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mere vanity (to speak about Karma). Even if (the followers of the
path of Pravritti) know how to gain happiness and destroy misery,
they certainly do not know the means by which they can get over
death. And when death is near at hand, what objects of desire can
give joy? What can please the victim that is carried to the place
of sacrifice? (This is so far as this life is concerned. Then as to life
after death). What you hear about Svarga life, even that is as bad
as the life we lead on this earth. For in Svarga, there is jealousy,
there is fault finding, there are inequalities and consequent uneasi-
ness, and there is a finality in the enjoyments and the desires are
full of obstacles, even as agriculture is and so after all even Svarga
is of no good. When the Vedic Karma is properly performed with-
out any obstacle whatsoever, hear how the performer of Karma
loses the place acquired by his Karma. He makes offerings to Indra
and other Devas by the performance of Yajna and he goes after
death to Svarga. There he enjoys heavenly objects like the Devas,
objects acquired by his own Karma. He moves in white chariots
the acquisitions of his own merits, among Deva girls and is adored;
by the Gandharvas. The chariot moves at his will. It is adorned by
small bells. He whiles away his time with the Deva girls in the
gardens of Svarga and he does not know his own fall. But he
remains in Svarga only so long as his merit is not exhausted. And
when the merit is run out, down falls the man by the force of time,
even against his will. (The above is the course after death of those
who perform Kamya Karma, according to Vedic rules. This is one
way of following Pravritti Marga. There is another way the following
up of one's own inclinations, in disregard of the Vedic rules. The
next Sloka refers to the performers of prohibited Karma). And if
again a man indulges in the prohibited acts, through evil company,
if his senses are not controlled, and if in consequence, he is passionate
indiscriminate, greedy, excessively fond of women, and unkind to
other beings, if the man kills animals wantonly and worships Pretas
and Bhutas, he goes, driven by the law, to the Narakas and finds
there intense Tamas.
Therefore karma (selfish actions) ends in unhappiness. By
performing karma with the body, men seek the b^dy again. What
happiness is there in the possession of this transitory body? The Lokas
and Lokapalas have to fear me, they who live for one full day of
Brahma. Even Brahma who lives for 2 Parardhas has fear of me.
(Therefore Pravritti Marga leads to evil. It should be shunned and
Nivritti Marga should be adopted. This is the purport. Sridhara).
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