Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/300

266 power and exertion are fruitless. Knowing destiny to be all-powerful, the wise, whatever their portion, should neither exult nor grieve. When creatures know that both weal and woe are dependent on destiny and not on their own exertion or power, they should neither grieve nor exult remembering that destiny is all powerful. The wise should ever live contented, neither grieving at woe nor exulting at weal. When destiny is supreme, both grief and exultation are both unbecoming. O Ashtaka, I never suffer myself to be overcome by fear, nor do I ever entertain grief, knowing for certain that I shall be in the world what the great disposer of all hath ordained. Insects and worms, all oviparous creatures, vegetable existences, all crawling animals, vermin, the fish in water, stones, grass, wood, in fact, all created things, when they are freed from the effects of their acts, are united with the supreme Soul. Happiness and misery are both transient. Therfore, O Ashtaka, why should I grieve? We can never know how are we to act in order to avoid misery. Therefore none should grieve at misery.'

"Possessed of every virtue king Yayati who was the maternal grand-father of Ashtaka, while staying in the firmament, at the conclusion of his speech was again questioned by Ashtaka. The latter said, 'O king of kings, tell me in detail of all those regions that thou hast visited and enjoyed, as well as the periods for which thou hast enjoyed each. Thou speakest of the precepts of religion even like the clever masters acquainted with the acts and sayings of great beings!' Yayati then replied, 'I was a great king on earth owning the whole world for my dominion. Leaving it I acquired by force of religious merit many high regions. There I dwelt for a full thousand years, and then I attained to a very high region which is the abode of Indra, of extraordinary beauty, having a thousand gates, and extending a hundred yojanas all around. There too I dwelt for a full thousand years and then attained to a higher region still. That is the region of perfect beatitude where decay is never,—the region, viz, of the creator and the lord of the earth, so difficult of attainment! There also I dwelt for a full thousand years, and then attained to another