Section LXVI. MAHABHARATHAM SHANTI PARVA ON OLD AGE
Section LXVI "Yudhishthira said, 'Thou hast spoken to me about the four modes of human life. I desire to know more of-them. Do thou discourse on them in detail.' "Bhishma said, 'O Yudhishthira of mighty arms, all the duties that are practised in this world by the righteous are known to thee as they are known to me. O foremost of virtuous persons, listen now to me about what thou askest, viz. the merit (that a king acquires) in consequence of the duties practised by others leading other modes of life. All the merits, O son of Kunti, that belong to persons practising the duties of the four modes of life, attach, O foremost of men, to righteous kings. A king who is not governed by lust and hate, who rules with the aid of the science of chastisement, and who looks equally on all creatures, O Yudhishthira, attains to the object of the Bhaikshya mode of life. That king who is possessed of knowledge, who makes gifts to deserving persons on proper occasions, who knows how to favour and punish, who conducts himself in all things according to the injunctions of the scriptures, and who has tranquillity of soul, attains to the object of the Garhasthya mode of life. That king who always worships those that are deserving of worship by giving them their due, completely attains, O son of Kunti, to the object of the Bhaikshya mode of life. That king, O Yudhishthira, who rescues from distress, to the best of his power, his kinsmen and relatives and friends, attains to the object of the Vanaprastha mode of life. That king who on every occasion honours those that are foremost among men and those that are foremost among Yatis, attains, O son of Kunti, to the object of the Vanaprastha mode of life. That king, O Partha, who daily makes offerings unto the Pitris and large offerings unto all living creatures including men, attains to the object of the same mode of life. That king, O tiger among men, who grinds the kingdoms of others for protecting the righteous, attains to the object of the same mode of life. In consequence of the protection of all creatures as also of the proper protection of his own kingdom, a king earns the merit of as many sacrifices as the number of creatures protected, and accordingly attains to the object of the Sannyasa mode of life. Study of the Vedas every day, forgiveness, and worship of preceptors, and services rendered to one's own teacher, lead to the attainment of the object of Brahmacharya. That king who silently recites his mantras every day and who always worships the gods according to the ordinance, attains, O tiger among men, to the object of the Garhasthya mode of life. That king who engages in battle with the resolve of protecting his kingdom or meeting with death, attains to the object of the Vanaprastha mode of life. That king who gives unto persons leading a Vanaprastha mode of life and unto Brahmanas versed in the three Vedas attains to the object of the Vanaprastha mode of life. That king who displays compassion towards all creatures and abstains entirely from cruelty, attains to the objects of all the modes of life. That king, O Yudhishthira, who shows compassion to the young and the old, O son of Kunti, under every circumstance, attains to the objects of every mode of life. That king, O perpetuator of Kuru's race, who affords relief to all oppressed people that seek his protection, attains to the object of the Garhasthya mode of life. That king who protects all creatures mobile and immobile, and honours them is they deserve, attains to the object of the Garhasthya mode of life. Bestowing favours and inflicting punishments upon the wives and brothers, elder and younger, and upon their sons and grandsons, are the domestic duties of a king and these constitute his best penances. By honouring those that are righteous and deserving of worship and protecting those that have (by their penances) acquired it knowledge of self, a king, O tiger among men, attains to the object of the Garhasthya mode of life. Inviting to this home, O Bharata, persons that have betaken themselves to that Vanaprastha and other modes of life, and treating them with food, constitute the domestic duties of a king. That king who duly adheres to the duties laid down by the Creator, obtains the blessed merits of all the modes of life. That king, O son of Kunti, in whom no virtue is wanting, that foremost of men, O Yudhishthira, is said by the learned to be a person in the observance of the Vanaprastha and all the other modes of life. That king who duly honours the office or rank which deserves honour, the race or family which deserves honour, and those old men that deserve honour is said, O Yudhishthira, to live in all the modes of life. A king, O son of Kunti, by observing the duties of his country and those of his family, acquires, O tiger among men, the merits of all the modes of life. That king who at proper seasons bestows upon righteous persons affluence or gifts of value, earns the merits, O king, of all the modes of life. That king, O son of Kunti, who while overcome with danger and fear still keeps his eye on the duties of all men, earns the merits of all the modes of life. The king obtains a share of the merits earned under his protection by righteous people in his dominions. On the other hand, if kings, O tiger among men, do not protect the righteous people within their dominions, they then take the sins of the latter (of omission and commission). Those men also, O Yudhishthira. who assist kings (in protecting their subjects), become equally entitled, O sinless one, to a share of the merits earned by others (in consequence of that protection). The learned say that the Garhasthya, which we have adopted, is superior to all the other modes of life. The conclusions in respect of it are very clear. It is certainly sacred, O tiger among men. That man who regards all creatures to be like his own self, who never does any harm and has his wrath under control, obtains great happiness both here and hereafter. A king can easily cross the ocean of the world, with kingly duties as his boat passed of great speed, urged on by the breeze of gifts, having the scriptures for its tackle and intelligence for the strength of its helmsman, and kept afloat by the power of righteousness. When the principle of desire in his heart is withdrawn from every earthly object, he is then regarded as one resting on his understanding alone. In this state he soon attains to Brahma. Becoming cheerful by meditation and by restraining desire and other passions of the heart, O tiger among men, it king, engaged in discharging the dully of protection, succeeds in obtaining great merit. Do thou, therefore, O Yudhishthira, exert thyself carefully in protecting Brahmanas of pious deeds and devoted to the study of the Vedas, as also all other men. By exercising the duty of protection only, O Bharata, the king earns merit that is a hundred times greater than what is earned by recluses in their asylums within the wood.' "I have now described, O eldest son of Pandu, the diverse duties of men. Do thou adhere to kingly duties that are eternal and that have been practised by great men since days of old. If thou employest thyself with concentrated attention to the duty of protecting (thy subjects), O tiger among men, thou mayst then, O son of Pandu, obtain the merits of all the four modes of life and of all the four orders of men!" SMD BHAGAVATHAM: 16. A person belonging to the order of Brahmacharya, Vānaprastha (an anchorite), a saṃnyāsin (a recluse) or a householder who contemplates thus (the omnipresence of the Lord), and follows the course of duties ordained for his particular āśrama (stage of life), realizes what is required to be known, and attains to the Supreme Brahman. 17. I shall now explain to you the code of conduct approved by the sages and prescribed for Vānaprasthas (anchorites), by observing which, a sage easily attains Maharloka, the heaven of sages. 18. An anchorite should not eat the product of cultivation (e.g. rice, wheat) or anything (like fruits, roots etc.), which though not a product of tillage, ripened before time. He should not partake of food cooked on fire. He should subsist on what is ripe or cooked by rays of the Sun. 19. He should prepare caru and puroḍāśa of corn wild growth (Nīvāra) and of a permanent nature. When he procures new and fresh eatables, he should reject the old ones (stored by him). 20. It is just for the preservation of the (sacred) fire that he should take shelter in a house or cottage or a cave in mountains. He himself should bear exposure to snow, wind, fire, rain and heat of the Sun. 21-22. The anchorite with matted hair (on the head) should wear (without shaving) the hair on his body, moustaches, beard and nails and dirt (not properly washed). He should take with him kamaṇḍalu (a pot of water), deer-skin, staff, bark-garments and utensils of fire worship. The sage should thus wander in the forest for twelve, eight, four, two or one year, i.e. to that length of time which the mind does not get perverted through the (severity of) austerities. 23. If (after the period of stay in the forest) he finds that, owing to ill health (diseases) or old age, he is incapable of pursuing his courses of duties (as a Vānaprastha) or prosecuting his studies in philosophy, he should adopt the vow of fasting etc. (If he is capable, he should become a saṃnyāsin—a recluse). 24. (Before beginning the fast) he should withdraw and deposit the sacred fires (e.g. āhavanīya and others) within his Self. He should renounce the notions of ‘I’ and ‘Mine’, and should merge the constituents of his body in their own causes (viz. the sky, the air and other three elements). 25. A self-controlled man should merge the cavities in his body (e.g. eyes, ears, nostrils) into the sky (the element—the mahābhūta called ākāśa), his exhalations (vital-breaths) into the air, the temperature of his body into the fire, (fluids like) blood, phlegm and pus into the water and the rest (hard substances like bones, muscles etc.) into the earth—thus assigning them each to its respective origin. (Thus he should merge his gross body). 26. He should consign his speech along with the organ of speech to the Fire, even his hands and handicraft to Indra, his feet along with (the power of) locomotion to Viṣṇu, the organ of pleasure (along with the power of procreation) to Prajāpati (deity presiding over procreation). 27. (He should merge) the organ of defecation and act of excretion in Mṛtyu (the god of death) directing these organs to their proper places (viz. the deities presiding over those particular organs); his auditory sense along with (its object), sound into (deities presiding over) cardinal points; and his tactual organ along with its tactility to the ātman or wind-god). 28. Oh King, he should deposit his eyes (eye-sight) and the colours and forms (the objects of the eye) with the Sun-god, the tongue or its objects of taste such as sweet, bitter etc. in water (or god Varuṇa), and the olifactory sense along with its objects i.e. various smells, with the Earth. 29. He should merge his mind along with its desires and objects in the Moon-god, the intelligence and the objects to be grasped by it in the highest god Brahmā. He should consign actions with self-consciousness to god Rudra through whose instrumentality the activities actuated by the notions of ‘I-ness’ and ‘Mine-ness’ proceed. He should merge his chitta (reason, heart) along with Sattva in Kṣetrajña (Hiraṇya- garbha) and Vaikārika ahaṃkāra along with guṇas in the Supreme Brahman). 30. He should then dissolve the earth into water, absorb water into fire, fire into the air and the air into the ether. The ether or Ākāśa is to be merged into the principle called ego (aham), and that into Mahat (the principle of cosmic Intelligence), and that into the unmanifested Prakṛti and that unmanifest Pradhāna into Paramātman (the Supreme Soul). 31. Having thus realized the Soul as identical with Para- mātman, and nothing but indestructible consciousness and becoming free from the notion of duality[6], he should cease to function like fire that has consumed its own source (fuel). XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX K RAJARAM IRS 17225 On Sun, 16 Feb 2025 at 20:01, Jambunathan Iyer <[email protected]> wrote: > Message for the Seniors > > To a familiar adult who is moving past 60 and into 70, "How are you? How > are you doing?" When asked. > > Reply came as, "I will go home and send you the answer to your question." > Promptly in a few hours a long list on WhatsApp came as below: - > > 1) To my parents, my siblings, to my wife, to my children, to my friends > Love, affection, and romance I was *Now I have started to like myself*. > > 2) I realize that I don't carry the world on my shoulders. (Earlier I was > thinking in Office as well as at Home like so) > > 3) Nowadays, I have stopped haggling with the vegetable seller, the > florist, and the fruit cart vendor. Earlier I was thinking by Bargaining I > am winning over the Poor and saving huge money and never thought of > respecting their trade and family conditions of the Poor. Now I think the > extra money (If at all) I give without bargaining will help his family in > some way and the Vendor also feel happy he Got what he told is correct and > accepted by the buyer. > > 4) People older than me even if they repeat a message - an event - a > story, just respond as 'You can do this' since considering and responding > like this as if you're hearing it now for the first time saying this for > the first time, rather than saying it as if it were a slap in the face, > "You've said it before." > > 5) I have completely stopped arguing or making noise with the domestic > workers who work for us. Yes, I was a Person of nature that even good and > positive information too to my collogues in Office and Members in family > very loudly and fast but now I realized that peace is more precious than > perfection. And behaving, following this very calm manner > > 6) Irrespective of Nature of Job done and the status of the person doing > any work for me I take great pleasure in willingly praising everyone for > their actions. > > 7) I don't worry about those who are ahead of me in an unnecessary - > endless race. I don't think of myself as being in a race. & Nowadays, I am > not subject to or addicted to any emotion. I have come to the conclusion > that it is better to let go of my ego than to break off relationships. > > 8) I have structured my life as best I can in a way that makes me happy > and keeps others happy. > > 9) I have completely avoided criticizing and nagging others, live my life > as best I can without causing trouble to others. > > 10) I have completely avoided interfering in other people's affairs > unnecessarily, stopped giving advice unless someone approaches me and asks, > reduced my needs and expectations as much as possible. And above all > completely avoided Gossiping to focus on My work which can give me some > relax to make me proud. > ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• > > After Sharing this as a message for Elders and while going through I > thought of advising to myself and pleased to ask Youngs also Why wait until > you're old? You can follow these at any age! > > Help others to lead a peaceful and loving life! Show all the way! > > மூத்த குடிமக்களுக்கான செய்தி > > 60 வயதைத் தாண்டி 70 வயதை அடையும் ஒரு பழக்கமான பெரியவரிடம், "நீங்கள் எப்படி > இருக்கிறீர்கள்? எப்படி இருக்கிறீர்கள்?" என்று கேட்டபோது. > > "நான் வீட்டிற்குச் சென்று உங்கள் கேள்விக்கான பதிலை உங்களுக்கு > அனுப்புகிறேன்" என்று பதில் வந்தது. சில மணிநேரங்களுக்குப் பிறகு > வாட்ஸ்அப்பில் ஒரு நீண்ட பட்டியல் பின்வருமாறு வந்தது: - > > 1) என் பெற்றோர், என் உடன்பிறந்தவர்கள், என் மனைவி, என் குழந்தைகள், என் > நண்பர்கள் ஆகியோருக்கு அன்பு, பாசம் மற்றும் காதல் *இப்போது நான் என்னை > விரும்ப ஆரம்பித்துவிட்டேன்*. > > 2) நான் உலகத்தை என் தோள்களில் சுமக்கவில்லை என்பதை உணர்கிறேன். (முன்பு நான் > அலுவலகத்திலும் வீட்டிலும் அப்படித்தான் யோசித்துக்கொண்டிருந்தேன்) > > 3) இப்போதெல்லாம், காய்கறி விற்பனையாளர், பூக்கடைக்காரர் மற்றும் பழ வண்டி > விற்பனையாளருடன் பேரம் பேசுவதை நிறுத்திவிட்டேன். முன்பு, பேரம் பேசுவதன் > மூலம் நான் ஏழைகளை வெல்கிறேன், பெரும் பணத்தை மிச்சப்படுத்துகிறேன், ஏழைகளின் > அவர்களின் வர்த்தகம் மற்றும் குடும்ப நிலைமைகளை மதிக்க வேண்டும் என்று > ஒருபோதும் நினைத்ததில்லை. இப்போது நான் பேரம் பேசாமல் கொடுக்கும் கூடுதல் பணம் > (எப்படியாவது இருந்தால்) அவருடைய குடும்பத்திற்கு ஏதோ ஒரு வகையில் உதவும் > என்று நினைக்கிறேன், மேலும் விற்பனையாளரும் மகிழ்ச்சியடைகிறார், அவர் சொன்னது > சரியானது மற்றும் வாங்குபவர் ஏற்றுக்கொண்டது. > > 4) என்னை விட வயதானவர்கள் ஒரு செய்தியை - ஒரு நிகழ்வை - ஒரு கதையை மீண்டும் > சொன்னாலும், 'நீங்கள் இதைச் செய்யலாம்' என்று பதிலளிக்கவும், ஏனெனில் நீங்கள் > இப்போது முதல் முறையாக இதைச் சொல்வதைக் கேட்பது போல் இதைப் போல > பதிலளிப்பீர்கள், "நீங்கள் முன்பு சொன்னீர்கள்" என்று முகத்தில் அறைவது போல் > சொல்வதற்குப் பதிலாக. > > 5) எங்களுக்காக வேலை செய்யும் வீட்டு வேலைக்காரர்களுடன் வாக்குவாதம் > செய்வதையோ அல்லது சத்தம் போடுவதையோ நான் முற்றிலுமாக நிறுத்திவிட்டேன். ஆம், > நான் ஒரு இயல்புடைய நபர், அலுவலகத்தில் உள்ள எனது சக ஊழியர்களுக்கும் > குடும்பத்தில் உள்ள மெபர்களுக்கும் கூட நல்ல மற்றும் நேர்மறையான தகவல்கள் கூட > மிகவும் சத்தமாகவும் வேகமாகவும் இருந்தன, ஆனால் இப்போது அமைதி பரிபூரணத்தை விட > விலைமதிப்பற்றது என்பதை உணர்ந்தேன். மேலும் நடந்துகொள்வது, இந்த மிகவும் > அமைதியான முறையில் பின்பற்றுதல் > > 6) வேலை செய்த தன்மை மற்றும் எனக்காக எந்த வேலையும் செய்யும் நபரின் நிலை > எதுவாக இருந்தாலும், அவர்களின் செயல்களுக்காக அனைவரையும் மனமுவந்து > பாராட்டுவதில் நான் மிகுந்த மகிழ்ச்சி அடைகிறேன். > > 7) தேவையற்ற - முடிவில்லாத பந்தயத்தில் என்னை விட முன்னால் இருப்பவர்களைப் > பற்றி நான் கவலைப்படுவதில்லை. நான் ஒரு பந்தயத்தில் இருப்பதாக நான் > நினைக்கவில்லை. & இப்போதெல்லாம், நான் எந்த உணர்ச்சிக்கும் ஆளாகவில்லை அல்லது > அடிமையாகவில்லை. உறவுகளை முறித்துக் கொள்வதை விட என் ஈகோவை விட்டுவிடுவது > நல்லது என்ற முடிவுக்கு நான் வந்துவிட்டேன். > > 8) என்னை மகிழ்ச்சியாகவும் மற்றவர்களை மகிழ்ச்சியாகவும் வைத்திருக்கும் > வகையில் என் வாழ்க்கையை என்னால் முடிந்தவரை சிறப்பாக வடிவமைத்துள்ளேன். > > 9) மற்றவர்களை விமர்சிப்பதையும் நச்சரிப்பதையும் நான் முற்றிலுமாகத் > தவிர்த்துவிட்டேன், மற்றவர்களுக்கு பிரச்சனை ஏற்படுத்தாமல் என் வாழ்க்கையை > என்னால் முடிந்தவரை சிறப்பாக வாழ்கிறேன். > > 10) மற்றவர்களின் விவகாரங்களில் தேவையில்லாமல் தலையிடுவதை நான் முற்றிலுமாகத் > தவிர்த்துவிட்டேன், யாராவது என்னை அணுகி கேட்காவிட்டால் அறிவுரை வழங்குவதை > நிறுத்திவிட்டேன், எனது தேவைகளையும் எதிர்பார்ப்புகளையும் முடிந்தவரை > குறைத்துள்ளேன். எல்லாவற்றிற்கும் மேலாக, என்னைப் பெருமைப்படுத்த எனக்கு > சிறிது ஓய்வு அளிக்கும் என் வேலையில் கவனம் செலுத்த வதந்திகளை முற்றிலுமாகத் > தவிர்த்துவிட்டேன். > ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• > > இதை முதியவர்களுக்கான செய்தியாகப் பகிர்ந்த பிறகு, அதைச் செய்யும்போது எனக்கு > நானே ஆலோசனை கூற நினைத்தேன், இளைஞர்களிடமும் நீங்கள் ஏன் வயதாகும் வரை > காத்திருக்க வேண்டும் என்று கேட்டு மகிழ்ச்சியடைந்தேன்? நீங்கள் எந்த வயதிலும் > இவற்றைப் பின்பற்றலாம்! > > அமைதியான மற்றும் அன்பான வாழ்க்கையை வாழ மற்றவர்கள் உதவுங்கள்! முழு > வழியையும் காட்டுங்கள்! > > N Jambunathan Rengarajapuram-Kodambakkam-Chennai-Mob:9176159004 > > *" What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you > become by achieving your goals. If you want to live a happy life, tie it to > a goal, not to people or things "* > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZoot9GrF-LRZgqxZ%3DYNTHdzEGG_WxtrJEuJd%2B2pzoCkViQ%40mail.gmail.com.
