Sanat-sujata said:
Asceticism (tapas) which is not stained by (desire and other) faults is said to be capable of procuring emancipation, and is, therefore, successful, while asceticism stained by vanity and want of true devotion is regarded unsuccessful. All your enquiries, O Kshatriya, touch the very root of asceticism. It is by asceticism that they, that are learned, know the Brahman and win immortality.
Dhritarashtra said:
I have listened to what you have said about asceticism unstained by faults, and by which I have succeeded in knowing an eternal mystery. Tell me now, O Sanat-sujata, about asceticism that is stained by faults!
Sanat-sujata said:
O King! The twelve, including anger, as also the thirteen kinds of wickedness are the faults of asceticism that is stained. Anger, lust, avarice, ignorance of right and wrong, discontent, cruelty, malice, vanity, grief, love of pleasure, envy and speaking ill of others are generally the faults of human beings. These twelve should always be avoided by men. Any one amongst these can singly effect the destruction of men.
O bull among men! Indeed, every one of these waits for an opportunity in respect of men, like a hunter expectant of opportunities in respect of deer.
Assertion of one’s own superiority, desire of enjoying others’ wives, humiliating others from excess of pride, wrathfulness, fickleness and refusing to maintain those worthy of being maintained–these six acts of wickedness are always practised by sinful men defying all dangers here and hereafter.
He that regards the gratification of lust to be one of life’s aims, he that is exceedingly proud, he that grieves having given away, he that never spends money, he that persecutes his subjects by exacting hateful taxes, he that delights in the humiliation of others and he that hates his own wives–these seven categories of men are also called wicked.
Righteousness, truth (abstention from injury and truthfulness of speech), self-restraint, asceticism, delight in the happiness of others, modesty, forbearance, love of others, sacrifices, gifts, perseverance, knowledge of the scriptures–these twelve virtues constitute the practices of brahmanas. He that succeeds in acquiring these twelve virtues becomes competent to sway the entire earth. He that is endued with three, two or even one of these should be regarded of heavenly prosperity. Self-restraint, renunciation and knowledge of the Self lead to emancipation. Those brahmanas that are endued with wisdom say that these are the attributes in which truth predominates.
Self-restraint has eighteen defects; if (any one of them) is committed, it is an obstacle (to self-restraint). They are stated thus: Untruthfulness, backbiting, thirst (for objects of sense), antipathy (to all beings), darkness (ignorance), repining (discontent even when one obtains much), hatred of people, haughtiness, quarrelsomeness, injuring living creatures, reviling others, garrulity, vexation (of oneself by brooding, or thinking ill of others without cause), want of endurance, want of courage (restraint of senses in the presence of their objects), imperfection (of piety, knowledge and indifference to worldly objects), sinful conduct and slaughter. These eighteen faults constitute what is called mada or pride.
Renunciation is of six kinds. The contraries of these six again are faults, called mada. (The faults, therefore, that go by the name of mada are eighteen and six). The six kinds of renunciation are all commendable. The third one is difficult of practice, but by that all sorrow is overcome. Indeed, if that kind of renunciation be accomplished in practice, he that accomplishes it overcomes all the pairs of opposites in the world.
The six kinds of renunciation are all commendable. They are these: The first is never experiencing joy on occasions of prosperity. The second is the offering of gifts at Vedic ceremonies and at ceremonies as laid down in the smritis. (This is also interpreted as offerings to gods, offerings to the manes, or sacrifices, etc and works of charity such as digging of wells and tanks).
That which is called the third, O King, is the abandonment of desire or withdrawing from the world. Indeed, it is in consequence of this third kind of renunciation of desire, which is evidenced by the abandonment of all objects of enjoyment (without enjoying them). It is not their abandonment neither after acquisition, nor by abandonment only after one has become incompetent to enjoy from loss of appetite. The fourth kind of renunciation consists in this: One should not grieve, nor suffer his self to be afflicted by grief when one’s actions fail, notwithstanding one’s possession of all the virtues and all kinds of wealth. Or, when anything disagreeable happens, one shall not feel any pain.
The fifth kind of renunciation consists in not soliciting even one’s sons, wives, and others that may all be very dear. The sixth kind consists in giving away to a deserving person who solicits, which act of gifting is always productive of merit.
By these acts, again, one acquires the knowledge of the Self. As regards this last attribute, it involves eight qualities. These are truthfulness, meditation (concentration), distinction of subject and object (absorbed contemplation), capacity for drawing inferences (reflection), withdrawal from the world (indifference to worldly objects), never taking what belongs to others (not stealing), the practices of brahmacharya vows (abstinence) and non-acceptance (of gifts).
So also the attribute of mada (the opposite of dama or self-restraint) has faults which have all been indicated (in the scriptures). These faults should be avoided. I have spoken (to you) of renunciation and self-knowledge. And, as self-Knowledge has eight virtues, so the want of it has eight faults. Those faults should be avoided.
O Bharata! He that is liberated from the five senses (the five classes of sensuous objects), mind, and also from (thoughts regarding) the past and the future becomes happy. O King! Let your soul be devoted to truth; all the worlds are established on truth; indeed, self-control, renunciation and self-knowledge are said to have truth for their foremost attribute. Avoiding (these) faults, one should practise asceticism here.
The Ordainer has ordained that truth alone should be the vow of the righteous. Asceticism that is dissociated from these faults and endued with these virtues becomes the source of great prosperity. I have now briefly told you about that sin-destroying and sacred subject which you had asked me, and which is capable of liberating a person from birth, death and decrepitude.
Dhritarashtra said:
With Akhyana (Puranas) as their fifth, the Vedas declare the Supreme Soul to be this universe consisting of mobile and immobile things. Others regard four God-heads; and others three; others again regard two; and others only one; and others regard the Brahman alone as the sole existent object (there being nothing else possessing separate existence). Amongst these, which should I know to be really possessed of the knowledge of the Brahman?
