Mahabharata Vol. 3 (Penguin Translated Texts)

by Debroy, Bibek

  ‘“The brahmana replied, ‘O fortunate one! O beautiful one! I am pleased with you and my anger has gone. The reprimands uttered by you have been extremely beneficial for me. O beautiful one! May you live in peace. I am leaving to improve myself.’”

  ‘Markandeya said, “O supreme among men! Having obtained her permission, the brahmana Koushika censured himself and left for his own dwelling.”’

  495(198)

  ‘Markandeya said, “The brahmana thought about the extraordinary matter the woman had specifically told him. He censured himself and his appearance became that of a guilty one. Then, thinking about the subtle course of dharma, he said, ‘I must have devotion. I must go to Mithila. She said that a hunter who knew dharma, one who had perfected his soul, dwelt there. I should go there today, and ask the one who is rich in austerities about dharma.’ Thus thinking in his mind, he showed faith in the lady’s words, made certain by the pure one’s words about dharma and her knowledge about the death of the crane. Filled with curiosity, he left for Mithila. He passed through many forests, villages and cities and arrived in Mithila, protected well by Janaka.151 It was a holy city, rich in sacrifices and festivals. It was full of religious institutions.152 It was adorned with turrets, palaces, houses and walls. It also had many chariots. He entered the beautiful city. There were many large roads, laid out well, lined with many wares. It was crowded with great numbers of horses, chariots, elephants and carts. The masses of people were happy and well fed and it was always full of festivities. As he passed, the brahmana saw many other things there. He asked about the virtuous hunter and was told about him by brahmanas. He went there and saw the ascetic seated in the midst of a slaughterhouse. He was selling the meat of deer and buffaloes. It was crowded with a large number of buyers and the brahmana waited.

  ‘“On getting to know that a brahmana had arrived, he153 suddenly arose and went to where the brahmana was standing alone. The hunter said, ‘O illustrious one! O supreme among brahmanas! I salute you. Welcome. O fortunate one! I am only a hunter. Tell me what I can do for you. I know everything about the devoted wife telling you to go to Mithila. I know why you have come here.’ On hearing his words, the brahmana was extremely surprised. The brahmana thought that this was the second wonder. The hunter told the brahmana, ‘O illustrious one! O unblemished one! This is not an appropriate place for you. If it pleases you, let us go home.’ The brahmana was extremely happy at these words. Making the brahmana precede him, he went to his house. On entering the house, he gave him a beautiful seat. The supreme among brahmanas accepted the water offered for washing the feet and the mouth. Once he was comfortably seated, he spoke these words to the hunter. ‘It seems to me that a task like this is not appropriate for you. O son!154 I am extremely sorry that you have to perform this terrible task.’

  ‘“The hunter replied, ‘This is the occupation of my family and it has come down to me from my father and my grandfather. O brahmana! Do not be angry that I am engaged in this dharma. The creator has earlier decided that this should be my task and I am performing it. O supreme among brahmanas! I take care of my superiors and I serve my elders. I speak the truth. I do not envy. I donate according to my capacity. I live on what is left after offering to the gods, the guests and the servants. I do not speak ill of anything. Nor am I contemptuous of someone more powerful. O supreme among brahmanas! The deeds performed earlier, always follow the actor. In this world, the means of livelihood are agriculture, animal husbandry and trade. Governance and the three forms of knowledge are also in this world.155 It has been said that servitude is for shudras, agriculture for vaishyas and fighting for kshatriyas. Brahmanas must always be engaged in brahmacharya, austerities, incantations and truth. A king must govern, in accordance with dharma, subjects who are engaged in their own tasks. He must redeploy those who are engaged in the wrong tasks into their own tasks. The king is the lord and he must always be feared by the subjects. Like deer restrained with arrows, he must kill those who are engaged in the wrong tasks. O brahmana rishi! O supreme among brahmanas! Under Janaka, there is no one who performs the wrong task. All the four varnas are engaged in their own tasks. King Janaka is such that even if his son were to be evil, he would chastise him with punishment. But he does not cause suffering to those who are righteous. Using spies well, the king sees that there is dharma everywhere. O supreme among brahmanas! Prosperity, the kingdom and punishment belong to the kshatriyas. Through observing their own dharma, kings can wish for great prosperity. O brahmana! I sell boars and buffaloes that have been killed by others. O brahmana rishi! I do not kill them myself, but sell them afterwards. I do not eat meat. I lie with my wife in her season. O brahmana! I fast during the day and eat at night. A person who is born with ill conduct may become one with good conduct. Even if he is born as a killer of animals, he may turn out to be a follower of dharma. The deviations of kings can cause great decay in dharma. Then adharma increases and subjects decay. Those who are stunted, dwarfs, hunchbacked ones, those with large heads, eunuchs, blind and deaf ones and those with elongated nipples are born then. Because of the adharma practised by kings, subjects always endure hardships. But King Janaka is one who looks at subjects with the eyes of dharma. He favours the subjects who are always devoted to their own dharma. As for me, whether men praise me or whether they censure me, I always satisfy them with tasks that are well performed. Kings who live their lives and find satisfaction in their own dharma and do not depend on others for a livelihood, are skilled and always ascend. Always donating food according to one’s ability, forbearance, eternal devotion to dharma, reverence towards those who deserve it, constant compassion towards all beings and detachment are qualities that distinguish a man on earth. One should give up falsehood and perform good deeds, even if they are not solicited. One should not discard dharma out of desire, rashness or hatred. One should not rejoice excessively in good fortune, or be miserable in calamities. One should not be overpowered with difficulties and give up dharma. If one commits a reprehensible act, one should not commit it again. One should engage one’s soul in what ensures welfare. Evil should not be countered with evil, one should always act out of virtue. The evil one who wishes to commit an evil act kills himself. Deceitful and wicked acts are not righteous. Those who think there is dharma in this, those who laugh at purity and those who are disrespectful towards dharma, there is no doubt that they will be destroyed. An evil one is swollen, like a bag full of air. But like the sun shows up forms, his soul shows him up. The fool may praise himself, but cannot flourish in this world. But even if he is not clean, a learned one’s radiance shines. He does not speak ill of others. Nor does he praise himself. Those who have qualities don’t obviously shine in this world. One who is tormented by his evil acts is freed from those sins. If he avers that he will not commit it again, he is freed from the second sin. O foremost among supreme brahmanas! One can also be freed from the sin through deeds. O brahmana! This is what can be seen in the shrutis about dharma. One who has ignorantly committed a sin earlier, can later destroy it by devotion to dharma. O brahmana! Even if sins have been committed out of ignorance, dharma can absolve men. After committing a sin, one should think that one wasn’t the man who committed it. He should be faithful and do what is proper. He should be devoted and without hatred. This is how righteous ones cover the holes in their garments. After committing a sin, a man can still achieve that which is good. He can be freed from all sins, like the moon from the clouds. Like the sun rises and dispels the earlier darkness, establishment in that which is good ensures freedom from all sin. O supreme among brahmanas! Know that avarice is the root of all sin. Men who are not too wise, are goaded by greed and resort to sin. Just as wells are covered by grass, evil ones cloak themselves under dharma. Those who have self-control, those whose speech is pure, those who resort to dharma and those who exhibit good conduct, it is known that all of these are difficult to find.’”

  ‘Markandeya said, “Then the immensely wise brahmana asked the virtuous hunter, �
�O best of men! How will I know righteous conduct? O immensely intelligent hunter! Tell me this exactly.’

  ‘“The hunter replied, ‘O best among brahmanas! Sacrifices, donations, austerities, study of the Vedas and truthfulness—these are the five sacred things that always characterize good conduct. Having controlled desire and anger, having discarded arrogance, greed and deceit, those who are satisfied with dharma are righteous and are praised by the righteous. Those who perform sacrifices and are engaged in studying will never lack a means of livelihood. They observe good conduct and this is the second characteristic of those who are righteous. O brahmana! Serving seniors, truthfulness, lack of anger and generosity—these four are always present in those who are righteous. One can always obtain success by fixing one’s mind on good conduct. This can be obtained by practising these, and not through any other means. The Vedas are established in truth. Truth is established in self-control. Self-control is established in detachment. These always constitute righteous conduct. Men with deluded intelligence hate dharma. They follow a path that should not be traversed and descend into misery. Those who are good, well controlled, devoted to the shrutis and detachment, climb the path of dharma and are always devoted to truth and dharma. They control the supreme intelligence. These are people who follow virtuous conduct. They are obedient to their preceptors. They are knowledgeable and are established in the objective of dharma. Avoid atheists. They transgress limits. They are cruel and are established in evil intelligence. Seek knowledge and worship those who follow dharma. Using the boat of steadfastness, one can cross the river that has the five senses as its waters and is infested with the crocodiles of desire and avarice, and overcome birth. Dharma is gradually accumulated, through practising the great intelligence of yoga. It adorns righteous conduct, like a good colour on a white garment. Non-violence and truthfulness in speech ensure the greatest welfare for all beings. Non-violence is supreme dharma and it is established in truth. Deeds flourish when inclinations are established in truth. Truth is supreme and is cherished by those who have righteous conduct. Dharma is the conduct of the righteous and the righteous are characterized by their conduct. Every being is bound by its own nature, whatever it might be. The evil-minded one has no control over himself and has the sins of anger, desire and so on. It has been said that dharma is that which has been begun with justice. The virtuous have instructed that evil conduct constitutes sin. Those who are not prone to anger, those who do not hate, those who are not vain, those who are not selfish and those who are simple and serene are characterized by good conduct. Those who have grown old with the three Vedas are pure and intelligent and have conduct. Those who serve their preceptors and have self-control possess good conduct. It is a difficult task to achieve the deeds of those great ones. Through their own good deeds, they destroy any evil that they may have done. That good conduct is extraordinary, ancient, eternal and fixed. This is dharma. Learned ones who see dharma in this way, go to heaven. They are theists. They are humble. They are people who honour brahmanas. They conduct themselves in accordance with the rituals of the shrutis and go to heaven. The dharma stated in the Vedas is supreme. The Dharmashastras are the second.156 Virtuous conduct of righteous ones is another. These are the three notions of dharma. The characteristics of good conduct are accomplishing knowledge, bathing in tirthas, forbearance, truthfulness, simplicity and purity. Those who are compassionate towards all beings and always practise non-violence and never utter harsh words are loved by the brahmanas. Those who are familiar with the fruits of good and evil deeds are good and are honoured by those who are good. They are just, have all the qualities and desire the welfare of all the worlds. These virtuous ones attain sacred heaven. They are firmly established in the path of the righteous. Those who give, those who share and those who are compassionate towards the distressed are righteous and are honoured by the righteous. They are worshipped by everyone. They have the knowledge of the shrutis. They are ascetics. Those who show virtue in giving obtain happiness in this world and prosperity in the next. Even if their wives and servants suffer, righteous ones give in excess, when virtuous ones arrive. While their eyes are on their livelihood, they have dharma in their souls. Such virtuous ones prosper for an eternal period. Non-violence, truthfulness in speech, mildness, sincerity, the absence of enmity, humility, modesty, forbearance, self-control, serenity, wisdom, fortitude, compassion towards all beings and the absence of desire and hatred characterize the righteous, and they are honoured by the world. It is said that three things single out the supreme vows of the righteous—non-injury, generosity and truthfulness in every speech. The virtuous are those who are compassionate towards everything. They feel pity. They obtain the greatest satisfaction and traverse the supreme path of dharma. Those great-souled ones have good conduct and have firmly established themselves in dharma. They have no envy. They pardon. They are serene. They are satisfied. They speak pleasantly. They have discarded desire and anger. They follow the conduct of the righteous. Their deeds are in accordance with the shrutis. They follow the supreme path of the virtuous. They follow good conduct and are always devoted to dharma, never wavering. They ascend to the palace of wisdom and see the great masses who are deluded. O supreme among brahmanas! They observe the world in all its different pursuits, the extremely good deeds, as well as the evil ones. O foremost among the best of brahmanas! This is the entire account, as I have learnt it and as I have heard it, about the foremost qualities and conduct of the righteous. O brahmana! O bull among brahmanas!’”’

  496(199)

  ‘Markandeya said, “O Yudhishthira! Thus did the hunter who knew about dharma speak to the brahmana.157

  ‘“‘There is no doubt that the deeds that I perform are terrible. O brahmana! But destiny is powerful. And it is impossible to overcome deeds committed earlier. The sins committed earlier are the taints of karma.158 O brahmana! I have endeavoured to kill this sin. When destiny has already killed something earlier, the killer is only the instrument. O supreme among brahmanas! We are only instruments of our karma. O brahmana! When they are killed and their meat sold, it is only their dharma that they should be used and eaten, so as to serve the gods, the guests, the servants and the ancestors. According to the shrutis, herbs, creepers, animals, deer and birds are the decreed food for all beings. O supreme among brahmanas! The compassionate King Shibi Ushinara obtained a heaven that is difficult to attain by offering his own flesh.159 O brahmana! Earlier, in King Rantideva’s great kitchen, two thousand animals were slaughtered every day.160 Rantideva gave food with meat every day. O supreme among brahmanas! His fame is unmatched. He always killed animals at chaturmasya.161 It has been said in the shrutis that the fire desires meat. O brahmana! A brahmana always kills animals at sacrifices. They are purified through mantras and we have heard that they go to heaven. O brahmana! O supreme among brahmanas! If the fire had not desired meat earlier, who would have eaten it now? Even now, sages have articulated rules on the eating of meat. “He who always eats after offering to the gods and the ancestors, in accordance with the rules and with faith, no sin attaches to him from the act of eating.” It has been said in the shrutis that such a person is the equal of one who does not eat meat. A brahmana who has intercourse with his wife during her season is the equal of a brahmachari. The rules that differentiate truth from falsehood are recited even now. O brahmana! In earlier times, King Soudasa ate men.162 He had been overtaken by a terrible curse. What do you think of that? O supreme among brahmanas! I cannot give up my own dharma. Knowing that this is due to my earlier deeds, I perform this task for my livelihood. O brahmana! It is considered to be adharma to give up one’s own dharma. It is certainly dharma to adhere to one’s own dharma. Deeds committed earlier never leave a being. The creator’s ordinances foresaw the determination of these different forms of karma. It is seen that a being who is engaged in a cruel task has to think of performing good deeds so that he can be freed from its influence. There are different ways of freeing oneself from terrible karma—suc
h as donations, truthfulness in speech, the service of superiors and the worship of brahmanas. I have always devoted myself to this dharma. O supreme among brahmanas! I should refrain from pride and from speaking too much. Agriculture is known to be a virtuous occupation. But it has been said that there is great violence in this. Ploughing kills many beings that lie inside the ground and many other hundreds of beings. What is your view on this? O supreme among brahmanas! Vrihi163 and other seeds of rice are all living organisms. What is your view on this? O brahmana! Man hunts, kills and eats animals. They also cut trees and herbs. O brahmana! There are many living beings in trees and fruit. There are many in water too. What is your view on this? O brahmana! Everything is full of life and living beings. Fish eat fish. What is your view on this? O supreme among brahmanas! Beings live on other beings. What is your view on this? O brahmana! Through the mere act of walking, men trample with their feet many beings that resort to the ground. What is your view on this? Even wise and learned ones kill many beings when they are seated or asleep. What is your view on this? The entire earth and the sky are full of living beings. One causes injury to them unknowingly. What is your view on this? Those men of earlier times wondered and spoke about non-violence. O supreme among brahmanas! But in this world, who does not injure living beings? After reflecting a lot on this, there is no one who does not cause violence. O supreme among brahmanas! Even ascetics who are devoted to non-violence cause violence, though their efforts make it less. It can be seen that there are men who have great qualities and who are born in noble lineages. They may perform extremely terrible deeds. But they are not ashamed. Well-wishers do not praise well-wishers. Evil-wishers do not praise evil-wishers. Men who are righteous do not praise other righteous ones. Relatives do not praise relatives, even if they are prosperous. Foolish ones, thinking themselves to be learned, criticize preceptors. O supreme among brahmanas! There are many things in this world that can be seen to be contrary. Is this dharma or is it adharma? What is your view on this? Many things can be said about the dharma or adharma of our deeds. But he who adheres to his own dharma attains great fame.’”’