Kamagita
From The
Mahabharata
Aswamedha Parva, Section XIII
Translated by Sri Kisari Mohan Ganguli
Abridged
Aswamedha Parva, Section XIII
Translated by Sri Kisari Mohan Ganguli
Abridged
Addressing
Yudhishthira
Vasudeva
said: O scion of Bharata’s race, salvation is not attained by foregoing the
external things (like kingdom, etc), it is only attained by giving up things,
which pander to the flesh (body). The virtue and happiness, which are
attainable by the person who has renounced only the external objects, but who
is at the same time engrossed by passions and weakness of the flesh, let these
be the portion of our enemies. The word with two letters is Mrit-yu (death of
the soul or perdition) and the word with three letters is Sas-wa-ta (Brahman)
or the eternal spirit.
The
consciousness that this or that thing is mine, or the state of being addicted
to worldly objects is Mrityu and the absence of that feeling is Saswatam. And
these two, Brahman and Mrityu, O king, have their seats in the souls of all creatures,
and remaining unseen, they, without doubt, wage war with each other. And, if, O
Bharata, it is true that no creature is ever destroyed, then one does not make
oneself guilty of the death of a creature by piercing (destroying) its body.
What matter the world to a man, if having acquired the sovereignty of the whole
earth with its mobile and immobile creation, he does not become attached to it,
or engrossed in its enjoyment. But the man who having renounced the world, has
taken to the life of the recluse in the forest, living on wild roots and
edibles, if such a man, O son of Pritha (Yudhishthira), has a craving for the
good things of the world, and is addicted to them, he may be said to bear
Mrityu (death) in his mouth. Do thou, O Bharata, watch and observe the
character of thy external and internal enemies, (by means of thy spiritual
vision).
And the man
who is able to perceive the nature of the eternal reality is able to overreach
the influence of the great fear (perdition). Men do not look with approbation
upon the conduct of those who are engrossed in worldly desires and there is no
act without having desire (at its root) and all (Kama) desires are, as it were,
the limbs (offshoots) of the mind. Therefore, wise men knowing this subjugate
their desires. The Yogi who holds communion with the Supreme Spirit, knows Yoga
to be the perfect way (to salvation) by reason of the practices of his many
former births. And remembering that, what the soul desires, is not conducive to
piety and virtue, but that the suppression of the desires is at the root of all
true virtue, such men do not engage in the practice of charity, Vedic learning,
asceticism and Vedic rites whose object is attainment of worldly prosperity,
ceremonies, sacrifices, religious rules and meditation, with the motive of
securing any advantage thereby.
By way of
illustration of this truth, the sages versed in ancient lore, recite these
Gathas called by the name of Kamagita; do thou O Yudhishthira, listen to the
recital of them in detail.
[Note: Kama
means desires].
Kamagita
(Kama says):
No creature is able to destroy me without resorting to the proper methods
(viz., subjugation of all desires and practice of Yoga etc.). If a man knowing
my power, strives to destroy me by muttering prayers etc. I prevail over him
with the belief that I am the subjective ego within him. If he wishes to
destroy me by means of sacrifices with many presents, I deceive him by
appearing in his mind as a most virtuous creature amongst the mobile creation,
and if he wishes to annihilate me by mastering the Vedas and Vedangas (branches
of the Vedas), I over reach him by seeming to his mind to be the soul of virtue
amongst the immobile creation. And if the man whose strength lies in truth,
desires to overcome me by patience, I appear to him as his mind, and thus he
does not perceive my existence, and if the man of austere religious practices,
desires to destroy me by means of asceticism, I appear in the guise of
asceticism in his mind, and thus he is prevented from knowing me, and the man
of learning, who with the object of attaining salvation desires to destroy me,
I frolic and laugh in the face of such a man intent on salvation.
I am the
everlasting one without a compeer, whom no creature can kill or destroy. For
this reason thou too, O prince, divert thy desires (Kama) to virtue, so that,
by this means, thou mayest attain what is well for thee.
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(Continued...)
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