Mokshadharma Parva — The importance of the Vedas and the Vedic rites

Kapila said The Vedas are considered as an authority by all. People never disobey them. Brahma is of two kinds, viz., Brahma is represented by sound, and Brahma as Supreme.

One conversant with Brahma of sound succeeds in attaining to Supreme Brahma. Beginning with the rites of Garbhadhana, that body which the father creates with the help of Vedic Mantras is purified (after birth) by Vedic Mantras.

When the body, has been purified with purificatary rites, the owner thereof is called a Prahmana and becomes a vessel fit for receiving knowledge of Brahma. Know that the meed of acts is purity of heart which only brings on Liberation. I shall now speak to you of that.

Whether purity of heart has been acquired or not, is what can be known to the person himself who has acquired it. It can never be known with the help of either the Vedas or inference. They who have no expectations, who discard every sort of riches by not keeping anything for future use, who are not covetous, and who are free from every sort of affection and aversion, celebrate sacrifices believing only that their performance is a duty. To make gifts to deserving persons is the end of all riches.

Never addicted at any time to sinful deeds, observant of rites sanctioned by the Vedas, capable of fructifying all their wishes, gifted with certain conclusions through pure knowledge, never giving way to anger,-never indulging in envy, free from pride and malice, firm in Yoga, of unsullied conduct, and unsullied learning, given to the behoof of all creatures, there were in days of yore many men living like householders and thoroughly devoted to the their own duties, there were many kings also of the same accomplishment, devoted to Yoga, and many Brahmanas also of the same character.

They treated all creatures equally and were gifted with perfect sincerity. They had contentiment, certainty of knowledge. The rewards of their righteousness were apparent, and they were pure in conduct and heart. They were endued with faith in Brahma of both forms.

At first making their hearts pure, they duly observed all vows. They observed the duties of righteousness on even occasions of distress and great difficulty, without deviating in any particular.

Uniting together they used to celebrate meritorious acts. In this they found great happiness. And inasmuch as they never transgressed, they had never to perform any expiatory rite.

Depending upon the true course of virtue, they became gifted with irresistible energy. They never followed their own understandings while acquiring merit but followed the injunctions of the scriptures along for that end. Accordingly they were never guilty of guile in performing acts of righteousness.

On account of their observing unitedly the perfect ordinances of the scriptures without following the rites laid down in the alternative, they were never compelled to perform any expiation.

There is no expiation for men who follow the ordinances laid down in the scriptures. The Shruti says that expiation exists for only men who are weak and unable to follow the absolute provisions of the sacred law.

Many Brahmanas of this kind in days of yore, devoted to the celebration of Vedas, endued with purity, good conduct and fame.

They always adored Brahma in the sacrifices, and were free from desire. Endued with learning they got over all the bonds of life. The sacrifices of these men, their Vedic knowledge, their acts performed according to the ordinances, their study of the scriptures at the proper hours, and the wishes they formed, freed as they were from lust and anger, observant as they were of pious conduct and acts despite all difficulties, famous as they were for performing the duties of their own castes and mode of life, purified as their souls were on account of their very nature, characterised as they were by thorough sincerity, devoted as they were to tranquillity, and attentive as they were to their own practises, were at one with Infinite Brahma. This is the eternal Shruti we have heard. The penances of men who were so noble, of men whose conduct and acts were so difficult of observance and accomplishment, of men those wishes were crowned with success on account of the strict satisfaction of their duties, became potent instruments for the destruction of all worldly desires. The Brahmanas hold that that Good conduct, which is wonderful, whose origin may be traced to very old times, which is eternal, and whose marks are unchangeable, which differs from the practices which even the good follow in time of distress and represents their acts in other situations, which is at one with carefulness, over which lust, anger, and other evil passions have no control, and on account of which there was no transgression in all mankind, subsequently became divided into four sub-divisions, agreeing with the four modes of life, by person unable to follow its duties in ininute detail and entirety.

By properly following that course of Good Conduct after adoption of the Sanyasa mode of life, the good attain to the highest end. They also who become forest recluses, reach the same high end.

They also who observe the domestic mode of life, attain to the highest end; and lastly, those who lead the Brahmacharya mode, attain to the same end. Those Brahmanas are seen to shine in the sky as luminaries shedding beneficent rays of light all around.

Those countless Brahmanas have become stars and constellations set in their fixed roads. By virtue of contentment they have all acquired Infinity as the Vedas say.

If such men have to return to the world through the wombs of living creatures, they are never sullied by sins which have the unexhausted remnant of pristine deeds for their originating cause.

Indeed, one who has lived like a Brahmacharin and served dutifully his preceptor, who has arrived at fixed conclusions, and who has devoted hiinself to Yoga thus, is truly a Brahmana. Who else is worthy of being called a Brahmana?

When acts alone settle who is a Brahmana and who is not; acts must be held to point out the happiness or misery of a person. About those who have by conquering all evil passions acquired purity of heart, we have heard the eternal Shruti that, on account of the Infinity which they acquire and of the knowledge of Brahma (they acquire through the declarations of Shrutis), they see everything as Brahma. The duties followed by those pure-hearted men, who are shorn of desire, and who have Liberation only for their object, for acquisition of the knowledge of Brahma, are equally sanctioned for all the four castes and all the four modes of life. That knowledge is always gained by Brahmanas of pure hearts and controlled soul.

One whose soul is for Renunciation based upon contentment, is considered as the refuge of true knowledge. Renunciation, wherein exists the knowledge leading to Liberation, and which is highly necessary for a Brahmana, is eternal.

Renunciation is sometimes found mixed with the duties of other modes. But whether existing in that state or by itself, one practises it according to his power. Renunciation is the root of great benefit to every sort of person. Only he who is weak, fails to pursue it. That pure-hearted man who seeks to attain to Brahma becomes saved from the world.

Of them who are given up to enjoyment, they who make gifts, they who celebrate sacrifices, they who are given to the study of the Vedas, and they who follow the life of Renunciation after having acquired and enjoyed riches and all its pleasures, when they depart from this world, who is it who gets the foremost place in heaven? I ask you this, O

Those who live like householders are surely auspicious and gain every sort of excellence. They are unable, however, to enjoy the happiness of Renunciation. Even you may see this.

You depend upon knowledge as the means. Those who live like householders, have placed their faith in acts. It has, however, been said that the end of all modes of life is Liberation.

No difference, therefore, is seen between them about either their superiority or inferiority of power. O illustrious one do you, then, clear out the mystery and enlighten me.

Kapila said-Acts only purify the body, Knowledge, however, is the highest end. When all defects of the heart are cured, and when the happiness of Brahma becomes established in knowledge. benevolence, forgiveness, tranquillity, mercy, truthfulness, and open-mindedness, abstention from injury, absence of pride, modestry, renunciation, and abstention from work are acquired.

These form the path of Brahma. By those one acquires the Highest. A wise man when he acquires these qualities, understands that the cure of all defects of the heart is the result of acts.

That, indeed, is considered as the highest end which is acquired by Brahmanas gifted with wisdom, withdrawn from all acts, possessed of purity and the surety of knowledge.

One who acquires a knowledge of the Vedas, of that which is taught by the Vedas, and the details of acts, is said to be conversant with the Vedas. Any other man is only a bag of wind.

One who is master of the Vedas, knows everything, for everything is established on the Veda. The present, past, and future all exist in the Vedas.

This is the one conclusion of all the scriptures viz., that this universe exists and does not exist. To the man of knowledge this is both existent and non-existent. To him this all is both the end and the middle.

This truth depends upon all the Vedas, viz., that when complete Renunciation takes place one acquires what is sufficient. Then, again, the highest contentment follows and depends upon Liberation, which is absolute, which exists as the soul of all moral and immortal things, which is well-known as such universal soul, which is the highest object of knowledge as being at one with all mobile and immobile objects, which is full, which is perfect happiness, which is without duality, which is the foremost of all things, which is Brahma, which is Unmanifest and the cause also of the Unmanifest, and which is without any sort of decay.

Power to control the senses, forgiveness and abstention from work owing to the absence of desire,-these three are the cause of perfect happiness. With the help of these three qualities, men having understanding for their eyes, succeed in reaching that Brahma which is increate, which is the supreme cause of the universe, which is unchangeable, and which is beyond destruction. I bow to that Brahma, which is at one with him that knows it.