THE MAHABHARATA: A Modern Rendering, Vol 2 (84 page)

“What must a man strive for in his life?”

“All the living are in death’s shadow. The nights come and go, but every moment death draws nearer. Death waits for no man; it frequently arrives before a man’s desires in this life have been fulfilled. Even when a man is plucking flowers in his garden, death snatches him away, like a tiger a ram. So, my child, avoid procrastination in your life. Finish today what you had planned to do tomorrow. Do in the morning what you had left for the afternoon. Time is always shorter than we believe and a man must acquire virtue as quickly as he can. Thus, one must be ready for death: for he comes at his whim, without notice. Only virtue bestows fame in this world and the next.

On earth, man is plagued by a thousand desires, endlessly. He grows attached to possessions and people; he grows attached to places and houses. His work, his home, his lands, his wife and children all weave a subtle web of bondage. Death brutaly tears every thread. Nothing but truth can resist the web of attachment. When a man realizes how ephemeral this world is, he sees the truth; then death holds no fear for him. For, the fear of death springs from attachment. In every man, there are the seeds of death and the seeds of freedom. It is left to each man which seeds he chooses to nurture. It always seems the seeds of attachment are easier to nourish. But the truth of time is otherwise.

Thus the wise man restrains his senses; he rises above desire and anger. He learns how to treat pleasure and pain alike. Serenity comes to him and, then, nirvana. What he thinks and what he says, what he does: all his life is founded in Brahman and such a man does not die, but is born to eternal life.

There is no vision like knowledge and truth is the greatest tapasya. Attachment is the most terrible sorrow and relinquishment the only, deepest joy. Yudhishtira, we are born from Brahman, the eternal current; by Brahman, we are born. If we devote ourselves to that supreme Spirit, we can return to Brahman. My son, always seek the self hidden in the deepest cave of the heart.”

Yudhishtira asks, “Which is the man whom all the world loves? Who is he that is perfectly accomplished?”

“He will be learned, good and wise. He is never so proud that he will lose his composure from arrogance. He is contented and serene. His senses do not lead him astray and he is always possessed of the peace that comes from knowing the supreme truth.”

“Why does a man become a sinner or virtuous? How does he achieve relinquishment and liberation?”

“It is desire that makes a man sin, when he grows so attached to the objects of the senses that he will do anything to gain them. With attachment, the mind becomes clouded and a man abandons the path of virtue. When he is no longer virtuous, he pretends to be so and becomes a hypocrite. The acquisition of wealth by hypocrisy is not difficult and the man plunges down the way of sin. He does not listen any longer to the advice of elders and wise men; and soon there is hardly any hope of Salvation for him.

The man of dharma always seeks the welfare of others. He is sage and knows how to avoid the pitfalls of the senses, how not to let them rule him. He knows the difference between brief, empty pleasure and true joy. A man is virtuous when he is a master of his senses. But just this does not give him freedom; he must practise renunciation, so desire itself leaves him, slowly. At the final stage, knowing this world is merely a passing pageant in death’s halls, the virtuous man casts off his very virtue and its rewards: heaven and happiness. He sets out to seek moksha, the unchanging condition.”

“What are the qualities a man needs to be free from attachment, to achieve moksha?”

“The man who is near moksha has passed beyond the senses and their world. Hunger and thirst do not approach him; his body makes no demands. His mind has grown far beyond anger, greed and sin. He never forgets himself, the truth that is within him. A bamboo hut and a king’s palace are the same to such a man. Pain and pleasure do not touch him, he knows both are conceived in delusion. He sees the world clearly, as only the coming together of the five elements. Pain, pleasure, loss, gain, defeat and victory are all the same to him. Fear and anxiety lay no claim on his heart. He knows that a thousand kings of majesty have lived briefly and then passed on from the earth; he knows the evanescence of life. He has learnt the truth that all things in the world are fleeting, insubstantial. With such wisdom he attains moksha, be it in the jungle or in his home.”

The spiritually inclined Yudhishtira is intrigued. He asks, “How can a man attain moksha without leaving his home and its bonds and going into the forest?”

Bheeshma says, “A king need not abandon his kingdom to attain nirvana; only, he must not be attached to his throne. So, too, with everything else in life, your wife, children, work or wealth. If you can turn your mind away from all these to the eternal Brahman, you will find Salvation. Your state of mind is what is important, not where you are. Knowledge comes from relinquishment and yoga, which is union, comes after knowledge. If his spirit is enlightened, it does not matter if a man lives in his home or in the forest. He is a sannyasin.”

Yet another day, Yudhishtira asks, “Where is the Devi of prosperity to be found?”

“She dwells in the eloquent man, the active man, the attentive man. If a man is high-minded, free of anger and has his passions under control, prosperity comes to him. A man of little energy does not find the Goddess of prosperity, nor does he who is full of anger, or he who is diffident. She lives with brahmanas who are devoted to studying the Vedas, kshatriyas who are men of dharma, vaishyas who are absorbed in their trade and sudras who are bhaktas.”

“What should be the dharma of a man who wants to pass pleasantly through this world and have heaven in the next?”

“There are three sins of deed such a man must avoid: killing, thieving and adultery. He must avoid four sins of speech: evil talk, harsh words, lies and speaking ill of others. He must resist three sins of the mind: coveting what belongs to someone else, injuring another in his heart and disbelief in the scriptures. If a man can avoid these ten sins, he passes safely through this world and finds swarga for himself.”

“Is there any virtue superior to brahmacharya? What is the highest punya, grandfather, which is the greatest purity?”

“Abstinence from wine and meat is superior to celibacy. Indeed, you can hardly aspire to being a brahmachari if you cannot first control what you eat and drink. Dharma is the highest punya, it is also the greatest purity.”

“Which are the times in life for dharma, artha and kama?”

“The first part of a man’s life is for earning wealth. Then, dharma must be followed and the enjoyment of kama comes after. Remember, one should not be attached to any of these, but always be reaching beyond them for moksha.”

Another time, Yudhishtira asks, “Which is the holiest tirtha?”

“All the tirthas can purify a man, for they are all blessed; but, my son, there is no tirtha like truth. The deepest, fathomless tirtha is the mind. It is in that tirtha one should bathe, for it is the most untainted of all holy waters. If a man bathes in the Manasa sarovara called truth he becomes sincere and gentle, truthful, compassionate, restrained and tranquil.”

“Who is man’s truest friend? Is it his mother, his son, his guru or his companion? When a man dies, he abandons his body as if it were no more than a clod of earth. Who is the friend who follows a man into the next world?”

Bheeshma smiles, “Man is born alone, my child and so, too, he dies. Whether he knows it or not, he is quite alone all through this wondrous journey called life. Once you are dead, who stays with you? Your mother and father, children and guru, your friends and all the others turn away from your funeral pyre and return to their own lives. But, Yudhishtira, dharma follows you out of this world. Dharma stays with a man even after he is dead. At last, dharma is the only true friend.”

There is a lot else that Yudhishtira asks his Pitama and Bheeshma answers the Kuru king patiently, giving freely of his wisdom to the Pandava. At last, one evening, Yudhishtira asks his last questions. “In this world who is the one God in whom we may seek final refuge? Who is the God I can worship and have everything I want from him? Which is the one true religion that is above all others? Which is the mantra by which a man can free himself from the bonds of life and death?”

Bheeshma takes Yudhishtira’s hand. His face full of light, he says, “My son, Krishna is Lord of the universe. He is the God of Gods, who has come among us as a man. There is no one greater than him: among all the stars, in all the ages. He pervades the akhanda and if you meditate on him and his many names, you will pass beyond every sorrow.” Bheeshma smiles, “You ask me which the greatest religion is. It is Krishna. He is the highest tapasya, the final refuge and the holiest one. He is the beginning of creation and its end. Dark Krishna is the eternal Brahman. He is the Paramatman, Lord of the past, the present and the future. Surrender to him, Yudhishtira and you will find eternal bliss, the place beyond change.”

Bheeshma keeps Yudhishtira’s hand in his for some time and they are lost in a living silence, as the sun sets. Yudhishtira is content. Like cobwebs from his mind, his Pitama’s wisdom has brushed away his doubts and anxieties. His heart is full of faith again; the tiredness and despair of the war have all but left him.

Muni Vyasa arrives there. He says to Bheeshma, “You have restored Yudhishtira’s faith, why, he glows with it. And now, great one, your treasure of wisdom will remain in this world for a time more.”

Bheeshma lays his hand on the Pandava’s head. “You have no more questions. Go back to your kingdom now and begin your reign; and let it be a just and prosperous one. I know your heart, Yudhishtira, your subjects will be as happy as the people of the earth were when Nahusha, Harishchandra and Yayati ruled them. Bless you, my son. Go now and live a joyful life. But when the sun turns north again, at uttarayana, come back to me. I must see you once more at that time, ah, the time I have waited for all this long life!”

Yudhishtira takes the dust from his Pitama’s feet. He kisses his hands tenderly and walks away from him, as night falls. Full of new hope, the Pandavas return to Hastinapura. Slowly, the memories of the war begin to fade from their minds and they have sense of a new day dawning in their lives. Quiet joy is upon them, welling in their hearts.

On Kurukshetra, profound peace again enfolds Bheeshma upon his uncommon bed. His heart is as light as the air, soaring: at last, he knows he has no task left in this world to fulfil. Death draws near like an old friend.

SIX
THE PASSING OF A PATRIARCH 

The days pass and the sun turns north. That morning of the solstice, Yudhishtira and his brothers return to Kurukshetra, where Bheeshma still lies. With them come Dhritarashtra and Krishna, Gandhari, Kunti, Draupadi, Satyaki, Vidura and Yuyutsu. They bring flowers, incense, silks, sandal-wood, jewels, rice grains and fruit. Bheeshma knows his time has finally arrived; he lies waiting. All Hastinapura follows its king to the field of fate.

Bheeshma lies with his eyes shut; Vyasa, Parasara, Narada and the munis from Devaloka surround him. Yudhishtira approaches the patriarch, takes his hand and says, “Pitama, it is I, Pandu’s son Yudhishtira. All of us have come, as you wanted. Dhritarasthra is here, my lord. Krishna is here; the people have come to pay homage to you. I beg you, open your eyes and look at them.”

For a moment, Bheeshma does not respond. Then slowly his eyes flutter open and they are far away, as if they already saw other worlds. Bheeshma sees a sea of people around him; a faint smile touches his lips. He says softly, but very clearly, “Yudhishtira, my son, I am happy to see you with our people. At last, Surya Deva has turned his chariot north again. I have lain here for some sixty days, more. I feel a hundred years have passed. Now, finally, it is time for me to leave this earth.”

Bheeshma turns his gaze to Dhritarashtra, “My son, you know the dharma of a king. Yes, you are wise, there is nothing you do not know. All that happened was by fate, none of it could be helped.

Don’t grieve over your sons who died. Pandu’s sons are with you, treat them as your own. Be fulfilled in them, be joyful with them.”

Bheeshma pauses, then, says to Yudhishtira, “Fetch me some flowers, child. I want to worship Krishna.”

The flowers come; Bheeshma worships Krishna, ritually and his eyes are so very bright. The Kuru ancient says fervently, “You are the Lord of the universe, you are the Creator of this earth. I beg you, Krishna, show me your Viswarupa and let me leave this world forever. Bless me that I find the highest sanctuary.

Though all the others see no change in Krishna, Bheeshma’s eyes see his Cosmic Form, infinite, ineffable. Krishna takes Bheeshma’s hand, he says, “Devavrata, return to your home on high. Go back to the Vasus and never again shall you be born into this world of men. As for your death, why, you are like Markandeya: death waits for you, you can summon him when you want.”

Bheeshma’s face is lit by a brilliant smile and the people see a miracle before their eyes. Devavrata shuts his eyes and calls his death to him. The people of Hastinapura see Bheeshma’s body blaze with light and, limb by limb, from his feet up, the arrows that pierced him fall out and his wounds vanish. Then, the uncanny luster rises and leaves his body through the subtle opening on his skull. Scintillating, Bheeshma’s soul ascends into heaven.

The sky is full of music; a fine breeze blows, laden with the scents of a thousand flowers of Devaloka. The earth is cool and mild and the heart of every man and woman is full of the peace beyond understanding.