nd up as before, or restored to their normal
condition.

47. The Bengal tiger acts as a fisher to both animals and men. When the
tiger goes on a fishing expedition, what it usually does is to catch
large fishes from shallow streams and throw them landwards far from the
water's edge. The poor beast is very often followed, unperceived, by the
smaller carnivorous animals, and sometimes by bands of fishermen. I have
seen large fishes with the claw-marks of the tiger on them exposed for
sale in a village market.

48. The sense seems to be that unless kings perform such penances they
cannot escape hell. Such penances, however, are impossible for them as
long as they are in the midst of luxuries. To accept wealth and not use
it, therefore, is impracticable.

49. i.e., Thou art not liberated from desire.

50. The false speech, in this instance, consists in professing one's self
to be really unattached while enjoying wealth and power, i.e., the
hypocritical profession of renunciation in the midst of luxuries. As
already said by Yudhishthira, such renunciation is impracticable.

51. The path of the Pitris means the course of Vedic rites by which one
attains to bliss hereafter. The path of the gods means the abandonment of
religious rites for contemplation and pious conduct.

52. This truth has been expressed in various forms of language in various
passages of the Mahabharata. The fact is, the unification of infinite
variety and its identification with the Supreme Soul is attainment of
Brahma. One, therefore, that has attained to Brahma ceases to regard
himself as separate from the rest of the universe. Selfishness, the root
of sin and injury, disappears from him.

53. i.e., Sacrifice.

54. Literally, 'thy resolution is of one kind, while thy acts are of
another kind!'

55. Paratantreshu is explained by Nilakantha as "dependent on destiny."
If this means the fate that connects one's present life with the acts of
a former one, the explanation is not incorrect. The more obvious meaning,
however, is "dependent on action."

56. A wedded wife is the companion of one's religious acts.

57. Thou shouldst not, therefore, abandon action.

58. The meaning seems to be this: if a person can truly act up to his
resolution of complete renunciation of everything, then that person
stands alone in the midst of the world, and he is nobody's, and nobody is
his. Hence, he can neither be pleased nor displeased with any one. King
Janaka'