Mokshadharma Parva — The means by which one acquires the greatest good both in this world and in the next

Yudhishthira said O you of great arms, tell me, after this, what is beneficial for us, O grandfather, I am never satiated with your words which seem to me like ambrosia.

What are those good acts, O best of men, by doing which a man succeeds in obtaining what is for his greatest good, both in the world, and in the next, O giver of boons.

Bhishma said-Regarding it I shall describe to you what the celebrated king Janaka had enquired, in days of great Parashara.

What is beneficial for all creatures both in this world and the next? Do you tell me what should be known by all about it.

Thus accosted Parashara, endued with great ascetic merit and conversant with the ordinances of every religion, said these words, desirous of favouring the king.

Parashara said Virtue acquired by acts is of supreme benefit both in this world and the next. The sages of old have said that there is nothing higher than virtue.

By accomplishing the sacred duties a man becomes honoured in heaven. The virtue, again, of embodied creatures, O best of kings, consists in the ordinances on the subject of acts. All good men belonging to the several modes of life, fixing their faith on virtue, perform their respective duties.

Four modes of life, O child, have been laid down in this world. Wherever men live the means of maintenance come to them of themselves.

Doing by different means virtuous or sinful acts, living creatures, when dissolved into their five constituent elements, attain to various ends.

As vessels of white brass, when steeped in liquified gold or silver, get the hue of these metals, so a living creature, who is entirely dependant upon the acts of his pristine lives, takes his colour from the nature of those acts.

Nothing can originate without a seed. No one can acquire happiness without having performed acts capable of bringing on happiness. When one's body is dissolved, he succeeds in acquiring happiness only on account of the good acts of pristine lives.

The sceptic argues, O child, saying,-I do not see that anything in this world is the result of destiny or the virtuous and sinful deeds of pristine lives. Inference cannot settle the existence or operation of destiny. The gods, the Gandharvas and the Danavas have become what they are on account of their own nature.

People never recollect in their next lives the acts done by them in pristine ones. For explaining the acquisition of fruits in any particular life people seldom name the four sorts of acts alleged to have been performed in pristine lives.

The declarations have the Vedas for their authority have been made for guiding the conduct of men in his world, and for tranquillizing the minds of men. These, O child, cannot represent the saying of truly wise men.

This opinion is wrong. In sooth, one acquires the fruits of whatever among the four sorts of acts one does with the eye, the mind, the tongue, and muscles.

As the fruit of his acts, O king, a person, sometimes acquires happiness wholly, sometimes misery in the same way, and sometimes happiness and misery united together. Whether virtuous or sinful, acts are never destroyed.

Sometimes, 0 child, the happiness consequent on good acts remains concealed and covered in such a way that it does not shew itself in the case of the person who is sinking in life's ocean till his sorrows disappear.

After sorrow has been dissipated, one begins to enjoy (the fruits of) his good acts. And know, O king, that upon the exhaustion of the fruits of good deeds, those of sinful ones begain to throw themselves.

Self-control, forgiveness, patience, energy, contentment, truthfulness, modesty, abstention from injury, freedom from the evil practices called Vyasana, and cleverness,—these yield happiness.

No creature is perpetually subject to the fruits of his good or bad acts. The wise man should always try to collect and concentrate his mind.

One never has to enjoy or endure the good and bad deeds of another. Indeed, one enjoys and endures the fruits of only those acts that he does oneself.

The person who renounces both happiness and misery walks along a particular path. Those men, however, O king, who allow themselves to be attached to all worldly objects, walk along an entirely different path.

A person should not himself do that act which, if done by another, will bring censure on him. Indeed, by doing an act that one censures in others, one meets with ridicule.

A Kshatriya shorn of courage, a Brahmana who takes every sort of food, a Vaishya shorn of exertion, a Shudra who is idle, learned person without good conduct, one of high birth but shorn of righteous conduct, a Brahmana fallen away from truth, a woman who is unchastc and wicked, a Yogin endued with attachments, one that cooks food for his own self, an ignorant person employed in making a discourse, a kingdom without a king, and king who cherishes no love for his subjects and who is shorn of Yoga,-these all, O king, are deserving of pity.