|
Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana: Book 10: Chapter 10: Verses 12-25
Knowing the body to be a common property as aforesaid and as having its source in and disappearing into the Unmanifest (primordial Matter), nay, identifying himself with it, who else than a fool would kill animals ? Poverty is the best eye-salve for a wicked soul blinded with the pride of wealth. A poor man alone looks upon living beings as similar to his own self. He who has his foot (ever) pricked with a thorn would never have a fellow-being suffer such agony, having realized the similarity of (all) living beings (so far as the experience of pleasure and pain is concerned) by means of external signs (such as facial expression etc.). Such is (however) not the case with him whose foot has never (similarly) been pricked with a A king is honorifically referred to as a 'god among men' () and a Brahmana as a 'god on earth'. thorn. Rid of all forms of pride, a poor man is divested of (all) stiffness induced by egotism. The hardship he experiences by the will of Providence actually proves to be his highest austerity in this life. The Indriyas of a poor man, whose body is ever emaciated from hunger and who is longing for food soon grow feeble and his violence too ceases. Pious souls looking upon all with the same eye come into contact only with a poor man (and not with the rich blinded with the pride of wealth).
Consorting with saints, a poor man gives up the thirst for money etc., even for noble pursuits and then gets absolutely purified (qualified for final beatitude) soon. What purpose of pious souls, possessed of equanimity and hankering (only) for the feet of Lord Sri Krsna (the Bestower of Liberation), can be served through the wicked, who are proud of their wealth and bank (only) on the objects of senses (that have no reality), and (therefore) deserve to be ignored ? Hence I shall take away the pride, resulting from ignorance, of the two slaves of women, of uncontrolled mind, drunk with the wine called Varuni and blinded with the pride of wealth. Since, in spite of their being the sons of Kubera (a guardian of the world), the two youths are too immersed in ignorance to recognize themselves as uncovered, highly vainglorious as they are, hence they deserve (to be reduced to) the state of a tree (that stands rooted to one spot, is unbending by nature and remains uncovered), so that by my grace they may not behave like that again; and let self-consciousness persist in them (along with the consciousness of their guilt) by my favour even in that state.
Attaining to the presence of Lord Vasudeva at the end of a hundred celestial years, and recovering their abode in heaven, they will have acquired Devotion (too). Sri Suka continued : Saying so, the said Narada (the celestial sage) went away to the hermitage of the (divine sage) Narayana; while Nalakubara and Manigriva were transformed into two Arjuna trees sprung together. In order to substantiate the prediction of Narada, the foremost of the devotees of the Lord, Sri Hari (who stood tied to the mortar) proceeded slowly to the spot where the two Arjuna trees stood as twins. (He said to Himself), "Since Narada (the celestial sage) is most beloved of Me, therefore, I shall redeem the two sons of Kubera in the same way as has been prophesied by that exalted soul."
|
|
