"'Narada said, When the vicissitudes of happiness and sorrow appear or
disappear, the transitions are incapable of being prevented by either
wisdom or policy or exertion. Without allowing oneself to fall away from
one's true nature, one should strive one's best for protecting one's own
Self. He who betakes himself to such care and exertion, has never to
languish. Regarding Self as something dear, one should always seek to
rescue oneself from decrepitude, death, and disease. Mental and physical
diseases afflict the body, like keen-pointed shafts shot from the bow by
a strong bowman. The body of a person that is tortured by thirst, that is
agitated by agony, that is perfectly helpless, and that is desirous of
prolonging his life, is dragged towards destruction.What is said here is this: a man has spouses and children, or wealth, etc.: there was no sorrow when these were not: with his union with these his sorrow commences. Hence, when these things disappear, an intelligent man should not indulge in any sorrow. Bonds or attachments are always productive of grief. When bonds are severed or destroyed, there ought to be no grief. Days and
nights are ceaselessly running bearing away in their current the periods
of life of all human beings. Like currents of rivers, these flow
ceaselessly without ever turning back.i.e., whose pleasures do not depend upon external objects such as spouses and children. The ceaseless succession of
the lighted and the dark fortnights is wasting all mortal creatures
without stopping for even a moment in this work. Rising and setting day
after day, the Sun, who is himself undecaying, is continually cooking the
joys and sorrows of all men. The nights are ceaselessly going away,
taking with them the good and bad incidents that befall man, that depend
on destiny, and that are unexpected by him. If the fruits of man's acts
were not dependent on other circumstances, then one would obtain whatever
object one would desire. Even men of restrained senses, of cleverness,
and of intelligence, if destitute of acts, never succeed in earning any
fruits.Vidhitsabhih is pipasabhih. It comes from dhe meaning drinking. Others, though destitute of intelligence and unendued with
accomplishments of any kind, and who are really the lowest of men, are
seen, even when they do not long after success, to be crowned with the
fruition of all their desires.Vyasa lived in northern India and was evidently unacquainted with the tides that appear in the Bengal rivers. Some one else, who is always ready
to do acts of injury to all creatures, and who is engaged in deceiving
all the world, is seen to wallow in happiness. Some one that sits idly,
obtains great prosperity; while another, by exerting earnestly, is seen
to miss desirable fruits almost within his reach.The object of this verse is to show the utility and necessity of acts. Without acting no one, however clever, can earn any fruit. Both the vernacular translators give ridiculous versions of this plain aphorism. Do thou ascribe
it as one of the faults of man! The vital seed, originating in one's
nature from sight of one person, goes to another person. When imparted to
the womb, it sometimes produces an embryo and sometimes fails. When
sexual congress fails, it resembles a mango tree that puts forth a great
many flowers without, however, producing a single fruit.Asi is used in the sense of akansha. As regards
some men who are desirous of having offspring and who, for the fruition
of their object, strive heartily (by worshipping diverse deities), they
fail to procreate an embryo in the womb. Some person again, who fears the
birth of an embryo as one fears a snake of virulent poison, finds a
long-lived son born unto him and who seems to be his own self come back
to the stages through which he has passed. Many persons with ardent
longing for offspring and cheerless on that account, after sacrificing to
many deities and undergoing severe austerities, at last beget children,
duly borne for ten long months (in the wombs of their spouses), that
prove to be veritable wretches of their race. Others, who have been
obtained through virtue of such blessed rites and observances, at once
obtain wealth and grain and diverse other sources of enjoyment earned and
stored by their sires. In an act of congress, when two persons of
opposite sexes come into contact with one another, the embryo takes birth
in the womb, like a calamity afflicting the mother. Very soon after the
suspension of the vital breaths, other physical forms possess that
embodied creature whose gross body has been destroyed but whose acts have
all been performed with that gross body made of flesh and phlegm.Naprapyanadhigachchati is na aprayam etc.
Upon the dissolution of the body, another body, which is as much
destructible as the one that is destroyed, is kept ready for the burnt
and destroyed creature (to migrate into) even as one boat goes to another
for transferring to itself the passengers of the other.I do not quite understand in what the fault lies that is referred to here. Perhaps the sense is this. In Hindu philosophy, the vital seed is said to be generated by the sight of a desirable woman. When sexual congress takes place with one whose sight has not originated the vital seed but with another it fails to be productive. Whoever indulges in such intercourse is to blame. In
consequence of an act of congress, a drop of the vital seed, that is
inanimate, is cast into the womb. I ask thee, through whose or what care
is the embryo kept alive? That part of the body into which the food that
is eaten goes and where it is digested, is the place where the embryo
resides, but it is not digested there. In the womb, amid urine and
faeces, one's sojourn is regulated by Nature. In the matter of residence
therein or escape therefrom, the born creature is not a free agent. In
fact, in these respects, he is perfectly helpless. Some embryos fall from
the womb (in an undeveloped state). Some come out alive (and continue to
live). While as regards some, they meet with destruction in the womb,
after being quickened with life, in consequence of some other bodies
being ready for them (through the nature of their acts).Parasarirani has prapnuvanti understood after it. Chinnavijam means whose seed has broken, that is the creature whose gross body has met with destruction. The gross body is called the Vijam or seed of (heaven and hell). The sense of the verse is that every one, after death, attains to a new body. A creature can never exist without the bonds of body being attached to him. Of course, the case is otherwise with persons who succeed in achieving their Emancipation by the destruction of all acts. The Burdwan translator, following the commentator faithfully, renders this verse correctly. K. P. Singha skips over it entirely. That man
who, in an act of sexual congress, injects the vital fluid, obtains from
it a son or daughter. The offspring thus obtained, when the time comes,
takes part in a similar act of congress. When the allotted period of a
person's life is at its close, the five primal elements of his body
attain to the seventh and the ninth stages and then cease to be. The
person, however, undergoes no change.This is a not a difficult verse. Then, again, the commentator explains it carefully. K. P. Singha gives a ridiculous version. The Burdwan translator is correct. Nirddagdham and vinasyantam imply the dying or dead. Jivar paradeham chalachalam ahitam bhavati means another body, as much subject to destruction, is kept ready. Without doubt, when persons
are afflicted by diseases as little animals assailed by hunters, they
then lose the powers of rising up and moving about. If when men are
afflicted by diseases, they wish to spend even vast wealth, physicians
with their best efforts fail to alleviate their pain. Even physicians,
that are well-skilled and well-up in their scriptures and well-equipt
with excellent medicines, are themselves afflicted by disease like
animals assailed by hunters. Even if men drink many astringents and
diverse kinds of medicated ghee, they are seen to be broken by
decrepitude like trees by strong elephants. When animals and birds and
beasts of prey and poor men are afflicted by ailments, who treats them
with medicines? Indeed, these are not seen to be ill. Like larger animals
assailing smaller ones, ailments are seen to afflict even terrible kings
of fierce energy and invincible prowess. All men, reft of the power of
even uttering cries indicate of pain, and overwhelmed by error and grief,
are seen to be borne away along the fierce current into which they have
been thrown. Embodied creatures, even when seeking to conquer nature, are
unable to conquer it with the aid of wealth, of sovereign power, or of
the austerest penances.I expand this verse a little for bringing out its meaning. What is said here is that some come out of the womb alive; some die there before being quickened with life, the reason being that their acts of past lives bring for them other bodies even at that stage. If all attempts men make were crowned with
success, then men would never be subject to decrepitude, would never come
upon anything disagreeable, and lastly would be crowned with fruition in
respect of all their wishes. All men wish to attain to gradual
superiority of position. To gratify this wish they strive to the best of
their power. The result, however, does not agree with wish.This verse is certainly a 'crux.' The commentator, I think, displays considerable ingenuity in explaining it. The order of the words is Gatayushah tasya sahajatasya pancha saptamim navamim dasam prapnuvanti; tatah na bhavanti; sa na. The ten stages of a person's life are (1) residence within the womb, (2) birth, (3) infancy, up to 5 years, (4) childhood, up to 12 years, (5) Pauganda up to 16 years, (6) youth, up to 48 years, (7) old age, (8) decrepitude, (9) suspension of breath, (10) destruction of body. Even
men that are perfectly heedful, that are honest, and brave and endued
with prowess, are seen to pay their adorations to men intoxicated with
the pride of affluence and with even alcoholic stimulants.Niyuktah means employed. I take it to imply employed in the task of conquering Nature. It may also mean, set to their usual tasks by the influence of past acts. Nature here means, of course the grand laws to which human existence is subject, viz., the law of birth, of death, of disease and decrepitude etc. Some men
are seen whose calamities disappear before even these are marked or
noticed by them. Others there are who are seen to possess no wealth but
who are free from misery of every kind. A great disparity is observable
in respect of the fruits that wait upon conjunctions of acts. Some are
seen to bear vehicles on their shoulders, while some are seen to ride on
those vehicles. All men are desirous of affluence and prosperity. A few
only have cars (and elephants and steeds) dragged (or walking) in their
processions. Some there are that fail to have a single spouse when their
first-wedded ones are dead; while others have hundreds of spouses to call
their own. Misery and happiness are the two things that exist side by
side. Men have either misery or happiness. Behold, this is a subject of
wonder! Do not, however, suffer thyself to be stupefied by error at such
a sight! Cast off both righteousness and sin! Cast off also truth and
falsehood! Having cast off truth and falsehood, do thou then cast off
that with whose aid thou shalt cast off the former! O best of Rishis, I
have now told thee that which is a great misery! With the aid of such
instructions, the deities (who were all human beings) succeeded in
leaving the Earth for becoming the denizens of heaven!

"'Hearing these words of Narada Suka, endued with great intelligence and
possessed of tranquillity of mind, reflected upon the drift of the
instructions he received, but could not arrive at any certainty of
conclusion. He understood that one suffers great misery in consequence of
the accession of children and spouses; that one has to undergo great
labour for the acquisition of science and Vedic lore. He, therefore,
asked himself, saying,—What is that situation which is eternal and which
is free from misery of every kind but in which there is great
prosperity?—Reflecting for a moment upon the course ordained for him to
run through, Suka, who was well acquainted with the beginning and the end
of all duties, resolved to attain to the highest end that is fraught with
the greatest felicity. He questioned himself, saying,—How shall I,
tearing all attachments and becoming perfectly free, attain to that
excellent end? How, indeed, shall I attain to that excellent situation
whence there is no return into the ocean of diverse kinds of birth! I
desire to obtain that condition of existence whence there is no return!
Casting off all kinds of attachments, arrived at certainty by reflection
with the aid of the mind, I shall attain to that end! I shall attain to
that situation in which thy Soul will nave tranquillity, and when I shall
be able to dwell for eternity without being subject to decrepitude or
change. It is, however, certain that that high end cannot be attained
without the aid of Yoga. One that has attained to the state of perfect
knowledge and enlightenment never receives an accession of low
attachments through acts.Uparyupari implies gradual superiority. If one becomes wealthy, one desires to be a councillor; if a councillor, one wishes to be prime minister; and so on. The sense of the verse is that man's desire to rise is insatiable. I shall, therefore, have recourse to
Yoga, and casting off this body which is my present residence, I shall
transform myself into wind and enter that mass of effulgence which is
represented by the sin.The reading I prefer is asathah and not sathah. If the latter reading be kept, it would mean of both descriptions are seen to pay court to the wicked. When Jiva enters that mass of effulgence,
he no longer suffers like Shoma who, with the gods, upon the exhaustion
of merit, falls down on the Earth and having once more acquired
sufficient merit returns to heavens.Avavandhah is low attachments, implying those that appertain to the body. In fact, the acquisition of the body itself is such an attachment. What is said here is that Jiva who has become enlightened becomes freed from the obligation of rebirth or contact with body once more. The moon is always seen to
wane and once more wax. Seeing this waning and waxing that go on
repeatedly, I do not wish to have a form of existence in which there are
such changes. The Sun warms all the worlds by means of his fierce rays.
His disc never undergoes any diminution. Remaining unchanged, he drinks
energy from all things. Hence, I desire to go into the Sun of blazing
effulgence.The mass of effulgence constituting the Sun is nothing else than Brahma. Brahma is pure effulgence. Savitri-mandala-madhyavartir-Narayanah does not mean a deity with a physical form in the midst of the solar effulgence but incorporeal and universal Brahma. That effulgence is adored in the Gayatri. There I shall live, invincible by all, and in my inner
soul freed from all fear, having cast off this body of mine in the solar
region. With the great Rishis I shall enter the unbearable energy of the
Sun. I declare unto all creatures, unto these trees, these elephants,
these mountains, the Earth herself, the several points of the compass,
the welkin, the deities, the Danavas, the Gandharvas, the Pisachas, the
Uragas, and the Rakshasas, that I shall, verily, enter all creatures in
the world.The commentator takes Shomah to mean Shomagath Jivah. He does not explain the rest of the verse. The grammatical construction presents no difficulty. If, Shomah be taken in the sense in which the Commentator explains it, the meaning would be this. He who enters the solar effulgence has not to undergo any change, unlike Shomah and the deities who have to undergo changes, for they fall down upon the exhaustion of their merit and re-ascend when they once more acquire merit. Both the vernacular translators have made a mess of the verse. The fact is, there are two paths, archiradi-margah and dhumadi-margah. They who go by the former, reach Brahma and have never to return. While they who go by the latter way, enjoy felicity for some time and then come back. Let all the gods with the Rishis behold the prowess of
my Yoga today!—Having said these words, Suka, informed Narada of world
wide celebrity of his intention. Obtaining Narada's permission, Suka then
proceeded to where his sire was. Arrived at his presence, the great Muni,
viz., the high-souled and Island-born Krishna, Suka walked round him and
addressed him the usual enquiries. Hearing of Suka's intention, the
highsouled Rishi became highly pleased. Addressing him, the great Rishi
said,—O son, O dear son, do thou stay here to-day so that I may behold
thee for some time for gratifying my eyes,—Suka, however, was
indifferent to that request. Freed from affection and all doubt, he began
to think only of Emancipation, and set his heart on the journey. Leaving
his sire, that foremost of Rishis then proceeded to the spacious breast
of Kailasa which was inhabited by crowds of ascetics crowned with
success.'"