Mokshadharma Parva — Merits of truth, self-control, forgiveness and wisdom

Yudhishthira said 0 grandfather, learmed men praise truth, self-control, forgiveness and wisdom. What is your opinion about these virtues?

Bhishma said Regarding it I shall recite to you an old narrative, O Yudhishthira, of the discourse between the Sadhyas and a Swan.

Once on a time the uncreate and eternal Lord of all creatures, assuming the form of a golden Swan, passed through the three worlds till in course of his ramblings he came upon the Sadhyas.

The Saddhyas said 0 lord, we are the gods called Sadhyas. We like to question you. Indeed, we would ask you about the religion of liberation. You are well acquainted with it.

We have heard, O bird, that you are endued with great learning, and eloquent and wise of speech. O bird, what do you think is the highest of all objects? O great one, in what does your mind find pleasure?

Do you, therefore, O foremost of birds, instruct us as to what that one act is which you consider as the foremost of all acts, and by doing which, O king of birds, one may soon be freed from all fetters.

The Swan said O nectar-drinking ones, I have heard that one should follow these, viz., penances, selfcontrol, truth, and subjugation of the mind. Losing all the knots of the heart, one should also bring under his control both what is pleasant and what is unpleasant.

One should not cut the vitals of others. One should not utter cruel words. One should never receive scriptural lectures from a mean person. one should never utter such words as pain others, as make others miserable, and as lead to hell.

Wordy arrows fall from the lips. Pierced therewith one burns always. Those arrows do not cut any other part than the very vitals of the person aimed. Hence he who is a learned man, should never aim them at others.

If a person deeply cuts a wise man with wordy arrows, the wise man should remain silent. The man who, though sought to be angered, rejoices without giving way to anger, takes away from the provoker all his merits,

That man of virtuous soul, who, full of joy and shom of malice, control his burning ire which, if indulged, would lead him to speak ill of others and verily become his enemy, takes away the merits of others.

As for myself, I never answer when another speaks ill of me. If attacked, I always forgive the assault. The righteous hold that forgiveness, truth, sincerity and compassion are the foremost (of all virtues).

Truth is the essence of the Vedas. The essence of Truth is self-control. The essence of self-control is Liberation. This is the teaching of all the scriptures.

I know that person as a Brahmana and Muni who governs the rising impulse of speech, the impulse of anger appearing in the mind, the impulse to thirst, and the impulses of the stomach and the organ of pleasure.

One who does not give way to anger is superior to one who does. One who practises renunciation is superior to one who does nol. One who possesses the virtues of manhood is superior to one who has them not. One who has knowledge is superior to one who has not got it.

Assailed with harsh words, one should not assail in return. Indeed, one who, under such circumstances, renounces anger, succeeds in burning the assailer and taking away all his merits.

That person who when attacked with harsh words, does not utter a harsh word in reply, who when lauded does not say what is pleasant to him who praise, who is gifted with such fortitude as not to strike in return when struck and not to even wish evil to the striker, finds his company always sought after by the gods.

A sinful man should be forgiven as if he were righteous by one who is insulted, struck, and calumniated. By acting in this way one gains success.

Though all my objects have been fulfilled, yet I always wait respectfully on the righteous. I have no thirst. My anger has been suppressed. Seduced by covetousness I do not deviate from the path of virtue. I do not also approach any one with prayers for riches.

If cursed I do not curse in return. I know that self-control is the door of immortality. I disclose to you a great mystery. There is no position that is superior to that of humanity.

Freed from sin like the Moon from misty clouds, the wise man, shining in resplendence, acquires success by patiently waiting for his time.

A person of controlled soul, who becomes the object of worship with all by becoming the foremost of the pillars of the universe, and to whom only agreeable words are addressed by all, acquires the companionship of the gods.

Revilers never speak of the merits of a person as readily as they speak of his demerits.

That person whose speech and mind are properly controlled and always devoted to the Supreme, gets the fruits of the Vedas, Penances, and Renunciation.

The wise man should never revile (in return) those who have no merit, by speaking out their dispraise and by insults. He should not extol others and should never injure themselves.

The wise and learned man considers revilement as nectar. Reviled, he sleeps without anxiety. The reviler, on the other hand, meets with destruction.

The sacrifices that one celebrates angrily, the gifts one makes in angrily, the penances one practices angrily, and the offerings and libations one makes to the sacred fire angrily, are such that their merits are robbed by Yama. The toil of an angry man becomes entirely frutile.

You foremost of immortals, that person is said to be conversant with virtue whose four doors, viz., the organ of generation, the stoinach, the two arms, and speech, are well governed.

That person who, always practising truth and self-control and sincerity and mercy and patience and renunciation, becomes devoted to the study of the Vedas, does not covet others possession, and pursues what is good with a singleness of purpose, succeeds in going to heaven.

Like a calf sucking all the four teets of its dam's udders, one should devote himself to the practice of all these virtues. I do not know whether anything exists more sacred than Truth.

Having walked among both human beings and the gods, I say that Truth is the only means for reaching heaven even as a ship is the only means for crossing deep.

A person becomes like those with whom he lives, and like those whom he respects, and like to what he wishes to be.

If a person waits respectfully on him who is good, or him who is otherwise, if he waits respectfully on a sage endued with ascetic merit or on a thief, passes under his control and gets his colour like a piece of cloth catching the dye in which it is washed.

The gods always talk with those who are good and wise. They, therefore, never entertain the desire for even seeing the enjoyments in which men take pleasure. The person who knows that all objects of enjoyment are subject to changes, has few rivals, and is superior to the very Moon and Wind.

When the Purusha that lives in one's heart is pure, and walks in the path of the righteous, the gods take a pleasure in him.

The gods shun from a distance those who are always devoted to the gratification of their senses of pleasure and the stomach, who are given to thieving, and who always indulge in harsh words, even if they expiate their offences by performing the proper rites.

The god are never gratified with one of mean soul, with one who observes no restraint in the matter of food, and with one who is of sinful deeds. On the other hand, the gods associate with those men who observe the vow of truth, who are grateful, and who are engaged in the practice of virtue.

Silence is better than speech. To speak the truth is better than silence. To speak, again, truth what is connected with virtue is better than to speak the truth. To speak what, besides being true and righteous is agrecable, is better than to speak truth connected with virtue.

The Saddhyas said, By what is this world covered? Why does one fail to shine? For what cause do people renounce their friends? Why do people fail to go to heaven.

The world is covered by Ignorance. Men fail to shine on account of malice. People renounce friends, actuated by covetousness. Men fail to attain to heaven on account of attachment.

Who alone among the Brahmanas is always happy? Who alone amongst them can practise the vow of silence though living in the midst of many? Who alone amongst them, though weak, is still considered as strong? And who alone amongst them does not quarrel.

He alone amongst the Brahmanas who is endued with wisdom is always happy. He alone. amongst the Brahmanas who is endued with wisdom, succeeds in practising the vow of silence though living in the midst of many. He alone amongst the Brahmanas who is endued with wisdom, thought actually weak, is considered as strong. He alone amongst them who has wisdom succeeds in avoiding quarrel.

The Saddhyas said Wherein lies the divinity of the Brahmanas? In what their purity? In what their impurity? And in what their status of humanity?

The Swan said The divinity of the Brahmanas consists in the study of the Vedas. Their purity is in their status of humanity?

Bhishma said Thus have I recited to you the excellent discourse between the Saddhyas (and the Swan). The body is the origin of acts, and existence or individual Soul is truth.