penances.[1536] That which is agreeable is called happiness. That which
is disagreeable is said to be misery. When penances are practised, the
result is happiness. When they are not practised, the result is misery.
Behold the fruits of practising and abstaining from penances![1537] By
practising stainless penances, people always meet with auspicious
consequences of every kind, enjoy all good things, and attain to great
fame.[1538] He, however, who by abandoning (stainless penances), betakes
himself to penances from desire of fruit, meets with many disagreeable
consequences, and disgrace and sorrow of diverse kinds, as the fruits
thereof, all of which have worldly possessions for their cause.[1539]
Notwithstanding the desirability of practising righteousness, penances,
and gifts, the wish springs up in his mind of accomplishing all kinds of
forbidden acts. By thus perpetrating diverse kinds of sinful acts, he
goes to hell.[1540] That person, O best of men, who, in both happiness
and misery, does not fall away from the duties ordained for him, is said
to have the scriptures for his eye. It is said that the pleasure one
derives from the gratification of one's senses of touch, tongue, sight,
scent, and hearing, O monarch, lasts only so long as a shaft urged from
the bow takes in falling down upon the earth. Upon the cessation of that
pleasure, which is so short-lived, one experiences the most keen agony.
It is only the senseless that do not applaud the felicity of Emancipation
that is unrivalled. Beholding the misery that attends the gratification
of the senses, they that are possessed of wisdom cultivate the virtues of
tranquillity and self-restraint for the purpose of attaining to
Emancipation. In consequence of their righteous behaviour, wealth, and
pleasure can never succeed in afflicting them.[1541] Householders may,
without any compunction, enjoy wealth and other possessions that are
obtained without Exertion. As regards, however, the duties of their order
that are laid down in the scriptures, these, I am of opinion, they should
discharge with the aid of Exertion.[1542] The practice of those that are
honoured, that are born in high families, and that have their eyes always
turned towards the import of the scriptures, is incapable of being
followed by those that are sinful and that are possessed of unrestrained
minds. All acts that are done by man under the influence of vanity, meet
with destruction. Hence, for them that