Chapter 87 - Subtle Are the Ways of Dharma

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Sūta said:

1. Having heard these words of Nārada the king who was amazed, saluted him, and thinking of Viṣṇu said (to him):

Ambarīṣa said:

2. O sage, we are confused. How can a very difficult fruit be obtained by a little exertion—merely by means of a bath?

Nārada said:

3-5a. O king, you have spoken the truth that with little exertion great fruit is obtained. Have faith in it. It is the statement of the Creator. The ways of religious merit are subtle; for they are difficult to understand even for the masters. (Even) the learned are bewildered about the act of Viṣṇu whose power is inconceivable. O king, kṣatriyas like Viśvāmitra attained brāhmaṇa-hood due to the excellence of religious merit.

5b-15a. Therefore, the ways of religious merit are subtle. O king, even Ajāmila who was known as a female slave’s husband, had abandoned his religiously wedded wife and always remained on the path of sin. When he died, he, through affection for his son, called, ‘Nārāyaṇa’. Due to that thought and utterance of the name (Nārāyaṇa) he obtained a position very difficult to be had. As fire, though touched unwillingly (i.e.unknowingly) burns (one’s limb etc.), in the same way, the name of Govinda, though uttered under a pretext (i.e. non-seriously or casually), burns (the sins). The grandsons of sage Vyāsa cohabited with their brothers’ wives. Similarly the sons of Pāṇḍu were themselves sons born of their mothers (Kuntī and Mādrī) by those (deities) other than Pāṇḍu. O king, all the five Pāṇḍavas enjoyed Draupadī. And (still) their fame is auspicious. Therefore, the course of religious merit is subtle. Strange are the deeds (of human beings); strange are the ideas of beings. Strange are the beings; strange are the potencies of acts. Perhaps a good deed which remained hidden, grows with some auspicious act, O king; and in a certain existence it gives a great fruit. Religious merit is subtle, and cannot be guaged in any manner. O king, no positive evidence for the fruit of this (auspicious deed) is heard (i.e. available). A certain auspicious deed, covered by other sins, comes from somewhere and gives its fruit somewhere.

15b-23. There is no destruction of a good or bad deed in this world. Yet due to many auspicious deeds a terrible sin goes (away). O king, with regard to the statement which you made, that due to great exertion great religious merit is (had), listen from me about the cause thereof. If little or much exertion depends upon smallness or greatness (of an activity), then the cultivators etc. would always be men of great religious merit. The utterance of a hymn is a great exertion for a lion. The five products of a cow would not have been (mentioned) as constituents of a vow. Thus the greatness or smallness of an act that ought to be done would follow from another vow of (i.e. like) entering water or fire. There is no such rule that this is a small or this is a great (exertion). O king, the fruit alone which is mentioned in the sacred texts, would be great. As a small (thing) is destroyed by a great one, in the same way a great (thing) is destroyed by a small one. A heap of grass (i.e hay) is burnt even by a small spark of fire. A thousand formidable sins connected with killing, crores of violations (of the modesty) of the teacher’s wife, sins like theft, committed by devotees of Kṛṣṇa through ignorance, come to an end.

24-31. (Even) a small good act, done by Viṣṇu’s good and wise devotee, would obtain an inexhaustible fruit, O hero. No doubt should be entertained in this (matter). A man having devoutly worshipped Viṣṇu in the month of Vaiśākha, would obtain whatever is desired by him. By means of devotion to Viṣṇu, children, wealth, gems, a wife, a mansion, horses, elephants, pleasures, heaven, salvation are not away (from the devotee). Thus, there is no doubt that even by means of(an act done according to) rite told in sacred texts, there would be the destruction of a great sin, and the nourishment (i.e. enhancement) of good deeds. The fruit would increase, O king, due to the excellence of devotion and deeds. Even by means of the various (fruits), the course of religious merit should be understood to be subtle. This month of Vaiśākha is dear to the great-souled Viṣṇu. Even if one is observed (i.e. even if bath etc. is done in only one Vaiśākha) by people, it gives the entire desired (object). O king, this is my view that a man who is given to bathing (right) from his birth with the holy water of Gaṅgā at the proper time and place, who is void of devotion and yet is a giver, does not become pure. Creatures live at holy places on Gaṅgā etc. and flocks of birds always live in temple(s). (Though) they observe fasts, they, being bereft of devotion, meet with death, and do not get the (highest) position (i.e. salvation).

32-38. We are not able to describe the religious merit of him who devoutly keeping Viṣṇu in his heart, who intent on bathing and thus being pure, worships Viṣṇu in Vaiśākha. He, defective in devotion, having entered fire at the time of his death, after the fire which is sprinkled with ghee and oil, whose flames are turning round, is enkindled, does not go to heaven, nor does he obtain any other (good) fruit. Therefore, O king, have faith in the fruit of (i.e. given by) Mādhava. Even a small auspicious act destroys (the fruit of) hundreds of impious acts. As due to the fear of Viṣṇu’s name the hosts of all sins perish, and O king, as they perish by bathing in the morning at a holy place when the Sun is in Aries, similarly they certainly perish by taking a bath at dawn (every day) in Vaiśākha, as serpents perish by the lustre of Garuḍa. He, O king, who bathes in Gaṅgā or Narmadā when the Sun is in Aries, and devoutly recites the hymn removing sins, once, twice or thrice, at dawn, noon and evening, goes, being free from sins, to the highest place (i.e. salvation).

39-40. O Ambarīṣa, for getting great religious merit, take care to observe the rule of taking bath in the morning in the month of Vaiśākha. What is said to be obtained by those living in the city of Ānarta for crores of years, is obtained by a single morning bath in the month of Vaiśākha.

41-48. O king, listen to an old account in this regard, viz. the conversation with his wife of the brāhmaṇa Devaśarman. On the bank of Revā, in the very auspicious holy place Amarakaṇṭaka was born the best brāhmaṇa Devaśarman as the son of Kauśika. He was sonless, had no wealth, and was having (i.e. suffering from) many afflictions. He was always troubled by the great grief of poverty. Day and night he would think about a means of (getting) a son and wealth also. Once his beloved wife, of a good vow, named Sumanā, saw her husband full of anxiety and with his face hung down. Seeing her husband at that time she, the glorious one, said: “Your mind is agitated by numberless troubles. You are confused with delusions. O you very intelligent one, give up your anxiety. Tell me your grief, be calm, be happy; for there is no other grief like anxiety that dries up the body. He who would give it up, becomes happy. O lord, O brāhmaṇa, tell me the cause of your anxiety.”

Nārada said:

49. Having heard the words of his dear wife, the very intelligent Devaśarman, having the chaste wife as his companion, though afflicted, said (these) words:

Devaśarman said:

50-51. O good one, I shall tell you all about the cause of my worry, which you have thought about; having heard it, listening (to me), understand it accurately. O you of a good vow, I do not know for what sin I am wealthless and sonless. This is the cause of my anxiety.

Sumanā said:

52-66. Listen, I shall speak (that) which (instruction) will remove all doubt, and will contain all wisdom. Contentment alone is the great auspicious cause of happiness etc. Lack of contentment is a great sin. So said lord Hari. This greed is the seed of sin and its root is ignorance. Falsehood is its trunk; and the great trunks are there due to its great expanse. Its leaves are lustful passion and crookedness; it is always blossomed with bad thought. Its fragrance is falsehood, and ignorance is its fruit. Its walls are the heretics and thieves. The cruel, the fraudulent, the sinners are the birds that have resorted to the large branches ofthe tree of ignorance. Its great fruit is ignorance, and unrighteousness is the juice in the fruit. It is nourished by the water of emotion; and vehement desire loves its nourishment. It has delight in unrighteous acts, and becomes sweet due to being moist. With fruits like that the tree of greed is fructified. A man who lives by resorting to its shadow, every day eats its self-ripe fruits; being well-nourished by the juice of the fruits—unrighteousness—a man would be well-fed; he (then) sets about for a fall. Therefore, O (my) lord, one should not, resorting to anxiety, have greed. One should not worry about wealth, sons and a wife. O dear one, he who is not wise, being deluded, day and night thinks in vain along the path (i.e. in the manner) of fools. ‘How shall I get good objects? How shall I get sons?’ The deluded one thinks like this day and night. While worrying he would find great pleasure (just) for a moment. Again he becomes conscious, and is troubled by great affliction. O Brāhmaṇa, giving up anxiety and delusion, follow him. O you very intelligent one, in the worldly existence (one) has relation with none else. Friends, relations, sons, father, mother, are related to themselves only. So also is wife and others.

Devaśarman said:

67. O good one, tell me in detail, of what kind is the relation due to which all—wealth, sons etc. and kinsmen—happen (to be related).

Sumanā said:

68-80. O (my) husband, five kinds of sons are born. I shall now tell about (i.e. explain) them. They are: one who snatches away what is deposited with him; the other is the one connected through debt; enemy; suitable; and neutral, O dear one. O lord, I shall narrate their characteristics separately. Sons, friends, dear wife, father, mother, kinsmen are born on the earth being related to themselves (only). He who has been robbed (of his wealth) on the earth by snatching away his deposit, that is the owner of the deposit; he would be born as a virtuous, handsome son in the house of him who had snatched the deposit. There is no doubt about this. He had passed (away) after having given (the son) the affliction of snatching away the deposit. The owner of the deposit was (i.e. would be) a virtuous, handsome son, endowed with all (good) characteristics, of him who had snatched away the deposit. Talking agreeably and sweetly, and being eloquent, he would show great affection. Being (born) as his son of great qualities, he would, O glorious one, give very fearful affliction, which he (i.e. the father in the present existence) had given him, after generating matchless love and after having seized his wealth, by means of snatching away his deposit. Being short-lived he meets with death. Again and again striking him and giving grief to him, he departs. When he (i.e. the father) says: ‘O son, O son’, and laments, then he laughs: ‘Who is whose son?’ ‘This wicked one snatched away my deposit; due to the snatching away of (my wealth), and due to great, unbearable grief, my life formerly departed. Then (I shall depart) by giving him grief, and seizing his excellent wealth’.