ssing the ocean. O thou faultless one,
if the virtues that are practised by the virtuous had no fruits, this
universe then would be enveloped in infamous darkness. No one then would
pursue salvation, no one would seek to acquire knowledge nor even
wealth, but men would live like beasts. If asceticism, the austerities
of celibate life, sacrifices, study of the Vedas, charity,
honesty,--these all were fruitless, men would not have practised virtue
generation after generation. If acts were all fruitless, a dire
confusion would ensue. For what then do Rishis and gods and Gandharvas
and Rakshasas who are all independent of human conditions, cherish
virtue with such affection? Knowing it for certain that God is the giver
of fruits in respect of virtue, they practise virtue in this world.
This, O Krishna, is the eternal (source of) prosperity. When the fruits
of both knowledge and asceticism are seen, virtue and vice cannot be
fruitless. Call to thy mind, O Krishna, the circumstances of thy own
birth as thou that heard of them, and recall also the manner in which
Dhrishtadyumna of great prowess was born! These, O thou of sweet smiles,
are the best proofs (of the fruits of virtue)! They that have their
minds under control, reap the fruits of their acts and are content with
little. Ignorant fools are not content with even that much they get
(here), because they have no happiness born of virtue to acquire to in
the world hereafter. The fruitlessness of virtuous acts ordained in the
Vedas, as also of all transgressions, the origin and destruction of acts
are, O beautiful one, mysterious even to the gods. These are not known
to any body and everybody. Ordinary men are ignorant in respect of
these. The gods keep up the mystery, for the illusion covering the
conduct of the gods is unintelligible. Those regenerate ones that have
destroyed all aspirations, that have built all their hopes on vows and
asceticism, that have burnt all their sins and have acquired minds where
quest and peace and holiness dwell, understand all these. Therefore,
though you mayst not see the fruits of virtue, thou shouldst not yet
doubt religion or gods. Thou must perform sacrifices with a will, and
practise charity without insolence. Acts in this world have their
fruits, and virtue also is eternal. Brahma himself told this unto his
(spiritual) sons, as testified to by Kashyapa. Let thy doubt, therefore,
O Krishna, be dispelled like mist. Reflecting upon all thi