अनुगीता पर्व — अनुगीता की कथा

Janamejaya said When the great Keshava and Arjuna after killing their enemies went to the assembly rooms what conversation, O twice-born one, took place between them?

The son of Pritha (Arjuna), having recovered his own kingdom, spent his time gladly, without doing anything clse, in the company of Krishna, his heart filled with joy, in that palace of celestial beauty.

One day, those two listlessly went to a particular part of the palace that looked, O king, like a veritable portion of the celestial region. Themselves filled with joy, they were then surrounded by their relatives and attendants.

Pandu's son Arjuna, filled with joy in the company of Krishna, saw that delightful palace, and then addressed his companion, saying, 'O mighty-armed one, your greatness became known to me upon the approach of the battle. O son of Devaki, your form also, as the Lord of the universe, then became known to me.

What your holy self said to me at that time, O Keshava, through love, has all been forgotten by me, O chief of men, on account of the fickleness of my mind.

However, I have been curious again and again on the subject of those truths. You, too, O Madhava, will go to Dwraka soon.

Vaishampayana said, Thus addressed by him, Krishna of great energy, that foremost of speakers, embraced Phalguna and replied to him as follows.

Vasudeva said I made you listen to truths that are considered as mysteries. I conferred on you eternal truths. Indeed, I described to you Religion in its true form and on all the eternal regions.

It is greatly disagreeable to me to learn that you did not, from folly, receive what I gave. The recollection of all that I told you on that occasion will not come to me now.

Forsooth, O son of Pandu, you are destitute of faith and your unde tanding is not good. It is impossible for me, U Dhananjaya, to repeat, in full, all that I said on that occasion.

That religion is more than sufficient for understanding Brahma. I cannot describe it again in detail.

I described to you, O Supreme Brahina having concentrated myself in Yoga. I shall now, however, recite to you an old history upon the same subject.

O foremost of all persons knowing duty, listen to everything I now say, so that, with an understanding adapted to my teaching, you may succeed in attaining to the highest end.

O chastiser of enemies, on one occasion, a Brahmana came to us from the celestial regions. Of irresistible energy, he came from the regions of the grandfather. He was duly respected by us.

Listen, O son of Pritha, unhesitatingly to what he, O chief of Bharata's race, said, in answer to our enquiries, according to heavenly forms.

Brahmana said That which you ask me, O Krishna, about the religion of Moksha (Emancipation), led by your compassion for all creatures, that, indeed, which destroys all delusion, O you gifted with Supreme power, I shall now tell you duly, O destroyer of Madhu. Do you listen with rapt attention as I discourse to you, O Madhava.

A Brahmana named Kashyapa, possessed of penances and the foremost of all persons knowing duties, came to a certain other Brahmana who had become conversant with all the mysteries of religion.

Indeed, the latter had mastered all the knowledge which the scriptures teach about the departure and reappearance of beings and possessed that direct knowledge of all things which Yoga gives. He was well-skilled in the truths of all subjects relating to the world. He has mastered the truth about pleasure and pain.

He knew the truth about birth and death, and understood the distinctions between merit and demerit. He had seen the ends attained to by embodied creatures high and low on account of their deeds.

He lived like one freed from the world. Crowned with ascetic success and gifted with perfect tranquillity of soul, he had all his senses under complete control. He seemed to shine with the resplendence of Brahma and capable of going everywhere at will. He knew the science of disappearing at will from before the eyes of all. He used to move about in the company of invisible Siddhas and celestial musicians. He used to sit and talk with them on some spot retired from the bustle of humanity. He was as unattached to all things as the wind Kashyapa having heard of him truly, wished to see him. Gifted with intelligence, that foremost of all Brahmanas approached the sage.

Himself possessed of penances, Kashyapa, moved by the wish of acquiring merit, fell, with a rapt heart, at the feet of the sage when he had seen all those wonderful attributes.

Stricken with wonder at the sight of those extraordinary qualities, Kashyapa began to wait upon that foremost of all Brahmanas, with the dutiful respect of a disciple waiting upon his preceptor and succeeded in pleasing him.

By his devotion, O scorcher of enemies, rendering to him the obedience due from a disciplc to a preceptor, Kashyapa pleased that Brahmana who possessed all these qualities and was gifted besides with scriptural learning and excellent conduct.

Pleased with Kashyapa, the Brahmana one day addressed him cheerfully and spoke as follows, having the highest success in view. Listen to those words, O Janardana, as I repeat them.

By various deeds, O son as also by the help of merit, mortal, creatures attain to diverse ends here and residence in Heaven.

Nowhere one can enjoy the highest happiness; nowhere one can live for good. There are repeated falls from the highest regions acquired with such sorrow.

On account of my indulgence in sin. I had to come by various miserable and inauspicious ends, filled as I was with lust and anger, and deluded by cupidity.

I have repeatedly undergone death and rebirth. I have eaten various kinds of food, I have sucked at various breasts.

I have seen various kinds of mothers, and various fathers dissimilar to one another. I have come by various kinds of happiness and misery, O sinless one.

On various occasions have I been separated from what was agrecable and united with what was disagreeable. Having acquired wealth with great labour I have had to put up with its loss.

I have received from king and relatives insults and excessive misery. I have suffered from serve mental and physical pain.

I have undergone humiliations and death and imprisonment under circumstances of great severity. I have had falls into Hell and have suffered great lortures in the domains of Yama.

I have, again and again, suffered from decrepitude and diseases, and from frequent and great calamities. In this world I have repeatedly suffered from all those afflictions which arise from a perception of all pairs of opposites.

After all this one day, laden with sorrow, despair came upon me. I took refuge in the Formless. Suffering from great distress, I gave up the world with all its joys and sorrows.

Finding out then this path. I exercised myself in it in this world. Afterwards, through tranquillity of soul, I acquired the success you see.

I shall not have to come to this world again. Indeed, till I attain to absorption into eternal Brahma, till, in fact, the final dissolution of the universe, I shall look on those happy ends that will be mine and on those beings and that form this universe.

Having acquired this excellent success, I shall, after departing from this world, proceed to what is above it and thence to what is higher.

Indeed, I shall come by the condition, which is unmanifest, of Brahma. Do not doubt this. O scorcher of enemies. I shall not return to this world of mortal creatures.

O you of great wisdom. I have become pleased with you. Tell me what I shall do for you. The time has come for the accomplishment of that purpose for which you have come here..

I know that object for which you have sought me. I shall soon depart from this world. Hence it is that I have given you this hint.

O you of great wisdom and experience, I have been highly pleased with you for your behaviour. Do you question me! I shall discourse on what is beneficial to you as desired by you.

I think your intelligence is great, Indeed I speak highly of it, for it was with the help of that intelligence that you were able to recognise me. Surely, O Kashyapa, you are endued with great intelligence.