Then idle prayers,* idle feasts, and fruitless ceremonies were practised but to mislead the twice-born; for, although observed, by them, devoutly, yet, in consequence of some irregularity in their celebration, sin was incurred in all their works; and what they ate or what they drank did not effect the fulfilment of their desires. In all their objects the twice-born enjoyed no independence; and they attained their respective spheres only with exceeding pain. The Súdra, (on the contrary,) more fortunate than they, reaches his assigned station by rendering them service, and performing merely the sacrifice of preparing food, in which § no rules determine what may or may not be eaten, what may or may not be drunk. Therefore, most excellent sages, is the Súdra fortunate. || "Riches are accumulated, by men, in modes not incompatible with their peculiar duties; and they are then to be bestowed upon the worthy, and expended in constant sacrifice. There is great trouble in their acquisition; great care, in their preservation; great distress, from the want of them; and great grief, for * Katha. "Praise of Krishna", the commentators say. A free rendering. + पाकयज्ञाधिकारवान् । This implies “possessing the privilege of domestic sacrifices." For the pákayajnas, which have nothing to do with ordinary cookery, see Vol. III., p. 114, notes and §. § This has not the connexion with what precedes that the Translator supposed. For "in which", read "and for him", or the like,-to render freely. Muni-śárdúla. ¶ It is, rather, implied, that there is difficulty in the proper application of them: तथा सद्विनियोगाय विज्ञेयं गहनं नृणाम् । * their loss. Thus, eminent Brahmans, through these and other sources of anxiety, men attain their allotted spheres of Prajapati† and the rest, (only by exceeding labour and suffering). (This is not the case with women.) A woman has only to honour her husband, in act, thought, and speech, to reach the same region to which he is elevated; and she, thus, accomplishes her object without any great exertion. This was the purport of my exclamation 'Well done!' the third time. I have, thus, related to you (what you asked). Now demand the question you came to put to me, in any way you please; and I will make you a distinct reply." The Munis then said (to Vyása): "The question we intended to have asked you has been already answered, by you, in your reply to our subsequent inquiry." On hearing which, Krishna Dwaipayana laughed, and said to the holy persons who had come to see him, whose eyes were wide open with astonishment: "I perceived, with the eye (of) divine (knowledge), the question you intended to ask; and, in allusion to it, I uttered the expressions 'Well done! Well done!' In truth, in the Kali age, duty is discharged with very little trouble § by mortals whose faults are, all, washed away by the water of their individual merits; by Súdras, through diligent attendance (only) upon the twice-born; and by women, through the slight effort of obedience to their husbands. Therefore, Brahmans, did I thrice ex * I find no Sanskrit for this clause. In the original, Prájápatya. For this heaven, see Vol. I., p. 98, notes 1 and *. + Tápasa. § Some MSS. yield 'time'. in press my admiration of their happiness; for, in the Krita and other ages, great were the toils of the regenerate to perform their duty. I waited not for your quiry, but replied, at once, to the question you purposed to ask. Now, ye who know what virtue is, what else do you wish me to tell you?” The Munis then saluted and praised Vyása, and, being freed, by him, from uncertainty, departed as they came. To you, also, excellent (Maitreya), have I imparted this secret,-this one great virtue of the (otherwise) vicious Kali age.* The dissolution † of the world, and the aggregation of the elements, I will now describe to you. The illustration of the efficacy of devotion to Vishnu, given in this Chapter, is peculiar to this Puráňa; but the doctrine is common to it and the Bhagavata. It is repeatedly inculcated in that work. The parallel passage, in the Twelfth Book, § is the following: "Purushottama, abiding in the hearts of men, takes * Śridhara seems to recognize the following verse, disregarded by the Translator: कीर्त्तनादेव कृष्णस्य मुक्तबन्धः परं व्रजेत् । This verse is identical with one near the end of the passage cited, from the Bhagavata-purána, in note §, below. + Upasamhŕiti. + प्राकृतामन्तरालाम् । Sridhara: अन्तरालाम् । ब्रह्मणो दिने दिने भवाम् । Ratnagarbha: अन्तरालाम् | दैनंदिनीम् । § Chapter III., 45—52: पुंसां कलिकृतान्दोषान्द्रव्यदेशात्मसंभवान् । away all the sins of the Kali age, produced by place or property. Bhagavat, abiding in the heart, and heard, repeated, read of, worshipped, or honoured, dissipates the ills of men for ten thousand births. As fire, entering into the substance of gold, purifies it from the alloy with which it is debased in the mine, so Vishnu, united with the devotee, is the refiner from all that is evil. By learning, penance, suppression of breath, friendship, pilgrimage, ablution, mortification, gifts, prayer, the soul attains not that exceeding purity which it derives from the presence of Vishnu. Therefore, with all your soul, O king, hold Keśava ever present in your heart. Let one about to die be most careful in this; for so he goes to supreme felicity. Let the name of the supreme god, Vishnu, be repeated, diligently, by all, in their last moments; for he who desires liberation shall attain it by the frequent repetition of the name of Krishna. Final felicity is derived, in the Krita age, from holy study; in the Tretá, from religious rites. In the Dwápara, it is attained by pious services ; but, in the Kali age, it is secured by repeating the name of Hari." Similar doctrines are taught in the Gítá, and other Vaishnava works. See Asiatic Researches, Vol. XVI., p. 116. * विद्यातपः प्राणनिरोधमैत्री- नात्यन्तशुद्धिं लभतेऽन्तरात्मा CHAPTER III. Three different kinds of dissolution. Duration of a Parárdha. The dissolution that occurs at the end of a day of Brahma. 1 THE dissolution* of existing beings is of three kinds, incidental, elemental, and absolute. The incidental is that which relates to Brahmá, and occurs at the end of a Kalpa; the elemental is that which takes The first is called Naimittika, † 'occasional' or 'incidental,' or Brahmya, as occasioned by the intervals of Brahma's days; the destruction of creatures, though not of the substance of the world, occurring during his night. The general resolution of the elements into their primitive source, or Prakriti, is the Prákritika destruction, and occurs at the end of Brahma's life. The third, the absolute or final, Átyantika, is individual annihilation; Moksha, exemption for ever from future existence. The Bhagavata§ here notices the fourth kind, of which mention occurred in a preceding passage (Vol. I., p. 113),—Nitya, or constant dissolution;—explaining it to be the imperceptible change that all things suffer in the various stages of growth and decay, life and death. "The various conditions of beings subject to change are occasioned by that constant dissolution of life which is rapidly produced by the resistless stream of time, taking everything perpetually away:" कालस्रोतोजवेनाशु हियमाणस्य नित्यदा । परिणामिनामवस्थास्ता जन्मप्रलयहेतवः ॥ The Vayu describes but three kinds of Pralaya, omitting the Nitya. |