The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa - Khamkoo

“Bhishma continued, „Hearing these words fraught with excellent sense and with
reason, king Janaka failed to return any answer thereto.‟”[1711]
SECTION CCCXXII
“Yudhishthira said, „How was Suka, the son of Vyasa, in days of old, won over to
Renunciation? I desire to hear thee recite the story. My curiosity in this respect is
irrepressible. It behoveth thee, O thou of Kuru‟s race, to discourse to me on the
conclusions in respect of the Unmanifest (Cause), the Manifest (Effects), and of
the Truth (or Brahma) that is in, but unattached to them, as also of the acts of the
self-born Narayana, as they are known to thy understanding.
“Bhishma said, „Beholding his son Suka living fearlessly as ordinary men do in
practices that are considered harmless by them, Vyasa taught him the entire
Vedas and then discoursed to him one day in these words:
„Vyasa said, O son, becoming the master of the senses, do thou subdue extreme
cold and extreme heat, hunger and thirst, and the wind also, and having subdued
them (as Yogins do), do thou practise righteousness. Do thou duly observe truth
and sincerity, and freedom from wrath and malice, and self-restraint and
penances, and the duties of benevolence and compassion. Rest thou on truth,
firmly devoted to righteousness, abandoning all sort of insincerity and deceit. Do
thou support thy life on what remains of food after feeding gods and guests. Thy
body is as transitory as the froth on the surface of water. The Jiva-soul is sitting
unattached in it as a bird on a tree. The companionship of all agreeable object is
exceedingly short-lived. Why then, O son, dost thou sleep in such forgetfulness?
Thy foes are heedful and awake and ever ready (to spring on thee) and always
watchful of their opportunity. Why art thou so foolish as not to know this?[1712]
As the days are going one after another, the period of thy life is being lessened.
Indeed when thy life is being incessantly shortened, why dost thou not run to
preceptors (for learning the means of rescue)? Only they that are destitute of
faith (in the existence of next life) set their hearts on things of this world that have
the only effect of increasing flesh and blood. They are totally unmindful of all that
is concerned with the next world. Those men that are stupefied by erroneous
understandings display a hatred for righteousness. The man who walks after
those misguided persons that have betaken themselves to devious and wrong
paths is afflicted equally with them. They however, that are contented, devoted to
the scriptures, endued with high souls, and possessed of great might, betake
themselves to the part of righteousness. Do thou wait upon them with reverence
and seek instruction from them. Do thou act according to the instructions
received from those wise men whose eyes are set upon righteousness. With
understanding cleansed by such lessons and rendered superior, do thou then
restrain thy heart which is ever ready to deviate from the right course. They
whose understandings are always concerned with the present, who fearlessly
regard the tomorrow as something quite remote,--they who do not observe any
restrictions in the matter of food,--ate really senseless persons that fail to
Mahabharta of Krishna Dwipayana Vyasa, translated to English by Kesarimohan Ganguli
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