मोक्षधर्म पर्व — सफलता का मूल; प्रह्लाद की कथा

Yudhishthira said O you who are an adept in the mystery a human conduct, tell me what course of person should pursue to succeed in this world, freed from grief. And how should he behave himself to gain his end?

Bhishma said Regarding it is cited the old story of the discourse between Prahlada and the sage Ajagara.

Once on a time king Prahlada endued with great intelligence, enquired of a wandering Brahmana of great intelligence and of a purified and tranquil soul.

Prahlada said Shorn of desire, with a purified soul, of humans disposition, and given to the practices of self-restraint, without desire of action, free from malice, agreeable in speech, endued with dignity and intelligence and wisdom, you live (in simplicity) like a child.

You never covet for any kind of gain, nor are you overpowered with any kind of loss. You are always cheerful, O Brahmana, and do not seem to have any liking for anything in the world.

While all other creatures are being carried away in the stream of desire and passion, you are perfectly indifferent to all works of Religion, Profit and Pleasure. You seem to be in a state of quietude, having nothing to disturb the perfect equanimity of your soul.

Regardless of all sensuous enjoyments, you move like an emancipated self, only witnessing everything, (but never taking part in anything).

O sage, what is your wisdom, what your learning, and what your behaviour (through which all this has become possible)? Tell me this without delay, if, O Brahmana, you think it will conduce to my well-being.

Thus questioned by by Prahlada, that intelligent Brahmana who was well-conversant with the duties of the world, answered him in words of melodious sounds and of great significance.

Behold, O Prahlada, the origin of creatures, their growth, decay, and death, cannot be ascribed 10 any intelligible cause. It is for this reason that I do not give way to either joy or SOITOW.

All the propensities (for action) in the universe may be seen to come from the innate nature of the creatures. All things (in the universe are dependent on their respective nature. Hence I am not delighted with anything.

Behold, O Prahlada, all kinds of union are subject to severance. All acquisitions are certain to end in destruction. Hence I never set my heart upon the acquisition of any object.

All things possessed of attributes are sure to come to an end. What remains there for å person then to do who (like me) is familiar with both the origin and the end of things.

The end is noticeable of all aquatic creatures of large or small bodied in this ocean.

I see also the death, which is manifest, O chief of Asuras, of all things, mobile and immobile, belonging to the earth.

O best of Danavas, death comes in season even to the strongest of winged creatures which float in the air.

I see again that the luminous bodies, large and small, which range the firmament, fall down when their time comes.

Seeing all created things to be ihus subject to death, endued with knowledge, and thinking all things to be possessed of the same nature, I sleep in comfort with no thought to disturb me.

If I get without trouble a heavy meal I waver not to enjoy it. On the other hand, I am used to pass many days together without tasting anything.

Sometimes people feed me with luxurious edibles in profusion, sometimes with a small quantity, sometimes even with less, and sometimes I get no food at all.

I sometimes eat only a portion of a grain; sometimes the dry sesame cakes from which the oil has been expressed. I sometimes eat rice and meat and other food of the richest kind.

Sometimes I sleep on an elevated bedstead of the best kind; sometimes I sleep on the naked Earth; sometimes I lay myself down on a comfortable bed made within a fine palace or a beautiful mansion.

Sometimes I am clad in rages, sometimes in sackcloth, sometimes in raiments of fine texture, sometimes in deer-skins, sometimes in richest robes.

I never reject such enjoyments as are not inconsistent with virtue and as can be secured without effort. I do not at the same time, stir myself for gaining objects difficult of acquisition.

The rigid vow I have betaken to, is called Ajagara. That vow can secure immortality. It is auspicious and griefless. It is peerless and pure. It is in harmony with the advises of the sages. It is disregarded by persons of weak intellect who never practise it. With pure heart I conduct myself in accordance with to it.

My mind never swerves from this vow. I have not swerved from the practices of my order. I am abstemious in everything. I know the past and the present. Shorn of fear and anger and cupidity and errors of judgement, I practise this vow with a pure heart.

There are no interdictions in respect of good and drink and other objects of enjoyment for one practising this vow. As everything is dependent on destiny, there is no observance of the consideration of time and place for one like us. The vow I practise contributes to true happiness of the heart. It is never followed by those that are wicked. I observe it with a pure heart.

Led by cupidity, men pursue different kinds of wealth. If foiled in the attempt, brokenhearted and dispirited the become. Thinking properly upon all this by the help of my intelligence which has penetrated the truths of things, I practise this vow with pure heart.

I have seen persons in distress seeking, for the acquisition of wealth, the shelter of both good and bad men. Devoted to tranquillity and with my passions under control, I observe this vow with a pure heart.

Seeing by the help of truth, that happiness and misery, profit and loss, attachment, and renunciation, life and death are all ordained by destiny, I observe this vow with a pure heart.

Shorn of fear and attachment and errors of judgement and pride, and possessed of wisdom, intelligence, and understanding, and devoted to tranquillity, and hearing that large snakes, without stirring out enjoy the fruit that comes to them of itself, I follow their practice with a pure heart.

Without restrictions of any kind in respect of bed and food, endued by my nature with Self-restraint, abstemiousness, pure vows, truth and purity of conduct, and without any desire to store (for future use) the rewards of action, I observe, this vow with a delighted and pure heart.

All causes of grief have fled from me on account of my having ridden over desire. Having received an accession of light, I observe this Vow with a pure heart, for controlling my soul which is thirsty and uncontrolled but which is capable of depending upon itself.

Without paying any attention to the matters, towards which my heart, mind and words would like to lead me, and knowing that the happiness which these afford is both hard of being acquired and transitory, in duration, I follow this vow with a pure heart.

Learned and highly intelligent men, desirous of giving a publicity to their own feats, have while supporting their own theories and censuring those of others, indulged in vague expressions in delivering themselves on the topic which is beyond the scope of argumentation.

Foolish men cannot properly understand this vow. I, however, see that it kills Ignorance. To safeguard against this immortality and various sorts of evil. I travel among men, having controlled all shortcomings and having freed myself from thirst thirst after material enjoyments.

That great person who, having freed himself from attachments and got rid of fear, cupidity, foolishness, and anger, follows this Ajagara vow, or indulges in this sport, as it may be called, surely spends his time in great happiness.'