Sanat-Sujata Parva — The speech as delivered by Sanat-Sujata

Dhritarashtra said What purpose does the practice of asceticism serve? Which is better, the practice of asceticism or the vow of silence? Speak to me, O learned one, the real nature of asceticism. Can a learned person attain to the state of the Supreme Being by the vow of silence? How in this world O Muni, is asceticism practiced?

Sanat-Sujata said Since not even a knowledge of the Vedas, applied with all possible concentration of the mind, penetrates into the Supreme Soul; therefore is it (the Supreme Soul) called Mauna (asceticism) from which is derived the Vedas and which, on account of its being pregnant with the knowledge of the Vedas, reigns supreme, O king.

Dhritarashtra said He who is conversant with the Rig and Yajurvedas and also with the Samaveda, is such a man, having committed sins, guilty thereof?

Sanat-Sujata said I speak no falsehood to you when I declare that neither the Sama nor the Yajur nor the Rigvedas do rescue a man, who has no control over his senses, from his sin.

The hymns of the Veda do not rescue from sin the cheat that lives by deception. Like a bird which has got feathers forsaking its nest, the hymns forsake such a man when his end comes.

Dhritarashtra said If the Vedas, without the aid of virtue, are not competent to rescue (men from sins), 0 you, who have control over your senses, then whence is this false and old idea of the Brahmanas (that a knowledge of the Vedas rescues a man from sins)?

Sanat-Sujata said This universe shines (has come into existence) from the Supreme Soul and is distinct from the latter in name, form etc. The Vedas, too, pointing this out declare that the universe is distant (from Supreme Soul).

Sacrificial ceremonies and asceticism are prescribed for that object (i.e. for attaining to the Supreme Soul). By means of these two does a man man of leaning acquire virtue? Destroying sins by sins by virtuous deeds, he afterwards has his soul illuminated with knowledge.

A learned man by his knowledge, attains to the Supreme Soul; an unwise man desiring the fruits of the fold objects of humanity in general, having taken with him the effects of acts done here, enjoys them in the other world and (when the enjoyment is over) comes back again to bridge along the same path.

The fruits of asceticism in this world are enjoyed in the other (by those who have not brought their souls under their control); but to those blessed persons engaged in austerities these regions yield fruits.

Dhritarashtra said How can asceticism which is ever the same be successful now and unsuccessful at another time. O Sanat-Sujata, tell us this that we two may know it.

Sanat-Sujata said Asceticism unstained by faults (desire, insufficient concentration etc.) alone leads to emancipation; this (asceticism) is successful; other sorts of devotion are unsuccessful.

What you ask me, O Kshatriya, have all their bases on asceticism do learned men know the Supreme Soul and win immortality.

Dhritarashtra said Speak about asceticism stained by fruits; I have heard all about that unstained by faults, by which, O Sanat-Sujata, I have come to know of an ancient mystery.

Sanat-Sujata said Stained asceticism is that which has for its faults the twelve (vices) with anger at the beginning as also the thirteen descriptions of wickedness, O king. The twelve virtues having righteousness at the beginning which are known to the twice-born are also included in the code of the Pitris.

Anger, desire, covetousness, ignorance of right and wrong, discontentment, unkindness, jealousy, vanity, grief, love, of pleasure, envy and a tendency to speak ill of others are the faults of men and these twelve ought ever to be avoided by human beings.

Each of these by itself by itself can bring about the ruin of mankind, O bull among men; opportunity is awaited by these (vices) like deer by a hunter.

Speaking ill of others and well of themselves, adopting every means to enjoy the wives of others, vanity, anger, fickleness and not protecting proper persons-these vices wretches of wicked soul commit and do not fear the gravest dangers in this world and in the other.

He who considers enjoyment to be a grand aim of life, he who repents after making a gift, he who is a miser, he who oppresses others, he who is pleased at the misery of others and he who hates his wife-these seven are extremely wicked.

Righteousness, truthfulness, self-control, asceticism, delight at other's happiness, modesty, forgiveness, reverse of malice performance of sacrificial ceremonies, gifts, patience, learning and vows, these twelve are the attributes of a Brahmana.

He who excels in these twelve is capable over the whole of this earth and he who is graced with these, too or even one of these should be regarded as having gained his object.

Self-control, renunciation and true knowledge-in these is centered immortality. Those Brahmanas that have great minds are of opinion that truth underlies all these virtues.

Self-control has for its elements eighteen virtues, the non-observance through laziness of acts prescribed in the Vedas, untruthfulness, malice, desire, wealth, love of pleasure, anger, grief, thirst, avarice, deceitfulness, delight at the pain of others, envy, repentance, aversion from virtues and noble acts, forgetfulness, speaking ill of others and well or self-he who is freed from these vices is said to possess selfcontrol by good people.

The eighteen vices constitute mada, renouncement is of six kinds, the Smritis call the reverse of these six sorts of renouncement as mada.

The six kinds of renunciation are all good, the third is hard to practice; but by means of that relief is obtained from sorrow, besides that one being achieved, one gets over all difficulties.

The six kinds of renunciation are all good, (they are) not delighting at the acquirement of prosperity; the second is the performance of sacrificial ceremonies and pious acts (renouncement of the reverse of these).

(Renouncement of desire is known in the Smritis, as the third, O chief among kings. He who has not this third sort of renouncement is not fit to come under the above description, which the Smritis declare.

(The third sort is) that which abandons enjoyments without enjoying them and not that which abandons them after enjoying them to heart's content.

(He who speaks of the fourth sort) one should not be sorry at the failure of an action, nor allow himself to be afflicted by the failure; even he possesses all the virtue and the means (of achieving the act).

Or on a disagreeable thing taking place, he dose not feel pain. (The fifth sort is now treated of) one should never ask for a son or a wife or any other favour.

(Sixth sort) that a gift should be made to one asking for it; by this happiness can always be attained. By these means can one gain a true knowledge of self and the last one is made up of eight qualities.

These are truth meditation, a conception of the distinctness of subject and object, capability of arriving at conclusions, renouncement of the world, the habit of never taking what belongs to another, asceticism and non-acceptance of gifts.

Such are said to be the vises of man and these vices should always be avoided. The same should be done of the averse of renouncement and ignorance of self. A true knowledge of self, again, has eight virtues.

Ignorance of self has eight vices. These vices should be avoided. He who has attained freedom from the five, senses and from desire, O Bharata and from all concern for the past and future becomes happy.

Let your soul be attached to truth, O chief among kings; on truth is founded the universe. Self-control, true knowledge and renunciation are said to be based on truth; on truth is centered immortality.

Being devoid of all vices, devotion and asceticism should be practiced here. It has been prescribed by God that truth shall constitute the vow of the righteous.

Asceticism devoid of these vices and graced with these virtues becomes eminently successful in achieving prosperity.

What you ask me, O chief among king, I have told you in brief-a subject sacred and sindestroying and capable of rescuing people from birth, death and decrepitude.

Dhritarashtra said By the fifth Veda, called Akhyana, it is declared that the Supreme Soul is identical with the universe; but there are some that recognize only three.

Some again recognize only two Vedas and others only one; while another class recognize only the Supreme Being. Of these, whom am I to regard as really possessing a knowledge of the Supreme Being.

Sanat-Sujata said Form ignorance of the one that ought to be known, have several Vedas been conceived. There is but one truth, O chief among kings. Who is there, who has attained to that truth?

Not knowing such a one that ought to be known, a man thinks "I am wise" and from hope of gaining happiness employs himself in gifts, study and the performance of sacrifices.

The purposes of those that have deviated from truth are in accordance with their condition and, so replying on the truth of the Vedas, perform sacrificial ceremonies.

Some (perform sacrifices) by (concentration of) the mind, some by speech (recitation of hymns); and some by acts (the real ceremonies); but the man who is destined to attain to the true object, gets a true knowledge of self through the proper means.

When a man's purposes have failed through a defect in his heart, he should not make vows of silence, called the Dikshitavrata. This name comes from a root (Diksh), which signifies the observance of vows. Truth is the only object of the good.

The fruits of knowledge are immediate that of asceticism remote. A twice-born who has read much should only be known as a wellread man.

Therefore, O Kshatriya, that one can know the Supreme Soul by mere reading. He, who does not fall away from truth, should be known by you as one who has attained a knowledge of the Supreme Being.

"Verses" is the name given, O Kshatriya, to what was recited by Atharvan in ancient days, in company with other great Rishis. Those who have read the Vedas and yet do not know the Being that ought to be known are not to be regarded as conversant with those verses.

The verses, O chief among the best beings, independently become the means of obtaining Truth. They are not conversant with (the spirit of) the verses, who perform sacrifices after study of the Vedas and do not know the Supreme Being.

There are some who do not know the Vedas and some that know them, O king. He, who (merely) knows the Veda, does not know the knowable Being; but he who stands on truth knows knowable Being.

Among the faculties of the mind there is none which can help us in obtaining a true knowledge of self. There is none, again, who by means of the mind alone can acquire a knowledge of the knowable Being. He who knows what self is knows what self is not. He who stands on Truth knows the Supreme Soul.

He who knows the proofs knows also that which is sought to be proved; but the true essence and nature thereof neither the Vedas, nor those conversant with the Vedas know. Still those twice-born that are conversant with the Vedas know the knowable Being by means of the Vedas.

As a twig obtained from a big tree is used in pointing out the new moon; so are the Vedas used in pointing out the truth and other attributes of the Supreme Soul.

I consider him to be a Brahmana, who knowing the Supreme Soul can expound (the rules of life) and explain the doubts of all, himself having all doubts removed from his mind.

No clue can be found of the soul in the West, nor in the East, nor in the South, nor in the North, nor in the intermediate directions-in fact in no direction.

Very rarely can a clue be found of the soul by one who regards the earthly body as identical with the soul. The man of devotion perceives the Lord who is not even conceivable by the Vedas.

Bringing all your senses under control and without any exertion of your mind in other direction), seek to know that Brahma who, you have heard, resides in your inner soul.

That man is not a devotee who observes the vow of silence, nor he who lives in the woods; but that one is said to be a true devotee who knows his own nature.

That man is said to be a grammarian who can trace each word to its root and explain it. Similarly that man is a true grammarian who can trace each object to its root (Brahma or the Supreme Soul).

A man, who sees all the worlds before his eyes, sees everything and that learned Brahmana who is established on truth knows everything.

A Kshatriya, too, who practises such virtues beholds the Supreme Soul and can do the same by performing all the acts prescribed in the Vedas. Knowing this I tell you.