Anushasanika Parva — Religion and profit, which bring on happiness in the next world. The history of Rudra and Uma

Uma said Hermits live in charming regions, among the springs and fountains of rivers, in bowers by the sides of rivers and rills, on hills and mountains, in woods and forests, and in sacred places full of fruits and roots. With rapt attention and observing vows and rules, they live in even such places.

I wish, O Shankara, to hear the sacred ordinances which they follow. These hermits, O god of all gods, are persons who depend, for the protection of their bodies, upon themselves alone.

Maheshvara said Do you hear with rapt attention what are the duties of Hermits. Having listened to them with one mind. O goddess, do you fix your heart upon virtue.

Listen then to what the acts are that should be practised by righteous hermits crowned with success, observant of rigid vows and rules, and living in woods and forests.

Performing ablutions thrice a day, adoring the departed Manes and the celestial, pouring libations on the sacred fire, performing of those sacrifices and rites called Ishti-Homa, picking up the grains of Nivara-paddy, eating fruits and roots, and using oil that is pressed out from Inguda and castor seeds, form their duties.

Having performed the practises of Yoga and become crowned with (ascetic) success and freed from lust and anger, they should seat themselves in the attitude called Virasana. Indeed, they should live in those places which are inaccessible to cowards.

Observant of the excellent ordinances about Yoga, sitting in summer in the midst of four fires on four sides with the sun overhead, duly practising what is called Manduka-Yoga, and always seated in the attitude called Virasana, and lying on naked rocks or the earth, these men, with hearts fixed upon virtue, must expose themselves to cold and water and fire.

They live upon water or air or moss. They use two pieces of stone only for husking their corn. Some of them use their teeth only for such a purpose. They do not keep utensils of any sort.

Some of them clothe themselves with rage and barks of trees or deer skins. Thus do they pass their lives for the time allotted to them, according to the ordinances.

Remaining in woods and forests, they wander within woods and forests, live within them, and are always to be found within them. Indeed, these hermits entering into woods and forests live within them as disciples, obtaining a preceptor, live with him.

The performance of the rites of Homa and the observance of the five sacrifices are their duties. A due observance of the rules about distribution of the fivefold sacrifices as ordained in the Vedas, devotion to sacrifices, forming the eighth, observance observance of the Chaturmasya, performance of the Paurnamasya and other sacrifices, and performance of the daily sacrifices, are the duties of these celibate men, freed from every attachment, and cleansed from cvery sin. Indeed, they should live thus in the forest.

The sacrificial ladle and the water vessel are their chief properties. They are always devoted to the three fires. Virtuous in their conduct and adhering to the path of virtue, they acquire the highest end.

These Munis, crowned with success and ever given to the Religion of Truth, acquire the highly sacred region of Brahman, or the eternal region of Soma.

O auspicious goddess, I have thus recited to you, in brief, the outlines of the religion that is followed by hermits and that has many practices in detail.

Uma said O Holy One, O lord of all creatures, O you adored of all beings, I wish to hear what is the religion of those conclaves of ascetics who are followers of the scriptures describing ascetic success. Do you recite it to me.

Living in woods and forest and well accomplished in the scriptures of success, some amongst them live and act as they like, without being controlled by particular practices; others have wives. How, indeed, have their practices been ordained.

Mahadeva said O goddess, the shaving of the head and the wearing of the brown robes are the characteristics of those recluses who rove about freely; while the characteristics of those who sport with wives consist in passing their nights at home.

Performing ablutions three times a day is the duty of both the classes, while the Homa, with water and wild fruits, belongs to the married recluses as performed by the Rishis in general. Absorption in YogaMeditation, and performance of those duties which form righteousness and which have been laid down as such, are some of the other duties prescribed for them.

All those duties also of which I have spoken to you before as belonging to recluses living in forests, are the duties of these also. Indeed, if those duties are observed, they who observe them acquire the rewards of severe penances.

Those forest recluses who lead married lives should indulge in the gratification of their senses with these married wives of theirs. By indulging in sexual union with their wives at only those times when their seasons come, they perform the duties which have been laid down for thein.

The religion which these virtuous men are to follow is the Religion that has been laid down and followed by the Rishis. With their eyes set upon the acquisition of virtue, they should never pursue any other object of desire from a sense of uncontrolled caprice.

That man who gives promises of safety to all creatures, freed as his soul becomes from the stain of malice or harmfulness, becomes gifted with virtue.

Indeed, that person who shows mercy to all creatures, who adopts as a vow of sincere conduct towards all creatures, and who forms himself the soul of all creatures, becomes gifted with virtue.

A bath in all the shrines, and sincere conduct towards all crcatures, are regarded as equal in point of merit; or, perhaps, the latter is a little distinguished above the other in point of merit.

Sincerity, it has been said, is Virtue; while insincerity or crookedness is sin. That man who acts sincerely becomes indeed with Virtue.

The man who is always devoted to sincerity of conduct, succeeds in acquiring a residence among the celestials. Hence, he who wishes to achieve the merit of virtue, should be sincere.

Gifted with a forgiving nature and selfcontrol, and with anger under complete subjection, one should transform himself into an embodiment of Virtue and become freed from malice. Such a man, who becomes devoted, besides, to the discharge of all the duties of religion, becomes indued with the merit of virtue.

Freed from drowsiness and procrastination, the righteous person, who follows the path of Virtue to the best of his power, and becomes possessed of pure conduct, and who is venerable in years, comes to be considered as equal to Brahma itself.

Uma said By what course of duties, O god, do those ascetics who are attached to their respective retreats and have penances for wealth, succeed in becoming indued with great splendour?

By what acts, again, do kings and princes who are immensely rich, and others who are poor, succeed in getting high rewards?

By what acts, O god, do dwellers of the forest succeed in acquiring that place which is eternal and in adoring their persons with celestial sandal paste.

O illustrious god of three eyes, O destroyer of the triple city, do you remove this doubt of mine about the auspicious subject of the observance of penances by telling everything in full.

The Illustrious Deity said Those who observe the vows of fasts and control their senses, who abstain from injury of any kind to any creature, and who practise truthfulness of speech, acquire success and ascending to the celestial region sport in happiness with the Gandharvas as as their companions, freed from every kind of evil.

That pious man who lies down in the attitude of Manduka Yoga, and who properly and according to the ordinance performs meritorious deeds after having been duly initiated, sports in happiness in the next world in the company of the Nagas.

That man who lives in the company of deer and lives upon such grass and vegetables as drop from their mouths and who was undergone the initiation and attends to the duties attached to it, succeeds in going to the capital of Indra.

That man who lives upon the moss he gathers and the fallen leaves of trees that he picks up, and puts up with all the severities of cold, acquires a very high place.

That man who lives upon either air or water or fruits and roots, acquires in the next life the affluence that belongs to the Yakshas and sports in happiness in the company of the various tribes of Apsaras.

Having practised practised for twelve years, according to the rites laid down in the ordinances, the vow relating to the endurance of the five fires in the summer season, one becomes in his next life a king.

That man who, having observed vows about food, practises penances for twelve years, carefully abstaining from all interdicted food, and forbidden hours as well, during the period, becomes in his next life a king.

That man who sits and lies on the bare ground with the canopy of heaven over his head, observes the course of duties of initiation, and then renounces his body by abstaining from all food, acquires great happiness in the celestial region.

The rewards of one who sits and lies down upon the naked ground are said to be excellent cars and beds, and rich palaces effulgent like the moon, O lady. That man who having lived upon abstemious diet and observed various excellent vows, lives depending upon his own self and then renounces his body by abstaining from all food, succeeds in ascending to Heaven and enjoying all its happiness. That man who having lived in entire dependence upon his own self, observes for twelve years the duties of initiation, and at last renounces his body on the great ocean, succeeds in attaining to the regions of Varuna after death. That man who living in entire dependence upon his own self observe the duties of initiation for twelve years, and pierces his own feet with a sharp stone, acquires the happiness of the region that belongs to the Guhyakas. He who cultivates self with the help of self, who frees himself from the influence of all pairs of opposites, who is freed from every sort of attachment, and who mentally observes for twelve years such a course of conduct after initiation, attains to Heaven and enjoys every happiness with the celestials as his companions.

He who lives in entire dependence upon his own self and observes for twelve years the duties of initiation and finally renounces his body on the fire as an oblation to the celestials, acquires the region of Brahman and is held in high esteem there.

That twiceborn man, goddess, who having properly performed initiation keeps his senses under control, and placing his Self on Self frees himself from the sense of mineness, desirous of achieving virtue, and sets out, without a covering for his body, after the due observance of the duties of initiation for twelve years and after having placed his sacred fire on a tree, and walks along the path of heroes and lies down in the attitude of heroes, and always acts like heroes, certainly acquires the end that is reserved for heroes.

Such a man goes to the eternal region of Shakra where he becomes crowned with the fruition of all his desires and where he sports in joy, his body decked with garlands of celestial flowers and celestial perfumes.

Indeed, that pious person lives happily in Heaven, with the celestials as his companions. The hero, following the practices of heroes and devoted to that Yoga which belongs to heroes, living in the practice of Goodness, having renounced everything performed the initiation, controlled his senses, and observing purity of both body and mind, is sure to acquire that path which is reserved for heroes. Eternal regions of happiness are his.

Riding on a car that moves at the will of the rider, he passes through all happy regions as he likes. Indeed living in the regions of Shakra, that blessed person always sports in joy, freed from every calamity.

Riding on a car that moves at the will of the rider, he passes through all happy regions as he likes. Indeed living in the regions of Shakra, that blessed person always sports in joy, freed from every calamity.