The Yoga-Vasishtha Maharamayana of Valmiki, Vol. 3 (of 4), Part 2 (of 2)Valmiki
Religion
The Yoga-Vasishtha Maharamayana of Valmiki, Vol. 3 (of 4), Part 2 (of 2)
Valmiki
Hinduism -- Doctrines -- Early works to 1800; Religious life -- Hinduism -- Early works to 1800
8. Your assumption to yourself to any action, which has been done by
the combination of many, amounts only to a conceit of your vanity,
and exposes you not only to ridicule, but to frustrate the merit of
your act. (So is the assuming of a joint action of all the organs and
members of the mind, and the achievement of a whole army to one's self.
So also many masters arrogate to themselves the merit of the deeds of
their servants).
9. The yogis and hermits do their ritual and ordinary actions with
attention of their minds and senses, and often times with the
application of the members and organs of their bodies only, in order to
acquire and preserve the purity of their souls.
10. Those who have not subdued their bodies with the morphia of
indifference, are employed in the repetition of their actions, without
ever being healed of their disease (of anxiety).
11. No person is graceful whose mind is tinged with his selfishness,
as no man however learned and wise is held in honour, whose conduct is
blemished with unpoliteness and misbehaviours.
12. He who is devoid of his selfishness and egotism, and is alike
patient both in prosperity and adversity, is neither affected nor
dejected, whether he does his business or not.
13. Know this, O son of Pandu as the best field for your martial
action; which is worthy of your great good, glory and ultimate
happiness. (War in a just cause is attended with glory).
14. Though you reckon it as heinous on the one hand and unrighteous
on the other; yet you must acknowledge the super excellence and
imperiousness of the duties required of your martial race, so do your
duty and immortalize yourself.
15. Seeing even the ignorant stick fast to the proper duties of their
race, no intelligent person can neglect or set them at naught; and the
mind that is devoid of vanity, cannot be ashamed or dejected, even if
one fails or falls in the discharge of his duty.
16. Do you duty, O Arjuna, with your yoga or fixed attention to it, and
avoid all company (in order to keep company with the object of your
pursuit only). If you do your works as they come to you by yourself
alone, you will never fail nor be foiled in any. _i.e._ thy object thou
canst never gain, unless from all others you refrain.
17. Be as quiet as the person of Brahma, and do your works as quietly
as Brahma does leave his result (whether good or bad) to Brahma
(because you can have no command over the consequence), and by doing
so, assimilate thyself into the nature of Brahma (who is all in all).
18. Commit yourself and all your actions and objects to God, remain
as unaltered as God himself, and know him as the soul of all, and be
thus the decoration of the world. (The gloss says, it is no blasphemy
to think one's self as God, when there is no other personality besides
that of Deity).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account