Chapter 81 - Destiny is Irresistible

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Sukarman said:

1-3. This very intelligent Indra, always afraid of the noble Yayāti, seeing his valour and many meritorious acts like (giving) gifts, sent the celestial nymph Menakā to act as a messenger. (He said to her:) “O good and illustrious one, go-and tell (i.e. convey) my order. Going from here tell Cupid’s daughter the words (i.e. the order) of (me), the lord of gods: ‘Bring the king here by any means (i.e. somehow).’”

4. Hearing this, that Menakā sent (by Indra) went there; and told her all that the lord of gods had said.

5-8. Having thus told her that Menakā, directed by her (i.e. Cupid’s daughter) went (back to Indra). When Menakā had left, that high-minded, glorious daughter of Rati reminded the king of the lawful agreement: “O King, with a truthful speech, you formerly brought me (here); in the meantime you gave me your hand, and brought me to your residence. O king, you must do here (i.e. now) only what I tell you. O hero, you have not done what I told you; I shall abandon you and go (back) to my father’s house.”

The king said:

9. O good one, I shall certainly do what you have told me. O respectable lady, leaving (i.e. not telling) what is unattainable, tell me what is attainable.

Aśrubindumatī said:

l 0-I9a. For this purpose, O lord of the earth, I choose you in marriage, knowing that you are having all (auspicious) marks and endowed with all virtues, and knowing that you would accomplish everything, support everything, practise all good usages and create (i.e. perform) religious rites, and would obtain all the three worlds, and knowing that you are matchless in the three worlds. I know you to be a devotee and the best among the followers of Viṣṇu. With this hope I formerly took you for my husband. He who has the grace of Viṣṇu would move everywhere. O lord of kings, here is nothing that cannot be accomplished (by you) in three worlds—mobile or immobile;. for you of a good vow (everything) is (attainable) in all the worlds. Due to Viṣṇu’s grace only you can freely move in the sky. Having come to the world of mortals, O lord of the earth, you have made people free from old age, grey hair and death. You yourself have devised many desire-yielding trees near all the doors of the houses of men, O king. To the houses of men you yourself have sent sages and have always firmly settled the desire-yielding cows in their houses, O king. You have made men happy by (satisfying) all their desires. In a house a thousand nobly born people are seen.

19b-26a. Thus you have increased the human race. In spite of Yama’s opposition and that of Indra too, O king, you made the mortal world free from diseases and sins. O great king, by means of your prowess and self-respect you have shown the earth to have the form of heaven. There is no other king like you. No man is born or will be born like you. I know you to be the illuminator of the entire religion. Therefore I took you as my husband; giving up joke, O lord of kings, speak the truth before me. O king, if you have truth and piety then speak the truth. “I do not move in divine worlds, nor can I freely move in the sky”. When, giving up truth, (you say like this), you will never go to heaven; your words will be certainly false; and all good things done formerly will be reduced to ashes.

The king said:

26b-29. O good lady, you spoke the truth, there is nothing like unattainable for me. Due to the good grace of the lord of the world everything is attainable for me. O respectable lady, listen to the reason for which I am not going to heaven. They will not allow deities to go to the mortal world; as a result all the human beings—my subjects—will be having death when abandoned by me; there is no doubt about this, O you beautiful lady. I do not desire to go to heaven; I have told you the truth, O you beautiful lady.

The respectable lady said:

30. O king, having seen the worlds, you will again come (back). Today fulfil my matchless strong desire.

The king said:

31-40. I shall certainly do all that you have said. That very lustrous king Yayāti, the son of Nahuṣa, having (thus) observed and thus spoken to his beloved then thought: ‘A fish though moving in the water, is bound (i.e. caught) in a net. A deer even having the speed like that of the wind is bound. A bird sees a prey even though it is at a distance of a thousand yojanas. Being deluded by destiny it does not see the noose sticking to its neck. Destiny brings about good and bad things. Destiny destroys honour. Destiny brings about humiliation by remaining wheresoever (it pleases). It makes a man a donor or a suitor. Destiny holds everything—all immobile and other beings (living) in heaven or on the earth. Destiny alone is this world. It is without origin and death and is the greatest cause of the world. Destiny ripens the worlds as the fruit laid on a tree. Hymns, penance, charity, friends or relatives are not able to protect a man oppressed by destiny. It is not possible to overcome the three nooses of destiny: marriage, birth and death—when and where one would have these, and with whom or through whom. As the clouds in the sky are moved by the wind, so the world is moved by destiny united with (the fruits of) the deeds (of beings).

Sukarman said:

41-67. But the destiny, which, united with Karman (the deeds), is adored by men, would (only)' urge Karman (the fruits of the deeds), and does not create it. In the human (world), calamities, misfortunes, serpents and diseases, move (in accordance with) their being decided by (one’s) deeds. All those that are the causes and means of happiness, being mixed with merit, are united with (the fruits of) deeds. They would not see (i.e. would not care for what is) auspicious and (what is) inauspicious. (Obscure!) relatives united with (the fruits of) deeds may exchange them^[1]; but (the fruits of) deeds (alone) urge men on to happiness and unhappiness in this world. As gold or silver has its nature fixed, similarly a being is bound in accordance with his deeds. These five are produced (i.e. decided) when a man is just in (his mother’s) womb: his life (i.e. longevity), deeds, wealth, learning and death. As an agent (potter) fashions from a lifeless lump whatever he wants to fashion, in the same way deeds performed before follow the doer. One becomes a god, or a man, or a beast, or a bird, or a lower animal, or an immobile object, according to one’s deeds. He always enjoys in accordance with that only which is accomplished by himself—unhappiness results from one’s own deeds; happiness results from one’s own deeds. Obtaining the bed of womb, he enjoys the fruit of his deeds of the previous body (i.e. done in the previous existence). On the earth men never (i.e. can never) give up the fruits of their deeds. They

are not able to change them by means of their power or intelligence. They enjoy meritorious deeds, pains and pleasures. Reaching (i.e. due to) a cause, a man is always bound by the bonds of his deeds. As from among thousands of cows a calf finds out its mother, similarly the fruit of the auspicious or inauspicious deeds—which is not destroyed except by ‘enjoyment (or suffering)—follows its agent. Who can change the fruit of a deed done in a former life? (The fruit of) the deed follows him also who runs very fast. The (fruit of) the deed of a former life, as it was done, sleeps with him who sleeps. It stands by him who stands, and follows him who goes. The (fruit of the) deed of who acts, acts; it follows him like his shadow. As shade and light are always mutually connected, similarly a deed and its agent are well related. Planets, diseases, poisonous snakes, demonesses^[2] and demons trouble a man who is first oppressed by his own deeds. He who is to enjoy happiness or (suffer) unhappiness at a place is bound there by a rope, is forcibly carried away by fate. In giving happiness or unhappiness, destiny alone is the master of beings. O wise one, a deed is conceived in one way by (a person) keeping awake or sleeping, and destiny destroys it (by giving it) another turn. It protects that which should be protected (i.e. which it wants to protect) from weapons, fire, poisons or difficulties. Truly that which cannot be protected, is protected by destiny in this way. That which is destroyed by destiny can never be protected. As seeds that are sown in earth and riches remain (dormant) and (then) grow (active), in the same way deeds remain (intact) in the soul and (then) become active. As due to the exhaustion of oil the flame goes out, so due to the exhaustion of (the fruits of) deeds a being goes to destruction (i.e. departs) from his body; since those who know the truth declare that death is due to the exhaustion (of the fruits) of (one’s) deeds. Various beings and diseases are the cause of his death. ‘Thus it is ripening of the deeds of my former existence. It is not otherwise. It has (now) certainly come (to me) in the form of this lady; there is no doubt about it. Actors, dancers and bards had to come to my house; due to their contact, old age has resorted to my body. I think everything is done by (i.e. due to) one’s deeds (in a former existence), since it has (now) definitely sprung up.

68a. Therefore deeds are the main (factor); efforts are useless.

68b-74. Formerly the king of gods had sent the best messenger by name Mātali, for (taking) me (to heaven). I did not do his words (i.e. what he told me). I now see the ripening of those deeds.’ He (Yayāti) was thus full of anxiety, and was overcome with great affliction. (He thought:) ‘If with pleasure I do not do what she says, then both ṃy truthfulness and piety would go (i.e. perish); there is no doubt about it. Whatever was decided in accordance with my deeds has come; (what is predestined) will certainly take place. Destiny is difficult to overcome.’ Yayāti, the lord of the earth, was thus absorbed in thought. He sought the refuge of Kṛṣṇa, Hari, the remover of distress, by meditating upon him, saluting him, and praising him (as): ‘O you to whom Lakṣmī is dear, protect me who have sought your refuge.’

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

“karmadāyadivānoke” is most probably a corrupt reading. (Ed.)

[2]:

Sākini—a kind of female being, attendant on Durgā supposed to be a demoness or fairy.