Mokshadharma Parva — How death and sorrow may be avoided. The discourse between Narada and Samanga

Yudhishthira said Living creatures always dread sorrow and death. Tell me, O grandfather, how the occurrence of these two may be warded off.

Bhishma said Regarding it, O Bharata, is cited the old discourse between Narada and Samanga.

Narada said You salute your elders by prostrating yourself on the ground till your chest touches the ground. You appear to be engaged in crossing (the river of life) with your hands. You appear to be always free from sorrow and greatly cheerful.

I do not see that have the least anxiety. You are always content and happy, and you appear to play happily like a child.

Samanga said O giver of honours, I know the truth about the Past, the Present, and the Future. Hence I never become dispirited.

I know also what the commencement of acts is in this world, what, of their fruits and how different are those fruits. Hence I never give way to sorrow.

You see, O Narada, the illiterate, the destitute, the prosperous, the blind, idiots and madmen, and ourselves also, all live.

These live by virtue of their pristine deeds. The very gods, who are freed from diseases, exist by virtue of their pristine deeds. The strong and the weak, all, live by virtue of their pristine deeds. It is proper, therefore, you should regard us with respect.

The masters of thousands live. The master of hundreds also live. They who overwhelmed with sorrow live. See, we too are living.

When we, O Narada. do not yield to grief, what can the practice of the duties or the observance of acts do to us? And since all joys and sorrows do not terminate, they are, therefore, unable to agitate us at all. are

Indeed, the very root of wisdom, is the freedom of the senses from mistake. It is the senses which produce error and grief. One whose senses are subject to mistake can never be said to have acquired wisdom.

That pride which a man, subject to error, entertains, is only a form of the error to which he is subject. As regards the man of error, neither this world nor the next is for him. It should be remembered that griefs do not last for ever and that happiness cannot be acquired always.

One like me would never adopt worldly life with all its changes and painful incidents. Such a one would not care for objects of enjoyments, and would not think at all of the happiness which they yield, or, indeed, of the griefs that come on.

One capable of depending on his own self, would never hanker after the possessions of others; would not think of unfair gains, would not feel overjoyed at the acquisition of even immense riches; and would not give way to sorrow at the loss of riches.

Neither friends, nor riches, nor high birth, nor sacred learning, nor Mantras, nor energy, can succeed in saying one from sorrow in the next world. It is only by conduct that one can acquire happiness there.

The understanding of the man who is not acquainted with Yoga can never be directed towards Liberation. One unacquainted with Yoga can never gain happiness. Patience and the determination to shake off sorrow, these two mark the setting in of happiness.

Anything agreeable brings on pleasure. Pleasure induced pride. Pride, again, produces sorrow. For these reasons, I avoid all these.

Grief, Fear, Pride,—these that stupefy the heart, and also Pleasure and Pain, I see as witness since my body is endued with life and moves about.

Knowing both riches and pleasure, and thirst and mistake, I wander over the Earth, freed from grief and every sort of anxiety of heart.

Like one that has drunk nectar I have no fear, either in this world or in the next, of death, or sin, or cupidity, or anything of that sort.

I have gained this knowledge, O Brahmana, as the outcome of my severe and indestructible penances. Therefore, O Narada, even when it comes to me, cannot affect me.