ss and indifferent in mind, O son of Kunti! The destiny of every
creature after death is determined by his acts in this world. Thou hast
asked me where this treasure of acts of the sage and the ignorant
remain, and where they enjoy the fruit of their good and evil deeds! Do
thou listen to the regulations on this subject! Man with his subtle
original body created by God lays up a great store of virtue and vice.
After death he quits his frail (outer) body and is immediately born
again in another order of beings. He never remains non-existent for a
single moment. In his new life his actions follow him invariably as
shadow and, fructifying, makes his destiny happy or miserable. The wise
man, by his spiritual insight, knows all creatures to be bound to an
immutable destiny by the destroyer and incapable of resisting the
fruition of his actions in good or evil fortune. This, O Yudhishthira,
is the doom of all creatures steeped in spiritual ignorance. Do thou now
hear of the perfect way attained by men of high spiritual perception!
Such men are of high ascetic virtue and are versed in all profane and
holy writ, diligent in performing their religious obligations and
devoted to truth. And they pay due homage to their preceptors and
superiors and practise Yoga, are forgiving, continent and energetic and
pious and are generally endowed with every virtue. By the conquest of
the passions, they are subdued in mind; by practising _yoga_ they become
free from disease, fear and sorrow; they are not troubled (in mind). In
course of birth, mature or immature, or while ensconced in the womb, in
every condition, they with spiritual eyes recognize the relation of
their soul to the supreme Spirit. Those great-minded _Rishis_ of
positive and intuitive knowledge passing through this arena of actions,
return again to the abode of the celestials. Men, O king, attain what
they have in consequence of the grace of the gods of Destiny or of their
own actions. Do thou not think otherwise. O Yudhishthira, I regard that
as the highest good which is regarded so in this world. Some attain
happiness in this world, but not in the next; others do so in the next,
but not in this. Some, again, attain happiness in this as well as in the
next world; and others neither here nor in the next world. Those that
have immense wealth, shine every day with well-decorated persons. O
slayer of mighty foes, being addicted to carnal pleasures, they enjoy
happiness only in this