“Sakra said, ‘O lady that is difficult of being borne, why do you desert Vali now after having lived in him for a long time? Is it due to any act of mine or is it due to any act that Vali has done?’
“Sree said, ‘Neither the Creator nor the Ordainer rules me. It is Time that moves me from one place to another. Do not, O Sakra, disregard Vali.’
“Sakra said, ‘For what reason, O goddess adorned with plumes, do you desert Vali? Why also do you approach me (for living in me)? Tell me this, O thou of sweet smiles!’
‘Sree said, ‘I live in truth, in gifts, in good vows, in penances, in prowess, and in virtue. Vali hath fallen off from all these. Formerly, he was devoted to the Brahmanas. He was truthful and had controlled his passions. Latterly, however, he began to cherish feelings of animosity towards the Brahmanas and touched clarified butter with soiled hands.[847] Formerly, he was always engaged in the performance of sacrifices. At last, blinded by ignorance and afflicted by Time he began to boast before all persons, saying that his adorations towards me were ceaseless. Deserting him (for these faults) I shall henceforth, O Sakra, dwell in thee. Thou shouldst bear me without heedlessness, and with penances and prowess.’
“Sakra said, ‘O thou that dwellest amid lotuses, there is not a single person among gods, men, and all creatures, that can bear thee for ever.’
“Sree said, ‘Truly, O Purandara, there is none among gods, Gandharvas, Asuras, or Rakshasas, that can bear me for ever.’
“Sakra said, ‘O auspicious lady, tell me how I should conduct myself so that thou mayst dwell in me always. I shall certainly obey thy behests. It behoveth thee to answer me truly.’
“Sree said, ‘O chief of the deities, I shall tell thee as to how I may be enabled to dwell in thee always. Divide me into four parts according to the ordinance laid down in the Vedas.’
“Sakra said, ‘I shall assign the habitations according to their strength and power in bearing thee. As regards myself, I shall always take care, O Lakshmi, that I may not offend thee in any way. Amongst men, the earth, that progenitrix of all things, bear them all. She shall bear a fourth part of thyself. I think she hath the strength to do it.’
“Sree said, ‘Here, I yield up a quarter of myself. Let it be established on the earth. Do thou, after this, make a proper disposition, O Sakra, for my second quarter.’
“Sakra said, ‘The waters, among men, in their liquid form, do various services to human beings. Let the waters bear a fourth part of thy person. They have the strength to bear a portion of thine.’
“Sree said, ‘I yield up another quarter of mine that is to be established in the waters. Do thou, after this, O Sakra, assign a proper place for my third quarter.’
“Sakra said, ‘The Vedas, the sacrifices, and the deities are all established in Fire. Fire will bear thy third quarter, when it is placed therein.’
“Sree said, ‘Here I yield up my third quarter which is to be placed in Fire. Do thou, O Sakra, after this, assign a proper place for my last quarter.’
“Sakra said, ‘They that are good among men, devoted to Brahmanas, and truthful in speech, may bear thy fourth quarter. The good have the power to bear it.’
“Sree said, ‘Here I yield up my fourth quarter that is to be placed among the good. My portions thus assigned to different creatures, do thou continue to protect me, O Sakra.’
“Sakra said, ‘Listen to these words of mine. I have thus distributed thee among different creatures. Those among creatures that will offend against thee shall be chastised by me. The chief of the Daityas, viz., Vali, thus deserted by Sree, then said these words.’
“Vali said, ‘At present the Sun shines as much in the east as in the west, and as much in the north as in the south. When, however, the Sun, withdrawing himself from all sides, will shine only upon the region of Brahman situated in the middle of Sumeru, then will again occur a great battle between the gods and the Asuras, and in that fight I shall certainly vanquish all of you. When the Sun, withdrawing himself from all sides, will shine fixedly upon only the region of Brahman, then will again occur a great battle between the gods and the Asuras, and in that fight I shall surely conquer all of you.'[848]
“Sakra said, ‘Brahman hath commanded me saying that I should never kill thee. It is for this reason, O Vali, that I do not hurl my thunderbolt upon thy head. Go whithersoever thou wishest, O chief of the Daityas! O great Asura, peace to thee! No time will come when the Sun will shine from only the meridian. The Self-born (Brahman) hath before this ordained the laws that regulate the Sun’s motions. Giving light and heat to all creatures, he goes on ceaselessly. For six months he travels in a northward course and then for the other six in a southward course. The sun travels by these courses (one after another), creating winter and summer for all creatures.’
“Bhishma continued, ‘Thus addressed by Indra, O Bharata, Vali, the chief of the Daityas, proceeded towards the south. Purandara proceeded towards the north. The thousand-eyed Indra, after having listened to this speech of Vali which was characterised by an entire absence of pride, then ascended the skies.’
SECTION CCXXVI
“Bhishma said, ‘In this connection is also cited the old narrative of the discourse between him of a hundred sacrifices and the Asura Namuchi, O Yudhishthira. When the Asura Namuchi, who was conversant with the birth and the death of all creatures, was sitting, divested of prosperity but untroubled at heart like the vast ocean in perfect stillness, Purandara addressed him these: words, ‘Fallen off from thy place, bound with cords, brought under the sway of thy foes, and divested of prosperity, dost thou, O Namuchi, indulge in grief or passest thou thy days cheerfully?’
“Namuchi answered, ‘By indulging in such sorrow as cannot be warded off one only wastes one’s body and gladdens one’s foes. Then, again, no one can lighten another’s sorrow by taking any portion of it upon oneself. For these reasons, O Sakra, I do not indulge in sorrow. All this that thou seest hath one end.[849] Indulgence in sorrow destroys personal comeliness, prosperity, life, and virtue itself, O chief of the deities! Without doubt, suppressing that sorrow which comes upon oneself and which is born of an improper disposition of the mind, one possessed of true knowledge should reflect in one’s mind of that which is productive of the highest good and which dwells in the heart itself.[850] When one sets one’s mind upon what is for one’s highest good, without doubt, the result that takes place is that one’s objects are all accomplished.[851] There is One Ordainer, and no second. His control extends over the being that lies within the womb. Controlled by the great Ordainer I go on as He sets me on, like water running along a downward path.
Knowing what is existence and what is emancipation, and understanding also that the latter is superior to the former, I do not, however, strive for attaining to it. Doing acts that tend towards the direction of virtue and also those that tend towards the opposite direction, I go on as He sets me on. One gets those things that are ordained to be got. That which is to happen actually happens. One has repeatedly to reside in such wombs in which one is placed by the Ordainer. One has no choice in the matter. That person is never stupefied, who when placed in any particular condition, accepts it as that which he was ordained to be placed in. Men are affected by pleasure and pain that come by turns in course of Time. There is no personal agency (in the matter of pleasure or pain to any one). In this lies sorrow, viz., that he that dislikes sorrow regards himself as the actor.[852] Amongst Rishis, gods, great Asuras, persons fully conversant with the three Vedas, and ascetics in the forest, who is there whom calamities do not approach? Those, however, that are conversant with the Soul and that which is not-Soul never fear calamities.
