ves. Accomplishing by various ways acts that are virtuous
or sinful (for the purpose of earning their means of support), living
creatures, when dissolved into their constituent elements attain to
diverse ends.[1500] As vessels of white brass, when steeped in liquefied
gold or silver, catch the hue of these metals, even so a living creature,
who is completely dependent upon the acts of his past lives takes his
colour from the character of those acts. Nothing can sprout forth without
a seed. No one can obtain happiness without having accomplished acts
capable of leading to happiness. When one's body is dissolved away (into
its constituent elements), one succeeds in attaining to happiness only in
consequence of the good acts of previous lives. The sceptic argues, O
child, saying, I do not behold that anything in this world is the result
of destiny or the virtuous and sinful acts of past lives. Inference
cannot establish the existence or operation of destiny.[1501] The
deities, the Gandharvas and the Danavas have become what they are in
consequence of their own nature (and not of their acts of past lives).
People never recollect in their next lives the acts done by them in
previous ones. For explaining the acquisition of fruits in any particular
life people seldom name the four kinds of acts alleged to have been
accomplished in past lives.[1502] The declarations having the Vedas for
their authority have been made for regulating the conduct of men in this
world, and for tranquillizing the minds of men. These (the sceptic says),
O child, cannot represent the utterances of men possessed of true wisdom.
This opinion is wrong. In reality, one obtains the fruits of whatever
among the four kinds of acts one does with the eye, the mind, the tongue,
and muscles.[1503] As the fruit of his acts, O king, a person sometimes
obtains happiness wholly, sometimes misery in the same way, and sometimes
happiness and misery blended together. Whether righteous or sinful, acts
are never destroyed (except by enjoyment or endurance of their
fruits).[1504] Sometimes, O child, the happiness due to good acts remains
concealed and covered in such a way that it does not display itself in
the case of the person who is sinking in life's ocean till his sorrows
disappear. After sorrow has been exhausted (by endurance), one begins to
enjoy (the fruits of) one's good acts. And know, O king, that upon the
exhaustion of the fruits of good acts, those of sinful ac