Mokshadharma Parva — The duties of men in view of approaching death

Yudhishthira said Time, which destroys every created thing, is rolling on. Tell me, O grandfather, what is that good thing which one should seek.

Bhishma said Regarding it, O king, an old discourse between father and son, O Yudhishthira, is mentioned.

A certain Brahmana, O Partha, who was given to the study of the Vedas, got a very intelligent son who was called Medhavin.

One day, the son, who was cognisant of the truths of the religion of liberation, and acquainted also with worldly affairs, addressed his father given to the study of the Vedas.

The son said — Seeing that the lease of human life is passing away so very speedily, what should a wise man do? O father, tell me the duties which one should perform, without failing to mention the fruits. Having heard you, I wish to practise those duties.

The sire said O son, following the life of celibacy, one should first read the Vedas. He should then wish for children for saving his departed ancestors. Kindling his fire next, he should try to celebrate the (prescribed) sacrifices according to due rites. At last, he should enter into woods for practising contemplation.

The son said-When the world is thus encircled on all sides and is thus attacked, and when such irresistible things of dreadful consequences fall upon it, how can you say these words so calmly.

The sire said How is the world attacked? What is that by which it is encircled? What again, are those irresistible things of dreadful consequences that fall upon it? Why do you terrify me thus?

The son said Death is what assails the world. Decrepitude brings it about. Those irresistible objects which come and go away are the nights.

When I know that Death waits for none, how can I pass my days without covering myself with the raiment of knowledge.

When passing away, each succeed-night lessens the lease of human life, the wise man should consider the day to be fruitless.

What man is there who would, like a fish in a shallow water, feel happy? Death approaches a man before all his desires have been fulfilled.

Death takes away a person when he is engaged in plucking flowers and when his heart is otherwise busy, like a tigress carrying away a ram.

Do you, this very day, do what is for your well-being. Let not this death approach. Death drags its victims before their acts are done.

What should be done tomorrow should be done to-day, and the deeds of the afternoon in the forenoon. Death does not wait to see whether the acts of its victim have all been done or not.

Who knows that Death will not approach him even to-day? In prime of life one should begin the practice of virtue. Life is fickle. If virtue be practised, one will meet fame in this, and happiness in the other, world.

Possessed by ignorance, one is ready to work hard for sons and wives. Doing good or evil deeds, one brings them up and advances their interest.

Like a tiger carrying away a sleeping deer, Death takes away the man addicted to the gratification of desire and the enjoyment of sons and animals.

Before he has been able to pluck the flowers which he seeks, before he has been satiated with the acquisition of the objects of desire, Death carries him away like a tiger carrying away its prey.

Death attacks a man while he enjoys the happiness arising from the gratification of desire, and while he still thinks,-this has been done; this is be done; this has been half-done.

Death carries away the man, whatever he is called according to his calling, attached to his field, his shop, or his home, before he has acquired the fruit of his acts.

Death carries away the weak, the strong, the brave, the timid, the idiotic, and the learned, before any of these acquires the fruits of his acts.

When death, decrepitude, disease, and grief originating from various causes, are all living in your body, how is it that you live as if you are perfectly hale.

As soon as an embodied creature is born, Decrepitude and Death follow him to bring about his destruction. All things, mobile and immobile, are affected by these two.

The attachment which one feels for living in villages and towns is considered as the very mouth of Death. The forest, on the other hand, is considered as the fold within which the senses may be penned up. This is the injunction of the Shrutis.

The attachment a person feels for living in a village or town is like a cord which fetters him strongly. Those that are good break that cord and acquire liberation, while they the wicked cannot break them.

He who never injures living creatures by thought, word, or deed, is never injured by such agencies as wild beasts and lawless men always destroying life and property.

Nothing can resist the emissaries of Death when they advance except Truth which devours Untruth. Immortality, lives in Truth.

For these reasons, one should practise the vow of Truth; one should devote himself too Truth; one should accept Truth for one's Veda; and controlling is senses, one should defcat the Death by Truth.

Both immortality and Death are in the body. One meets with Death through ignorance and loss of judgement; while Immortality is gained by Truth.

I shall, therefore, injure no one and try to acquire Truth, and transgressing the control of desire and anger, consider pleasure and pain impartially, and gaining tranquility, avoid Death like an immortal.

When with the coming of the season the Sun will march towards the north, I shall, controlling my senses, engage in the practice of self-denial in the reflection of Vedantic truths, in the recitation of the mystic syllable OM, and in the contemplation of the Supreme Self.

How can one like me adore his Maker with animal-sacrifices involving cruelty, or sacrifices of the body such as Pishachas only can perform and such as yield transitory fruits.

That person person whose whose words, thoughts penances, renunciation, and Yoga meditation, all depend on Brahma, acquires the highest good.

There is no eye which is equal to that of knowledge. There is no penance like Truth. There is no sorrow like Attachment. There is no happiness like Renunciation.

I have sprung from Brahma through Brahma. I shall devote myself to Brahma, though I have no child. I shall return to Brahma. I do not require a son for rescuing me.

A Brahmana can have no wealth which is the state of being alone, the state by virtue of which he can look upon everything impartially, the practice of truthfulness, good conduct, patience, abstention from injury, simplicity and avoidance of all rites and sacrifices,

Why do you, O Brahmana, care for wealth or kinsmen and relatives and wives, when you shall have to die? Seek yourself which is concealed in a cave. Where are your grandfathers and where is your sire.

Bhishma said Do you also, O king, act yourself like the father (in this story), behaved himself devoted to the religion of Truth, after having heard the words of his son.