Reading section 45

41. All wise men after discussion of the subject of fate and acts, have applied themselves to activity by utter rejection of fatality, and accomplished their ends by attendance on the good and wise.

42. Knowing the efficacy of activity, every one should betake himself to his personal exertions, and attain to his highest perfection by attending to good Sástras and the wise counsels of learned men.

43. And knowing the bondage of our births to be full of pain, let people strive for the exercise of their activities, and obtain the true and sweet blessing of tranquility by their attendance on the wise.

CHAPTER VII.

ON THE NECESSITY OF ACTIVITY.

Having obtained a body free from disease and a mind free from trouble, one should try to know the knowable to prevent his further birth (in this world).

2. Whoso wishes to avert his destiny by means of his activity, obtains the acme of his wishes both in this world as well as in the next.

3. But whoever is averse to assiduity and relies in his luck, he is an enemy to his own soul, and sacrifices all his virtues, riches and hopes (to his idleness).

4. It is the exercise of our sensuous and mental faculties as also of the members of the body, which are the different modes of our exertions, that leads us to success.

5. Our perceptions are the cause of our mental activity, and this actuates the body to action, whereby we obtain the fruits of our desire.

6. In whatever case there is some act (enjoined in the Sástra), it points us to our exertions and never to destiny. Even children are well aware of this.

7. It was by the exercise of their exertions that Divaspati (Jupiter) became the lord of gods, and Sukra obtained the preceptorship of demons.

8. There have been many weak, poor and miserable men, who have by means of their manly exertions become equal to Indra himself.

9. So also there have been many great men on earth, who after enjoyment of a great many extraordinary things and luxuries here, have become guests in hell for want of the exercise of their manly virtues.

10. In this manner have all beings evaded the effects of their various states of want and opulence by means of their own exertions (in the right way).

11. There are three fold benefits derived from the study of books, from lectures of a preceptor, and from one’s own industry, all of which are attendant on our exertions and not destiny.

12. This is the long and short of all the Sástras, that diligence preserves our minds from all evils, by employing them to whatever is good and right.

13. To apply with diligence to whatever is excellent, not low or mean and not liable to loss or decay, is the precept of parents and preceptors to their sons and pupils.

14. I get the immediate fruit of my labour in proportion to my exertion: hence I say, I enjoy the fruit of my labour and not of fortune.

15. Activity gives us success and it is this that elevates the intelligent. But men of little understandings rely only in fortune in their miserable state.

16. We have ocular evidence (of the efficacy) of activity every day, in the instances of men travelling in distant countries (for the sake of gain).

17. He that eats becomes satiate and not who starves: so he who walks is said to proceed and not one who rests: and in like manner whoso speaks is called a speaker and not the silent man: thus action makes the man.

18. Wise men escape from great difficulties by means of their exertions; but not so the mistaken fatalist by his fruitless inertness.

19. Whoso acts in any manner, gets his reward accordingly; but the restive man has nothing to expect anywhere.

20. By well directed industry a man reaps the best reward, as he meets with its reverse by his misapplied labour: think upon this O Ráma! and do as you like.

21. The reward of industry which a man meets with sooner or later at any time or place, the same is said by the wise to be his fortune.

22. No one can see his fortune, nor has any body ever seen the same, nor is there such a thing to be found in any world: it is but the merit of our acts here which they place in the other world.

23. A man is born on earth to grow up and decay in his time, and no destiny is seen therein in the same way as his childhood, youth and old age.

24. One’s application to diligence and action for the attainment of an object, is known by the term exertion by the wise, whereby all things are accomplished (and which is no destiny).

25. One’s going from one place to another, his holding a thing in the hand, and the movement of his limbs, are all the acts of his exertion and not his destiny.

26. There is another kind of propensity to acts productive of evil; this sort of action is likened to the attempt of a mad man which yields no good.

27. Men of acute understandings raise themselves to elevation, by their association with the virtuous, study of good works and active employment to duties tending to their own good.

28. The boundless joy arising from equanimity, is said to constitute one’s _Summum bonum_ (upon earth). This blessing also results from a man’s diligent application to the Sástras (and not from his destiny).

29. It is the understanding that leads to the knowledge of the Sástras, as it is the other that tends to our right understanding of things. Just so does the lotus serve to beautify a lake, as it is the lake which lends its grace to the lotus. (_i.e._ They serve mutually to assist each other).

30. It is also by virtue of one’s deep study and good company in youth, that a man attains his desirable objects afterwards (which are the results of his exertions).

31. It was by means of his activity that Vishnu had conquered the demons, and established the order of the world. It was by this that he created the worlds none of which could be the work of fate.

32. Now, O lord of Raghu’s race! employ your efforts to the exertion of your manly activities in such a way in this earth, that you may live free from fear of being bitten by the serpentine people in this arbor of the world (_i.e._ crush the malice of your enemies).

CHAPTER VIII.

INVALIDATION OF DESTINY.

Vasishtha continued saying that:—

What does destiny mean, which has no form, nor act, no motion nor might, but is a false notion rooted in the (minds) of the ignorant.

2. It is a word that has come into vogue from the idea of the future retribution of one’s past actions (or retributive justice) and the like, which is designated “destiny”.

3. From this the ignorant are led to believe that there is a thing as destiny: the inscrutability of which has led them to the fallacy as that of the supposition of a snake in a rope.

4. As a past misdeed of yesterday is rectified by a good action of the following day, let this day therefore supercede the past, and employ yourself to-day to action.

5. The perverted understanding that believes in a destiny grounded on its erroneous conception, may well enter into the fire from his conviction that it will not burn him unless it is so destined.

6. If destiny is the sole cause of every thing, why then should a man betake himself to his actions of bathing and making his offerings, sitting and walking, all of which may be done by his destiny.

7. What then is the necessity of one’s advising another to do a thing when destiny is the director of all? Let then all be silent and say nothing to nobody.

8. There is no one to be seen on earth that is motionless except the bodies of the dead; and if it is action that produces anything, it is useless to believe in destiny.

9. Nor is there any co-operative power of the invisible destiny perceptible in the actions of men, whence it is but a meaningless word.

10. Two things as the implements and members of the body being joined together, have each their several action (as that of the pen and razor and the hand in writing and shaving); but the hand being wanted, nothing can be done by destiny (with its having those tools).

11. There is no such clear idea of a destiny like those of the mind and intellect, even in the (illiterate) cow-herd or in the (learned) pandit. Hence it is a mere non-entity.

12. If the concept of destiny be other (than that of an agent), it must mean something else; or if it be the same thing (with the agent) why then give it a different name (as destiny)? If it be proved to be an imaginary term, then why not imagine your exertion to be agent (of your action)?

13. The immaterial destiny like vacuity has no connection with the material body. If it had a form or figure it would be visible (to some one or other); hence destiny is a nullity.

14. If destiny is the main spring of the movements of all beings in the three worlds, then let all creatures rest at ease (with the assurance) that destiny will perform their parts.

15. The belief that we are guided by destiny and do as we are led to do, is a deception and an allegation (of self excuse); in fact there is no such thing as destiny.

16. It is the fool that fancies to himself a destiny and relies on it to his own disadvantage; while the intelligent raise themselves to better states by means of their exertion.

17. Say who is there among the mighty and brave, the intelligent and learned, that looks or waits upon destiny in this world?

18. Destiny may be said good, if it can have the power of saving a man from being beheaded, whom fortune-tellers had pronounced by their calculation to be long lived.

19. Again, O Rághava, should one who is foretold by his fortune-teller to become a learned man, attain his learning without being taught in it, then may we believe fortune to be true.

20. Mark, O Ráma! how the sage Viswámitra has cast away his destiny at a distance; and attained to Brahmahood by his own exertions.