SECTION –CCX
(Markandeya-Samasya Parva Continued)
"Markandeya continued, 'O Bharata, the
Brahmana, thus interrogated by the virtuous fowler, resumed again this
discourse so pleasing to the mind. The Brahmana said, 'O best of the cherishers
of religion, it is said that there are five great elements; do thou describe to
me in full the properties of any one of the five.' The fowler replied, 'The
earth, water, fire, air and sky all have properties interlapping each other. I
shall describe them to thee. The earth, O Brahmana, has five qualities, water
four, fire three and the air and sky together three also. Sound, touch, form,
odour and taste--these five qualities belong to earth, and sound, touch, form
and taste, O austere Brahmana, have been described to thee as the properties of
water, and sound, touch and form are the three properties of fire and air has
two properties sound and touch, and sound is the property of sky. And, O
Brahmana, these fifteen properties inherent in five elements, exist in all
substances of which this universe is composed. And they are not opposed to one
another; they exist, O Brahmana, in proper combination. When this whole
universe is thrown into a state of confusion, then every corporeal being in the
fulness of time, assumes another corpus. It arises and perishes in due order.
And there are present the five elementary substances of which all the mobile
and immobile world is composed. Whatever is perceptible by the senses, is
called vyakta (knowable or comprehensible) and whatever is beyond the reach of
the senses and can only be perceived by guesses, is known to be avyakta (not
vyakta). When a per on engages in the discipline of self-examination, after
having subdued the senses which have of their own proper objective play in the
external conditions of sound, form, &c, then he beholds his own spirit
pervading the universe, and the universe reflected in itself. He who is wedded
to his previous karma, although skilled in the highest spiritual wisdom, is
cognisant only of his soul's objective existence, but the person whose soul is
never affected by the objective conditions around, is never subject to ills,
owing to its absorption in the elementary spirit of Brahma. When a person has
overcome the domination of illusion, his manly virtues consisting of the
essence of spiritual wisdom, turn to the spiritual enlightenment which
illumines the intelligence of sentient beings. Such a person is styled by the
omnipotent, intelligent Spirit as one who is without beginning and without end,
self-existent, immutable, incorporeal and incomparable. This, O Brahmana, that
thou hast enquired of me is only the result of self discipline. And this
self-discipline can only be acquired by subduing the senses. It cannot be
otherwise, heaven and hell are both dependent on our senses. When subdued, they
lead to heaven; when indulged in, they lead to perdition. This subjugation of
the senses is the highest means of attaining spiritual light. Our senses are at
the (cause) root of our spiritual advancement as also at the root of our
spiritual degradation. By indulging in them, a person undoubtedly contracts
vices, and by subduing these, he attains salvation. The self-restrained person
who acquires mastery over the six senses inherent in our nature, is never
tainted with sin, and consequently evil has no power over him. Man's corporeal
self has been compared to a chariot, his soul to a charioteer and his senses to
horses. A dexterous man drives about without confusion, like a quiet charioteer
with well-broken horses. That man is an excellent driver who knows how to
patiently wield the reins of those wild horses,--the six senses inherent in our
nature. When our senses become ungovernable like horses on the high road, we
must patiently rein them in; for with patience, we are sure to get the better
of them. When a man's mind is overpowered by any one of these senses running
wild, he loses his reason, and becomes like a ship tossed by storms upon the
high ocean. Men are deceived by illusion in hoping to reap the fruits of those
six things, whose effects are studied by persons of spiritual insight, who
thereby reap the fruits of their clear perception."
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