Anushasanika Parva — Exertion and destinywhich is more powerful. Conversation between Brahman and Vasishtha

Yudhishthira said Of Exertion and Destiny, tell me O learned sire who are versed in all the scriptures, which is the more potent?

Bhishma said This ancient story of the conversation of Vasishtha and Brahman. O Yudhishthira, explain this matter.

In days of yore the worshipful Vasishta enquired of Brahman as to which among these two, viz., the Karma of a creature acquired in this life, or that acquired in pristine lives (and called Destiny), is the more powerful in shaping his life.

Then, O king, the great god Brahman, who had originated from the primeval lotus. answered him in these sweet and wellreasoned pregnant words.

Brahmana said Nothing springs into existence without seed. Without seed, fruits do not grow. From seeds originate other seeds. Hence are fruits known to be sprung from seeds.

According to the good or bad seed that the husbandman sows in his field, he reaps good or bad fruits.

As, unsown with seed, the soil, through tilled, becomes fruitless, so, without personal Exertion, Destiny is of no use.

One's own deeds are like the soil, and Destiny is compared to the seed. The harvest grows from the union of the soil and seed.

It is seen every day in the world that the doer reaps the fruit of his good and evil acts; that happiness results from goods deeds, and pain is the outcome of evil ones; that acts, when done, always fructify; and that, if not done, no fruit arises.

A man of (good) act gains merits with good fortune, while and idler loses his estate, and reaps evil like the infusion of alkaline matter injected into a wound.

By firm application, one acquires beauty, fortune, and all sorts of riches. Everything can be obtained by Exertion: but nothing can be gained through Destiny only, by a man who lacks personal Exertion.

One attains to heaven, and all the object of enjoyment, as also the fulfilment of his heart's desires, by wellapplied personal Exertion.

All the luminaries in the sky, all the gods, the Nagas, and the Rakshasas, as also the Sun and the Moon and the Winds, have acquired their high status by evolution from man's status, by dint of their own action.

Riches, friends, prosperity coming down from generatica to generation, as also the sweets of life, are difficult of attainment by those who want Exertion.

The Brahmana acquires prosperity by holy living, the Kshatriya by prowess, the Vaishya by manly exertion, and the Shudra by service.

The stingy, the impotent, or the idler do not acquire riches and other objects of enjoyment. Nor are these ever acquired by the man who is not active or inanly or devoted to the exercise of religious austerities.

Even he, the worshipful Vishnu, who created the three worlds with the Daityas and all the gods, even He is engaged in austere penances in the heart of the deep.

If one's Karma bore no fruit, then all actions would become fruitless and depending on desting men should become idlers.

He who, without following the human modes of action follows Destiny only, acts in vain, like the woman who has an impotent husband.

The apprehension of good or evil in this world is not Destiny be unfavourable as his apprehension of the same in the other world if Exertion be wanting while here. SO great if

Man's powers, if properly applied only follow his Destiny, but Destiny alone cannot produce any good where Exertion is wanting.

When it is seen that even in the celestial regions, the position of the gods themselves is unstable, how would the gods maintain their own position or that of other of others without proper Karma.

The gods do not always approve of the good actions of others in this world, for, fearing their own defeat, they try to thwart the acts of others.

There is a constant rivalry between the gods and the Rishis, and if they all have to go through their Karma, still it can never be said that there is no such thing as Destiny, for it is the latter that introduces all Karma.

How does Karma originate, if Destiny is the principal motive power of human action? By this means, many virtues are accumulated in the celesiial regions.

One's own self is his friend and his enemy too, as also the witness of one's good and evil deeds.

Good and evil appear through Karma. Good and evil acts do not produce sufficient results.

Virtue is the refuge of the gods, and by virtue everything is acquired. Destiny thwarts not the man who has acquired virtue and righteousness.

In days of yore, Yayati, falling from his high position in heaven, descended on the Earth but was again restored to the celestial regions by the good deeds of his pious grandsons.

The royal sage Pururavas, well known as the descendant of lla, attained to heaven through the intercession of the Brahmanas.

Saudasa, the king of Koshala, though dignified by the performance of Ashvamedha and other sacrifices, came by the status of a maneating Rakshasa, through the course of a great Rishi.

Ashvatthaman and Rama, though both warriors and Sons of Ascetics, failed to acquired heaven by virtue of their own actions in this world.

Vasu, though he celebrated a hundred sacrifices, like a second Vasava, was sent to the nethermost regions, for making a single false statement.

Bali, the son of Virochana, virtuous bound by his promise, was sent to the regions under the Earth, by the prowess of Vishnu.

Was not Janamejaya, who followed the footprints of Shakra, for slaying a Brahmana woman, checked and put down by the gods?.

Was not the twiceborn Rishi Vaishampayana too, who killed a Brahmana in ignorance, and was polluted by the slaughter of a child, put down by the gods?

In days of yore the royal sage Nriga became changed into a lizard. He had made gifts of kine into the Brahmanas at his great sacrifice, but this did not help him.

The royal sage Dhundhumara was possessed by decrepitude even while engaged in celebrating his sacrifices, and foregoing all the merits thereof the merits thereof he fell asleep at Girivraja.

The Pandavas too regained their lost kingdom, of which they had been deprived by the powerful sons of Dhritarashtra, not through the influence of the Fates, but by recourse of their own heroism.

Do the ascetics of rigid vows, and given to the practice of austere penances, denounce their curses by the help of any supernatural power or only in the exercise of their own power attained by individual acts?

If possessed by the wicked, all the good which is gained with difficulty in this world, is soon lost to them. Destiny does not help the man that is full of spiritual ignorance and avarice.

Even as small fire, when fanned by the wind, becomes highly powerful, so does Destiny, when helped by individual Exertion, becomes greatly potent.

As by the diminution of oil in the lamp its light is put out, so does the influence of Destiny, by the abatement of one's acts.

Having obtained riches, and woman and all the enjoyments of this world, the, man who is not hardworking is unable to enjoy them long, but the great man, diligent in Exertion, can find riches buried deep in the Earth and watched over by the Fates.

The good man who is prodigal is sought by the gods for his good conduct, the celestial world being better than the world of men, but the house of miser though full of riches is looked upon by the gods as the house of the dead.

The inan who does not cxert himself is never contented in this world, nor can Destiny change the course of a man who has gone wrong. There is no power inherent in Destiny. As the pupil follows the preceptor, so does one's action, guided by Destiny, follows his own personal exertion. Where one's own exertion is displayed, there only Destiny, shows its hand.

best of ascetics, I have thus described all the merits of personal Exertion, having always known in their true significance.

By the influence of Destiny, and by showing personal Exertion, do men attain to heaven. The combined help of Destiny and Exertion, becomes fruitful.