Chapter XV

The Pitṛs said:

On this^[1], too, they relate an ancient story; hearing that (story), O best of the twice-born! you should act accordingly. There was (once) a royal sage, named Alarka, whose penance was very great, who understood duty, who was veracious, high-souled, and very firm in his vows. Having with his bow conquered this world as far as the ocean,--having performed very difficult deeds^[2],--he turned his mind to subtle^[3] (subjects). While he was sitting at the foot of a tree, O you of great intelligence! his thoughts, abandoning (those) great deeds, turned to subtle (questions).

Alarka said:

My mind is become (too) strong^[4]; that conquest is constant in which the mind is conquered. (Though) surrounded by enemies, I shall direct my arrows elsewhere^[5]. As by its unsteadiness, it wishes^[6], to make all mortals perform action, I will cast very sharp-edged arrows at the mind.

The mind said:

These arrows, O Alarka! will not penetrate through me at all. They will, only pierce your own vital part, and your vital part being pierced, you will die. Look out for other arrows by which you may destroy me.

Hearing that, he then spoke these words after consideration:--

Alarka said:

Smelling very many perfumes, one hankers after them only. Therefore I will cast sharp arrows at the nose.

The nose^[7] said.

These arrows, O Alarka! will not penetrate through me at all. They will only pierce your own vital part, and your vital part being pierced, you will die. Look out for other arrows by which you may destroy me.

Hearing that, he then spoke these words after consideration:--

Alarka said:

Enjoying savory tastes, this (tongue) hankers after them only. Therefore I will cast sharp arrows at the tongue.

The tongue said:

These arrows, O Alarka! will not penetrate through me at all. They will only pierce your own vital part, and your vital part being pierced, you will die. Look out for other arrows by which you may destroy me.

Hearing that, he then spoke these words after consideration:--

Alarka said:

Touching various (objects of) touch, the skin hankers after them only. Therefore I will tear off the skin by various feathered arrows.

The skin said:

These arrows, O Alarka! will not penetrate through me at all. They will only pierce your own vital part, and your vital part being pierced, you will die. Look out for other arrows by which you may destroy me.

Hearing that, he then said after consideration:--

Alarka said:

Hearing various sounds, the (ear) hankers after them only. Therefore I (will) cast sharp arrows at the ear.

The ear said:

These arrows, O Alarka! will not penetrate through me at all. They will only pierce your own vital part, and then you will lose (your) life. Look out for other arrows by which you may destroy me.

Hearing that, he then said after consideration:--

Alarka said:

Seeing numerous colours, the eye hankers after them only. Therefore I will destroy the eye with sharp arrows.

The eye said:

These arrows, O Alarka! will not penetrate through me at all. They will only pierce your own vital part, and your vital part being pierced, you will die. Look out for other arrows by which you may destroy me.

Hearing that, he then said after consideration:--

Alarka said:

This (understanding) forms various determinations by its operation. Therefore I will cast sharp arrows at the understanding.

The understanding said:

These arrows, O Alarka! will not penetrate through me at all. They will only pierce your own vital part, and your vital part being pierced, you will die. Look out for other arrows by which you may destroy me.

The Brāhmaṇa^[8] said:

Then Alarka even there employed himself in a fearful penance^[9] difficult to perform; but he did not obtain any arrows for these seven by his devotions. Then that king deliberated with a mind very intent on one (subject), and after deliberating for a long time, O best of the twice-born! Alarka, the best of talented (men), could not arrive at anything better than concentration of mind^[10]. Then directing his mind to one point^[11], he became steady, and applied himself to concentration of mind. And (then) the brave man forthwith destroyed the senses with one arrow; and entering the self by means of concentration of mind, he reached the highest perfection. And the royal sage, amazed, then uttered this verse, 'O! Alas! that we should have engaged in all external (matters); that being possessed of a desire for enjoyments, we should have devoted ourselves before now to sovereignty! I have now subsequently learnt that there is no higher happiness than concentration of mind.' Do you understand this too, O Rāma! and do not kill Kṣatriyas. Perform a fearful^[12] penance, thence you will obtain the highest good. Thus spoken to by (his) grandfathers, the noble son of Gamadagni engaged himself in fearful penance, and attained that perfection which is difficult to reach.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The impropriety or sinfulness of slaughter.

[2]:

Such as the subjugation of enemies and so forth.

[3]:

The Brahman, says Nīlakaṇṭha.

[4]:

I. e. too strong to be under control.

[5]:

That is to say, elsewhere than towards the external foes with whom he was waging war.

[6]:

The text is unsatisfactory here. I adopt Nīlakaṇṭha's reading.

[7]:

This and the other corresponding words must be understood to refer not to the physical nose and so forth, but the sense seated there. The nose here, for instance, stands for the sense of smell. Nīlakaṇṭha understands all these words of Alarka as indicating the so-called Haṭha-yoga, which, he adds, invariably occasions death. As to the throwing of arrows at the mind, he says, it means, 'I will subdue the mind by the restraint of the excretive organs by means of the Haṭha-yoga.' And finally he says, A man, having restrained all the senses by means of the Haṭha-yoga, merely droops away; becoming deficient in those senses, he does not accomplish his end.

[8]:

Sic in our copies. It should be the Pitṛs, seeing that they are relating Alarka's story to Paraśurāma.

[9]:

Meditation, or pondering, according to Nīlakaṇṭha.

[10]:

I. e. the rāja-yoga, says Nīlakaṇṭha, which consists in mere control of the mind. Cf. Sāṇkhya-sāra, p. 39.

[11]:

See Yoga-sūtra, p. 45.

[12]:

This means difficult, and occasioning many trials to one who performs it.