Mahābhārata

M. N. Dutt: Yudhishthira said You have already explained to me O grandfather, how the religion of Yoga, which produces six well-known attributes, may be adopted and practised without injuring any creature. Describe to me, O grandfather that religion which produces enjoyment and Liberation. O these two, both of which lead to the same end, which is superior?”

M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said “Both courses of duty are highly sacred. Both are extremely difficult of performance. Both yield high fruits. Both are practised by those who are admittedly good.

M. N. Dutt: I shall now describe to you on the authoritativeness of both these duties, for removing your doubts about their true meaning. Listen to me with rapt attention.

M. N. Dutt: Regarding it is cited the old discourse between Kapila and the cow. Listen to it, O Yudhishthira.

M. N. Dutt: We have heard that in days of yore when the god Tashtri came to the palace of king Nahusha, the latter, for satisfying the duties of hospitality, was on the point of slaying a cow in accordance with the true, ancient, and eternal injunction of the Vedas.

M. N. Dutt: Seeing that cow tied for slaughter, Kapila of liberal soul, ever following Sattvika duties, always engaged in controlling his senses, endued with true knowledge, and sparing in diet, having gained an excellent understanding that was characterised by faith, perfectly fearless, beneficial, firm, and ever directed towards truth, uttered-Alas, ye Vedas!-At that time a Rishi by name Syumarashmi, entering the form of that cow, addressed the Yati Kapila, saying,-Silence, O Kapila! If the Vedas are censurable, whence have those other duties come to regarded as authoritative.

M. N. Dutt: Men given to penances and endued with intelligence, and who have the Shrutis and knowledge for their eyes, consider the injunctions of the Vedas, which have been declared through and compiled by the Rishis, to be the words of God himself.

M. N. Dutt: What can a person say regarding the contents of the Vedas when these are the words of the Supreme Being himself, who is shorn of the desire of fruit, who is without the fever, who is addicted to nothing, and who is shorn of all exertion.

M. N. Dutt: Kapila said-I do not censure the Vedas, I do not wish to disparage them. We have heard that the different classes of duty laid down for the different modes of life, all lead to the same end.

M. N. Dutt: The Sanyasin attains to a high end. The herinit also attains to a hight end. Both the other two, also, viz., the house-holder and the Brahmacharin, attain to the same end.

M. N. Dutt: All the four modes of life have always been considered as Deva-yana ways. The respective strength or weakness of these, are represented by their respective superiority or inferiority, has been declared in the character of their respective ends.

M. N. Dutt: Knowing these, perform acts which lead to heaven and other blessings,—this is a Vedic declaration.-Do not perform acts,—this also is another obligatory declaration of the Vedas.

M. N. Dutt: If abstention from acts produces merit, then their performance must be highly reprehensible. When the scriptures say this, the strength or weakness of particular sayings must be difficult to determine.

M. N. Dutt: If you know of any class of duty which is superior to the religion of harmlessness, and which depends upon direct evidence instead of that of the scriptures, do you then describe them to me,

M. N. Dutt: One should celebrate sacrifices from desire of heaven'-we always hear this Shruti. Thinking first of the fruit, one makes preparations for sacrifice.

M. N. Dutt: Goat, horse, sheep, cow, all sorts of birds, domestic or wild, and herbs and plants, constitute the food of living creatures. We have heard this.

M. N. Dutt: Food again ought to be taken day after day morning and evening. Again the Shruti says that aniinals and grain form the limbs of Sacrifice.

M. N. Dutt: The Lord of the universe created them along with Sacrifice. The powerful Lord of all creatures made the god celebrate sacrifices with their help.

M. N. Dutt: Altogether seven (domestic) and seven (wild animals are declared fit for sacrifice. Instead of all being equally fit, each succeeding one is inferior to the preceding one. The Vedas again say that the whole universe is appointed for sacrifice. The Vedas have appointed Purusha for the same purpose.

M. N. Dutt: This again has been sanctioned by men of ancient times. What learned man is there who does not sclect, according to his own power, individuals from among living creatures for sacrifice?

M. N. Dutt: The inferior animals, human beings, trees and herbs, all desire for the attainment of heaven. There is no means, however, except sacrifice, by which they can acquire the fruition of that desire.

M. N. Dutt: The deciduous herbs, animals, trees, creepers, clarified butter, milk, curds, meat and other selected things land, the points of the horizon, faith, and time which forms the twelfth, the Richs, the Yajushes, the Samans, and the sacrificer himself froming the sixteenth, and Fire which should be known as the householder, these seventeen are said to be the linbs of Sacrifice. Sacrifice, the Shruti says, is the root of the world and its movement. With clarified butter, milk, curds, dung, curds mixed with milk, skin, the hair in her tail, horns, and hoofs, the cow alone is able to supply all the necessaries of sacrifice. For particular sacrifices are sanctioned particular ones, Ritwijas and presents together sustain Sacrifices. By collecting these things together, people celebrate sacrifices.

M. N. Dutt: This Shruti, quite of a piece with the truth, is heard that all things have been created for the celebration of Sacrifice. It was thus that all men of yore undertook the celebration of sacrifices.

M. N. Dutt: Regarding that person, however, who celebrates sacrifices, because of the belief that sacrifices should be celebrated not for the sake of fruit or reward, it is seen that he does not injure any creature or treat any one with hostility, or engage in the performance of any worldly work.

M. N. Dutt: The things named above as the limbs of sacrifice, and those that have been mentioned as necessary in sacrifices and that are indicated in the ordinances, all maintain one another when used according to the approved ritual.

M. N. Dutt: I see also the Smritis compiled by the Rishis, into which the Vedas have been introduced. Learned men regard them as authoritative on account of their following the Brahmanas.

M. N. Dutt: Sacrifices have the Brahmanas for their progenitor, and truly they depend upon the Brahmanas. The whole universe depends upon sacrifices, and sacrifice depends upon the universe.

M. N. Dutt: The syllable OM is the root from which the Vedas have originated. He has no fear about next life in all the three worlds, who has uttered for him the syllables 'OM, Namas, Svaha, Svadha, and Vashat, and who has according to his means, celebrated sacrifices and other rites. The Vedas and sages crowned with ascetic success, and the foremost of Rishis declare thus.

M. N. Dutt: He, indeed, is a Brahmana in whom are the Riches, the Yajushes, the Samans, and the explctives necessary for completing the rhythm of the Samans according to the rules laid down in Vedic grammars.

M. N. Dutt: You know, O worshipful Brahmana, what are the fruits of Agnihotra, of the Somasacrifice, and of the other great sacrifices.

M. N. Dutt: I, therefore, hold that one should sacrifice and assist at other people's sacrifices, without any hesitation whatsoever. One who celebrates sacrifices leading to heaven (such as Yotishtoma, etc.,) acquires great rewards in the next world in the form of heavenly bliss.

M. N. Dutt: This is certain, viz., that they who do not celebrate sacrifices have neither this world nor the next. They who are really conversant with the sayings of the Vedas consider both kinds of declarations as equally authoritative.