SECTION –CLXLII
(Markandeya-Samasya Parva Continued)
Vaisampayana said, "The Rishis, the
Brahmanas, and Yudhishthira then asked Markandeya, saying, 'How did the Rishi
Vaka become so long lived?'
"Thus asked by them, Markandeya answered,
'The royal sage Vaka is a great ascetic and endowed with long life. Ye need not
enquire into the reason of this.'
"Hearing this, O Bharata, the son of Kunti,
king Yudhishthira the just, along with his brothers, then asked Markandeya
saying, 'It hath been heard by us that both Vaka and Dalvya are of great souls
and endowed with immortality and that those Rishis, held in universal
reverence, are the friends of the chief of the gods. O Holy One, I desire to
listen lo the (history of the) meeting of Vaka and Indra that is full of both
joy and woe. Narrate thou that history unto us succinctly.'
"Markandeya said, 'When that horrible
conflict between the gods and the Asuras was over, Indra became the ruler of
the three worlds. The clouds showered rain copiously. And the dwellers of the
world had abundance of harvests, and were excellent in disposition. And devoted
to virtue, they always practised morality and enjoyed peace. And all persons,
devoted to the duties of their respective orders, were perfectly happy and
cheerful, and the slayer of Vala, beholding all the creatures of the world
happy and cheerful, became himself filled with joy. And he of a hundred
sacrifices, the chief of the gods seated on the back of his elephant Airavata,
surveyed his happy subjects, and he cast his eyes on delightful asylums of
Rishis, on various auspicious rivers, towns full of prosperity, and villages
and rural regions in the enjoyment of plenty. And he also cast his eyes upon
kings devoted to the practice of virtue and well-skilled in ruling their
subjects. And he also looked upon tanks and reservoirs and wells and lakes and
smaller lakes all full of water and adored by best of Brahmanas in the
observance, besides, of various excellent vows, and then descending on the
delightful earth, O king, the god of a hundred sacrifices, proceeded towards a
blessed asylum teeming with animals and birds, situated by the side of the sea,
in the delightful and auspicious regions of the East on a spot overgrown with
abundance of vegetation. And the chief of the gods beheld Vaka in that asylum,
and Vaka also, beholding the ruler of the Immortals, became highly glad, and he
worshipped Indra by presenting him with water to wash his feet, a carpet to sit
upon, the usual offering of the Arghya, and fruit and roots. And the
boon-giving slayer of Vala, the divine ruler of those that know not old age,
being seated at his ease, asked Vaka the following question, 'O sinless Muni,
thou hast lived for a hundred years! Tell me, O Brahmana, what the sorrows are
of those that are immortal!'
Markandeya continued, "Hearing this, Vaka
answered, saying, 'Life with persons that are disagreeable, separation from
those that are agreeable and beloved, companionship with the wicked, these are
the evils which they that are immortal have to bear. The death of sons and
wives, of kinsmen and friends, and the pain of dependence on others, are some
of the greatest of evils. (These may all be noticed in a deathless life). There
is no more pitiable sight in the world, as I conceive, than that of men
destitute of wealth being insulted by others. The acquisition of family dignity
by those that have it not, the loss of family dignity by those that have it,
unions and disunions,--these all are noticeable by those that lead deathless
lives. How they that have no family dignity but have prosperity, win what they
have not--all this, O god of a hundred sacrifices, is before thy very eyes!
What can be more pitiable than the calamities and reverses sustained by the
gods, the Asuras, the Gandharvas, men, the snakes, and the Rakshasas! They that
have been of good families suffer afflictions in consequence of their
subjection to persons that are ill-born and the poor are insulted by the rich.
What can be more pitiable than these? Innumerable examples of such
contradictory dispensations are seen in the world. The foolish and the ignorant
are cheerful and happy while the learned and the wise suffer misery! Plentiful
instances of misery and woe are seen among men in this world! (They that lead
deathless lives are destined to behold all these and suffer on that account.)'
"Indra then said, 'O thou of great good
fortune, tell me again, what the joys are of those persons that lead deathless
lives,--joys that are adored by gods and Rishis!'
"Vaka answered, 'If without having to
associate with a wicked friend, a man cooks scanty vegetables in his own house
at the eight or the twelfth part of the day, there can be nothing happier than
that. 1 He in whose case the day is not counted is not called voracious. And, O
Maghavan, happiness is even his own whose scanty vegetables are cooked. Earned
by his own efforts, without having to depend upon any one, he that eateth even
fruits and vegetables in his own house is entitled to respect. He that eateth
in another's house the food given to him in contempt, even if that food be rich
and sweet, doth what is despicable. This, therefore, is the opinion of the wise
that fie on the food of that mean wretch who like a dog or a Rakshasa eateth at
another's house. If after treating guests and servants and offering food to the
manes a good Brahmana eateth what remains, there can be nothing happier than
that. There is nothing sweeter or more sacred, O thou of a hundred sacrifices,
than that food which such a person takes after serving the guest with the first
portion thereof. Each mouthful (of rice) that the Brahmana eats after having
served the guest, produces merit equal to what attaches to the gift of a
thousand kine. And whatever sins such a one may have committed in his youth are
all washed away of a certainty. The water in the hands of the Brahmana that
hath been fed and honoured with a pecuniary gift (after the feeding is over)
when touched with water (sprinkled by him that feeds), instantly purges off all
the sins of the latter!'"
"Speaking of these and various other things
with Vaka, the chief of the gods went away to heaven.'" 2
Footnotes
399:1 They, therefore, that lead deathless lives
can enjoy this bliss from day to day for ever.
399:2 It is difficult to understand how all that
Vaka says can be an answer to Indra's question. The chief of the gods enquires:
What are the joys of those that lead deathless lives? Vaka breaks away unto a
confused rigmarole about the merits of independence and the religious merit of
entertaining guests and servants. All the printed editions have the passage as
rendered here.
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