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12-Shaanti Parv, 23-27
Kathaa-G - 12-Shaanti - page 4

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12-Shaanti Parv-page 4

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All Advice Yudhishthir-3

Vaishampaayan Jee siad - "Hearing Arjun Yudhishthir remained speechless. Then Vyaas said - "Arjun is right, the highest religion, as scriptures say, depends on the duties of domesticity. You know all about them. Devtaa, Pitar, guests, servants all are supported by the people who follow the duties of domesticity. A life of a Grihasth is very difficult of all the four Aashram in the life. It is your duty to accept this paternal kingdom. All those things, which you were talking about, you should leave to Braahman. I tell you the duties of Kshatriya, though they are not unknown to you - sacrifice, learning, exertion, ambition, justice, fierceness, protecting the public, knowledge of Ved, practice of penance, good conduct, acquisition of wealth, giving gifts to deserving persons. Among these the justice is the foremost duty of a Kshatriya. Brihaspati says - "As a snake kills a mouse, the earth kills a king who is inclined to peace, and a Braahman who is attached to domesticity. King Sudyumn also took the justice in his hand and rose to success like Daksh, Prachetaa's son."

Yudhishthir asked Vyaas Jee - "What Karm (actions) Sudyumn did so that he got great success?" Vyaas said - "There were two brothers - Shankh and Likhit. They lived at two different places but both on the banks of Vahudaa. One Likhit came to Sudyumn, but at that time he was not at home. Likhit saw ripen fruits, so he plucked some and began to eat them. At the same time Shankh came back and asked Likhit - "Where did you get these fruits and why are you eating these fruits?" Likhit smilingly said - "I have taken them from here only." Shankh said - "You have stolen these fruits, so you go to the king and tell him what have you done. That you have taken what was not given to you. I am thief, so please punish me for it."

So Likhit went to king Sudyumn. Hearing that Likhit sage has come to him he received him, and asked the purpose of his coming there. Likhit said - "first promise me that you will do justice." King replied, "Consider it accomplished." Likhit said - "I ate some fruits which were not given by my elder brother. Punish me for that immediately." Sudyumn said - "If the king is competent enough, he can pardon also. Because you are so pure in your actions, you are pardoned. Tell me what else can I do for you?" Likhit did not ask any other thing from the king. Then the king ordered to cut the two hands of Likhit. Likhit accepted the punishment and went away.

Likhit came back to his brother and said - "I have been duly punished, please now you pardon me." Shankh said - "I am not angry with you, nor you have hurt me. Your virtue has suffered a shock, I have rescued you from that plight. Go to River Vahudaa and offer oblations to Devtaa and Pitar etc , and never commit any sin in future." Likhit was about to set to perform water-rites that his two hands appeared from cut stumps. He was so surprised to see them that he came back to his brother to show them. Shankh said - "This is the effect of my penance." Likhit said - "If you had such poers then why didn't you purify me before?" Shankh said - "I am not the justice. The king has been purified, as yourself along with Pitar."

Vyaas continued - "O Yudhishthir, Thus king obtained the highest success through this act. This the duty of the Kshatriya to rule his subjects. Other paths will be wrong for them, so don't be grieved and listen to your brothers. Ruling is the duty of a Kshatriya not shaving the head."

Vaishampaayan Jee said - "Vyaas Jee again said - "Rule this Earth and let your brothers be happy. Before this you were tolerating only miseries. Be fee first from you debts to Pitar, Dev and Brahm. Earn religious merits, wealth and pleasure for some time, then you retire to forest. Perform Sarvmedh and Ashwamedh Yagya. The king who does not protect his kingdom takes 1/4th part of the sin of his kingdom. When one follows scriptures he lives fearlessly. If exertion is applied, sin would not attach a king. I tell you a story of the king Hayagreev who was killed after killing many enemies. He is enjoying Heaven after protecting his kingdom."

Vaishampaayan Jee said - "Hearing Vyaas, and seeing Arjun angry, Yudhishthir said - "These worldly enjoyments do not give me enjoyment, rather the feeling of killing my own people is hurting me. I am not at peace at all." At this Vyaas Jee said - "No man can acquire anything by his own acts, or by sacrifice or worship; and no man can give anything to any man. Everybody gets everything through Time. Hari has made this Time the means of getting everything. By mere intelligence, or studying scriptures man cannot get anything if the Time is not ripe. Sometimes even an ignorant can get wealth, thus Time is everything. When the Time is bad, neither science, nor incantations, nor drugs can yield any fruit. Everything happens by Time. Seasons come and go by Time. No one can born or die without Time. Without Time a child cannot speak. If Time doesn't come Sun does not appear on the horizon. All earthly things, guided by Time, are destroyed. Some say that man slain.

O Yudhishthir, Some think that men slay other people, others think men do not slay, but in reality nobody slays, nobody stays, birth and death of all creatures happen because of their very nature. Fools are those who cry on the death of their loved ones. Why do you do so? Even our own body is not ours. Nothing on this Earth is ours. Wise men see like this. There are thousand reasons for sorrow, but there are hundred reasons for joy as well. Only fools are affected by these day to day affairs, not the wise. They change into joy in course of Time. There is only sorrow in this world and because of this sorrow we feel like that. This sorrow springs up from the affliction called desire, and happiness springs from affliction of sorrows. Neither sorrow is permanent, not the happiness. He who desires for happiness always, he should leave both. Whether it is happiness or sorrow, or agreeable or disagreeable, one should take them as they come without any affect on his heart."

Vaishampaayan Jee said - "Yudhishthir said to Arjun - "O Arjun, You think that wealth is the highest to achieve and poor people don't get Heaven, happiness or fulfillment of his wishes. This is not true. Many sages have followed this path. Our actions depend on our true knowledge. Dakshinaayan (southern path of the Sun) path is for those who follow Ved, but the Uttaraayan (the northern path of the Sun) path is for those who follow Yog. And of these two the latter one is always admired. You should know that Heaven is achieved by contentment. There is nothing higher than contentment. In this regard an old discourse by Yayaati is cited. When there is no fear, no desire, no hate, no pride, one is said to have attained Brahm.

One may desire wealth to earn virtue, but it is better to leave it, because there are many faults attached to it than to attain virtue through that wealth. Wealth cannot be attained without injuring others and he who has got it finds it difficult to abandon it. Unless somebody abandons it he cannot find happiness. Scriptures say that the Creator created wealth to perform sacrifices, and human being to protect that wealth. So everything should be spent on sacrifice not on enjoyment. Thus one should give it away in gifts. But people give away that wealth to those who do not follow their duties, and not giving to deserving people."

Yudhishthir further said - "After seeing the death of Abhimanyu, Draupadee's sons, Dhrishtdyumn, etc, I feel myself the killer of those people. I feel sorry for our grandfather Bheeshm who protected and reared us when we were children. Our Guru was killed by my sinful act. I am burning with that sinful and shameful act. I cause my eldest brother Karn to be killed. O Arjun, Who is more sinful than me? I sent Abhimanyu to be killed, I am guilty of infanticide. Since then I have been able to meet my eyes with Arjun and Krishn. I must do Tap for all this. I pray you to grant me permission to go and leave my body."

Vyaas Jee said - "This cannot be possible. I tell you once more, that this was all Destiny. All creatures rise  and disappear like bubbles. Union ends in dissolution and life ends in death. Idleness ends in misery and labor with skill ends in happiness. Affluence, prosperity, modesty, contentment and fame all reside in labor and skill not in idleness. Friends are not able to give you happiness, nor enemies are capable to give you misery; in the same way wisdom doesn't bring wealth, nor wealth bring happiness. You have been created to work, so engage yourself in work, don't abandon it."

 

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Created by Sushma Gupta On 03/09/02
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Modified on 12/13/10