e of
Jiva into the foetus is even such. As fire, entering a mass of iron,
heats it greatly, do thou know that the manifestation of Jiva in the
foetus is such. As a lamp, burning in a room, discovers (all things
within it), after the same manner mind discovers the different limbs of
the body.[19] Whatever acts, good or bad, Jiva does in a former body,
have certainly to be enjoyed or endured by him. By such enjoyment and
endurance former acts are exhausted, and other acts, again, accumulate,
till Jiva succeed in acquiring a knowledge of the duties included in that
contemplation which leads to Emancipation. Regarding this, I shall tell
thee those acts by which Jiva, O best of men, while coursing through a
repeated round of re-births, becomes happy, Gifts, observances of
austerity, Brahmacharyya, bearing Brahman according to the ordinances
laid down, self-restraint, tranquillity, compassion for all creatures,
restraint of passions, abstentions from cruelty as also from
appropriating what belongs to others, refraining from doing even mentally
all acts that are false and injurious to living creatures on the Earth,
reverently serving mother and father, honouring deities and guests,
worship of preceptors, pity, purity, constant restraint of all organs,
and causing of all good acts, are said to constitute the conduct of the
good. From observance of such conduct, arises Righteousness which
protects all creatures eternally. Such conduct one would always behold
among persons that are good. Verily, such conduct resides there
eternally. That course of practices to which persons of tranquil souls
adhere indicates Righteousness. Among them is thrown that course of
practices which constitutes eternal Righteousness. He who would betake
himself to that Righteousness would never have to attain to a miserable
end. It is by the conduct of the good that the world is restrained in the
paths of Righteousness when it falls away. He that is a Yogin is
Emancipated, and is, therefore, distinguished above these (viz., the
good).[20] Deliverance from the world takes place, after a long time, of
one who acts righteously and well on every occasion as he should. A
living creature thus always meets with the acts done by him in a former
life. All these acts constitute the cause in consequence of which he
comes into this world in a state different from his true form.[21] There
is a doubt in the world as regards the question. By what was the
acceptance (by J