, do those that are wise free themselves from mental grief born ofthe advent of evils and the bereavement of objects that are dear?

“Vidura said, He that is wise obtains tranquillity by subduing both griefand joy through means by which one may escape from grief and joy. Allthose things about which we are anxious, O bull among men, are ephemeral.The world is like a plantain tree, without enduring strength. Since thewise and the foolish, the rich and the poor, all, divested of theiranxieties, sleep on the crematorium, with bodies reft of flesh and fullof bare bones and shrivelled sinews, whom amongst them will the survivorslook upon as possessed of distinguishing marks by which the attributes ofbirth and beauty may be ascertained? (When all are equal in death) whyshould human beings, whose understandings are always deceived (by thethings of this world) covet one anothers rank and position? The learnedsay that the bodies of men are like houses. In time these are destroyed.There is one being, however, that is eternal. As a person, casting offone attire, whether old or new, wears another, even such is the case withthe bodies of all embodied beings. O son of Vicitravirya, creaturesobtain weal or woe as the fruit of their own acts. Through their actsthey obtain heaven, O Bharata, or bliss, or woe. Whether able or unable,they have to bear their burdens which are the result of their own acts.As amongst earthen pots some break while still on the potters wheel, somewhile partially shaped, some as soon as brought into shape, some afterremoval from the wheel, some while in course of being removed, some afterremoval, some while wet, some while dry, some while being burnt, somewhile being removed from the kiln, some after removal therefrom, and somewhile being used, even such is the case with the bodies of embodiedcreatures. Some are destroyed while yet in the womb, some after comingout of the womb, some on the day after, some on the expiration of afortnight or of a month, some on the expiration of a year or of twoyears, some in youth, some in middle age, and some when old. Creaturesare born or destroyed according to their acts in previous lives. Whensuch is the course of the world, why do you then indulge in grief? Asmen, while swimming in sport on the water, sometimes dive and sometimesemerge, O king, even so creatures sink and emerge in lifes stream. Theythat are of little wisdom suffer or meet with destruction as the resultof their own acts. They, however, that are wise, observant of virtue, anddesirous of doing good unto all living creatures, they, acquainted withthe real nature of the appearance of creatures in this world, attain atlast to the highest end.”