novelraw Arc 3 - Sanat-Sujata Parva Chapter 1 - The Coming of Sanat Sujāta
Arc 3 - Sanat-Sujata Parva Chapter 1 - The Coming of Sanat Sujāta
Vaiśampāyana said:
When the night deepened over Hastināpura, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, lord of the Kuru line, sat restless in his chamber. The shadows of his own making pressed upon his heart, for he could feel, as one feels the tremor before a storm, that ruin was near. The words of Vidura, wise among the wise, had brought him both comfort and fear. And so, the blind monarch spoke once more to his half-brother—the seer of righteousness, born of Vyāsa’s vision.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said:
“If there yet remains aught unsaid by thee, O Vidura of tranquil mind, speak it to me now. Thy words are a refuge in this hour of darkness, and my soul delights in thy discourse.”
Then Vidura, calm and steadfast, bowed slightly before the aged king and replied:
“O Dhṛtarāṣṭra, scion of Bharata’s race, what I have spoken is but the stream that flows from a greater ocean. There is, in truth, an ancient and immortal ṛṣi—Sanat Sujāta by name—ever young, ever celibate, who has declared that Death exists not for the knower of Brahman. He is the foremost among those who see the Eternal with unclouded vision. He alone can dissolve the doubts that yet trouble thy heart, both those spoken and those unspoken.”
The king, whose inner sight was veiled by sorrow, then said:
“Tell me, O Vidura—knowest thou not what that immortal sage would say? If thou hast wisdom equal to his, speak it now, for my heart thirsts for knowledge.”
But Vidura, humble in truth and wise in restraint, answered softly:
“I am born of the servant’s womb, O King,
And dare not speak of the boundless thing.
Though wisdom’s fire within me glows,
Its flame before the Brāhmaṇa bows.”
He continued:
“The understanding of that eternal sage, who abides in perfect celibacy, is infinite and stainless. He that is a Brāhmaṇa by birth, by expounding even the subtlest mysteries of dharma, incurs no censure from the gods. It is for this reason alone that I refrain from discoursing further.”
Hearing these words, Dhṛtarāṣṭra said again:
“Then tell me, O Vidura, by what means—with this frail body of mine—may I approach that ancient and deathless one?”
Vaiśampāyana said:
Then Vidura, closing his eyes in quiet meditation, called upon the immortal sage by the silent power of thought. And lo, Sanat Sujāta, radiant as the dawn yet calm as twilight, appeared before them—his countenance serene, his hair luminous like the halo of the moon.
Vidura rose and offered him the ārghya and seat of honor, performing all the rites due to a celestial guest. The sage, accepting them with gentle grace, seated himself in silence. The air grew still; even the lamps burned without flicker.
Then Vidura, folding his hands, addressed him with reverence:
“O illustrious Sanat Sujāta, embodiment of wisdom without beginning or end, this son of Vyāsa, the Kuru king Dhṛtarāṣṭra, is torn by grief and doubt. Deign, therefore, to unfold before him the mystery of life and death—so that, hearing thy words, he may endure joy and sorrow alike, and bear with equanimity gain and loss, decrepitude and death, fear and jealousy, hunger and thirst, pride and prosperity, love and anger, slumber and awakening, and all the dualities that bind mortal beings.”
Thus was summoned the ancient sage,
Whose mind no shadow could engage.
The king in blindness sought the light,
And wisdom came to pierce the night.
Then the wise king Dhṛtarāṣṭra, whose mind was restless and heavy with doubt, having heard the words of Vidura, turned in secret to the immortal sage Sanat Sujāta. Desiring to know that which lies beyond the circle of death, he questioned him with humility and awe.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said:
“O great Ṛṣi, men speak differently of death. Some say that by austerity and sacrifice death may be averted; others say that death itself is but an illusion. Which of these, O divine one, is truth?”
Then Sanat Sujāta, ancient yet ever youthful, serene as still waters, answered:
“Two paths there are, O Kuru king—
Of ignorance and awakening.
The learned say, ‘Death is not a beast,’
But blindness of the soul’s own seeing.
For ignorance alone is death,
And knowledge is immortal breath.
The wise attain the deathless state,
The blind by ignorance meet their fate.”
And Vaiśampāyana said to Janamejaya:
The sage declared that death is not a creature devouring others, nor a god of bones and shadow. Death, he said, is avidyā—the forgetting of the Self. As light dispels darkness, so jñāna—true knowledge—destroys death itself.
Sanat Sujāta continued:
“The Asuras fell into bondage through ignorance, while the Devas, through the knowledge of the Supreme, attained the state of Brahman. Yama, whom men call Death, is but the guardian of the lower realms, dispensing reward and punishment according to deed. His rule extends only over those still chained by ignorance, wrath, and desire.”
“Not tiger’s tooth nor serpent’s bite,
But folly’s cloud obscures the light.
Desire, wrath, and greed combined—
These three are death within the mind.
When soul forgets its deathless birth,
It falls again to mortal earth.
But he who knows the Self supreme,
Wakes from the dream within the dream.”
Vaiśampāyana said:
The sage then described how the ignorant, led by their passions, fall again and again into worldly existence. The craving for pleasure becomes the seed of bondage; desire gives birth to wrath, and wrath to ruin. These, said Sanat Sujāta, are the triple jaws of death.
He taught that when a man, by self-control and knowledge, masters his own senses and desires, death loses its power over him.
Sanat Sujāta said:
“The man who restrains his soul, and regards not ambition nor lust as worthy of pursuit, defeats death itself. For ignorance, though assuming the form of Yama, cannot devour him who is illumined by the light of wisdom. But he who follows desire perishes with it, as fire consumes dry grass.”
“Desire is night, and wrath the storm,
Greed the hand that takes its form.
Who conquers these by Self’s own sight,
Walks fearless through the gates of night.
NovelBin is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
For him the tiger has no tooth,
The shadow flees, the lie of youth.
He dies no more, who knows the One,
Whose end is where all ends are done.”
Vaiśampāyana said:
Thus Sanat Sujāta revealed that true death is the ignorance within, and liberation lies in the knowledge that destroys it. To the knower of Brahman, death is but a shadow cast by the mind.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra then said:
“The Vedas speak, O sage, of celestial realms gained through sacrifice and prayer. If those regions bring bliss and liberation, why should not a man pursue them through holy acts?”
Sanat Sujāta replied:
“The path of action, O King, leads the ignorant to the realms of heaven; yet even those bright regions are impermanent. The wise, who know the Self, seek not such reward. For the soul that mistakes the body for its Self, liberation comes only through renunciation of desire. He who acts without craving the fruit ascends higher; but he who clings to pleasure is bound to return.”
“Acts of virtue, deeds of flame,
May lift the soul to heaven’s name;
Yet when the fruit of work is won,
The doer’s task is not yet done.
But he who knows the Self divine,
Need not to climb nor yet decline.
For where desire no longer burns,
The wheel of birth no more returns.”
Dhṛtarāṣṭra asked again:
“O great one, who urges that Unborn and Ancient Being into action? And if He is indeed all this universe, pervading all, what desire can He have, or what joy can He seek?”
Sanat Sujāta said:
“O King, the Unborn is the unconditioned Self. The world arises when the unconditioned reflects upon the conditioned—like fire seen in iron, or sunlight in water. Yet the Supreme remains ever pure, even while manifesting as creation. The Vedas proclaim this truth: that the power and its possessor are one, and that all forms are but transformations of the Eternal.”
“The Unborn moves, yet does not go,
He acts, yet none his action know.
All things that are, in Him appear—
As mirrors hold the image near.
He is the path, the pilgrim’s goal,
The flame within the cosmic whole.
All worlds but ripple from that sea—
The Self, the One, Eternity.”
Then Dhṛtarāṣṭra said:
“In this world, some practise virtue through action, others renounce all action in the path of renunciation. Tell me, O sage—does virtue destroy vice, or is it itself destroyed by it?”
The Paths of Action and Knowledge
Vaiśampāyana said:
Then the blind monarch Dhṛtarāṣṭra, hungering for that which lies beyond the senses, asked again of Sanat Sujāta—the deathless sage whose eyes were tranquil as still waters. And the celestial youth, seated unmoving, shone with the calm of one who has crossed the ocean of birth.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said:
“O wise one, thou hast spoken of ignorance as death and knowledge as immortality. Yet tell me further—among men, some act in virtue, others renounce all action. Which of these two paths leadeth surely to emancipation?”
Then Sanat Sujāta answered with a gentle voice, clear as the Vedic chant:
“Both ways, O king, may lead the soul
To that high shore, the deathless goal.
By virtuous work the doer climbs,
By stillness—he who knows, betimes.
The wise attain through knowing’s flame,
The worker through his deed’s pure aim.
But he whose heart no fruits desire,
Finds rest beyond both act and fire.”
And Vaiśampāyana said to Janamejaya:
The sage thus taught that both karma and jñāna are means of deliverance. Yet, the man of action, though he gains merit through righteous deeds, must also reap the fruits of both virtue and sin; and having tasted heaven and hell, he is drawn again to action, bound by the residue of his own works.
But the man of wisdom, who acts without attachment, consumes all deeds in the fire of knowledge.
Sanat Sujāta said:
“Virtue is strong, O King. For by virtue, sin is destroyed as fire consumes fuel. Yet even virtue, if done for reward, binds the doer. Know that knowledge alone releases utterly.”
Then Dhṛtarāṣṭra said:
“Tell me, O sage, of the eternal regions attained by those who perform virtuous deeds—the high-born who follow righteousness and sacrifice. Speak not of sinful acts, for my heart turns away from them.”
And the deathless youth replied:
“They that by Yoga stand upright,
Their souls ablaze with inner light,
Departing hence, to Brahman go,
Beyond all joy, beyond all woe.
They that with faith in Vedic flame,
Offer the rite and praise the Name,
Dwell in the halls of shining skies,
Among the gods their spirits rise.”
Vaiśampāyana said:
The sage then spoke of three kinds of seekers: those who through Yoga and renunciation reach Brahman; those who through ritual action attain the world of gods; and those who perform rites as duty, without desire. The third, though not yet free, walk the road of virtue and are worthy of reverence.
Sanat Sujāta said:
“The Yogin should live gently, O King, not burdening others, nor himself with hunger. Let him seek sustenance where it harms none, as a swan feeds only from the pure lake.
He should not display his holiness; for the one who proclaims his greatness loses it. The food offered by one who gives gladly and shares with guest and Brāhmaṇa is righteous; but he who flaunts his sanctity for gain devours his own vomit, like a dog that feeds on filth.”
“Let silence be his noble dress,
His mind his home, his heart his guest.
The holiest hides his inner flame,
And shuns the perilous road of fame.”
Vaiśampāyana said:
Thus Sanat Sujāta taught that true holiness lies in concealment, not in show. The Brāhmaṇa who dwells among men yet keeps his practice unseen is the true knower of Brahman.
Sanat Sujāta said:
“What other Brāhmaṇa, indeed, deserves to know that Supreme Soul which is unconditioned, formless, changeless, one without a second? Even a Kṣatriya, by such inward discipline, may behold the Self within himself.
But he who thinks the Self to be the doer, he who robs the soul of its purity, commits the greatest theft.”
“The knower acts, yet not as ‘I’;
The fool declares, ‘I act, I try.’
To steal the soul’s own purity,
Is to bind oneself eternally.”
Vaiśampāyana said:
Then the sage expounded the conduct of the true Brāhmaṇa:
He should live without strain or greed, accept no gifts, be gentle and still, and though learned, seem simple. Such a one attains wisdom and union with Brahman.
Those who are poor in worldly goods but rich in sacrifice and inward light are unconquerable and fearless—embodiments of Brahman upon earth.
Sanat Sujāta said:
“The sacrificer who wins the company of gods is not equal to him who knows Brahman; for the latter reaches the Supreme without effort, while the former labours for reward. The truly honoured is he who, doing nothing, is honoured by the gods; not he who is praised by men.”
“Seek not the world’s uncertain grace,
For praise is but a fleeting face.
Who honours Self needs none beside,
In him the gods themselves abide.”
Vaiśampāyana said:
And the sage continued—
“Men act as their natures compel, as eyelids open and close unbidden. The learned pay honour where it is due; the ignorant withhold it. Therefore the wise grieve not when others fail to respect them.
Know this, O King: esteem in this world and asceticism cannot dwell together. The seeker of honour belongs to the world; the seeker of truth belongs to the other.
Here, worldly happiness lies in prosperity, but prosperity is a fetter to heaven.
Heavenly bliss, on the other hand, cannot be reached by one who is without true wisdom.”
“For fame is dust and gold is clay,
But truth shall never pass away.
Who guards the gates of soul aright,
Shall walk unharmed in deathless light.”
Vaiśampāyana concluded:
Then Sanat Sujāta spoke of the six gates that lead to the highest prosperity—truth, uprightness, modesty, self-control, purity of mind and conduct, and knowledge of the Veda.
“These,” said he, “are the destroyers of vanity and ignorance.”
“Six doors there are to wisdom’s hall:
Truth, modesty, and temper all,
Pure thought and deed, the scriptures’ lore—
Through these alone the wise shall soar.”
The Secret of Mauna and the Discipline of Truth
Vaiśampāyana said:
Then the aged king Dhṛtarāṣṭra, still yearning for the path of deliverance, questioned again the divine sage Sanat Sujāta, whose mind shone like the clear expanse of the sky.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said:
“O venerable one, tell me truly—what is mauna, the silence of ascetics? Of the two kinds, that of the tongue and that of the mind, which dost thou approve? Can a learned man reach stillness and emancipation by mauna? And how is it rightly practised here in this world?”
Then the son of Brahmā, radiant with tranquil wisdom, replied:
“Beyond the mind, beyond the word,
The Silent One is never heard.
For speech and thought from Him arise—
The Soundless in whose stillness lies.
That from which the sacred Om
And every human echo come—
That root of sound, that Word supreme,
Is mauna, source of every dream.”
Vaiśampāyana said:
Thus did the sage declare that mauna is not merely the restraint of speech, but the absorption of the mind into the Self, which is beyond both Veda and word. The Supreme, said he, is called mauna because It cannot be reached by speech or thought—it is the Silence from which all sounds proceed.
Then the king asked again:
“Tell me, O wise one, if a man versed in the Vedas—Rig, Yajus, and Sāma—commits sin, is he stained by it, or is he freed through the power of those sacred hymns?”
Sanat Sujāta replied:
“No hymns can cleanse the heart impure,
No chants the restless mind secure.
The Vedas flee the faithless soul—
As fledglings from a broken bowl.
For he whose senses know no rein,
By Veda’s light is lit in vain.
Deceitful hearts no scripture save—
The Word deserts them at the grave.”
Vaiśampāyana said:
The sage proclaimed that knowledge without virtue is like a lamp in the storm—it gives no light. The Vedas protect only the self-restrained, not the deceitful. At death, the Vedas abandon the man who lived by falsehood, as birds abandon their fallen nest.
Then Dhṛtarāṣṭra said:
“If it is so, O sage, whence arises the delusion that the Vedas themselves destroy sin?”
Sanat Sujāta replied:
“This universe, O King, was born from the Supreme through the play of conditions—name, form, and quality. The Vedas proclaim this truth, teaching that the Eternal and the world are distinct, though the one pervades the other. Asceticism and sacrifice were ordained that man might reach the Supreme; through them virtue is earned, and through virtue, knowledge.
The man of knowledge, guided by knowledge, reaches Brahman; but he who clings to pleasure must return again to the realm of action. Even the fruits of austerity, if sought for reward, must be enjoyed and exhausted. Only the self-mastered attain beyond.”
“The fire of rite burns bright and brief,
Its smoke of merit, joy and grief.
But knowledge, flame without alloy,
Consumes all fuel, birth and joy.”
Then Dhṛtarāṣṭra asked:
“O eternal sage, why is it that ascetic austerity, though of one kind, is sometimes fruitful and sometimes fruitless? Tell me, that I may know the cause.”
Sanat Sujāta said:
“Tapas stained by fault is fruitless; tapas unstained brings emancipation. When desire, vanity, or pride cling to it, asceticism is spoiled. But when it is pure—rooted in truth and without ego—it leads to Brahman. Thou hast asked of the root of all austerity, O King; know that by tapas the wise perceive the Self and cross beyond death.”
“Pure is that fire which burns within,
Unfed by pride or outer sin.
Who kindles that unearthly flame,
Finds peace beyond all name and name.”