ABSTRACT
CHAPTER XIV Krishna. Yet farther will I open unto thee This wisdom of all wisdoms, uttermost,The which possessing, all My saints have passed To perfectness. On such high verities Reliant, rising into fellowship With Me, they are not born again at birth O f Kalpas^ nor at Pralyas suffer change ! This Universe the womb is where I plant Seed of all lives! Thence, Prince of India, comes Birth to all beings! Whoso, Kunti’s Son ! Mothers each mortal form, Brahma conceives, And 1 am He that fathers, sending seed! Sattwan, Rajas, and Tamas, so are named The qualities of Nature, “ Soothfastness,”“ Passion,” and “ Ignorance.” These three bind downThe changeless Spirit in the changeful flesh. Whereof sweet “ Soothfastness,” by purity Living unsullied and enlightened, binds The sinless Soul to happiness and truth;And Passion, being kin to appetite,And breeding impulse and propensity,Binds the embodied Soul, O Kunti’s Son !By tie of works. But Ignorance, begot 8s
O f Darkness, blinding mortal men, binds down Their souls to stupor, sloth, and drowsiness.Yea, Prince of India ! Soothfastness binds souls In pleasant wise to flesh ; and Passion binds By toilsome strain ; but Ignorance, which blots The beams of wisdom, binds the soul to sloth. Passion and Ignorance, once overcome,Leave Soothfastness, O Bharata ! Where this W ith Ignorance are absent, Passion rules;And Ignorance in hearts not good nor quick. When at all gateways of the Body shines The Lamp of Knowledge, then may one see well Soothfastness settled in that city reigns;Where longing is, and ardour, and unrest, Impulse to strive and gain, and avarice,Those spring from Passion-Prince! —engrained; and whereDarkness and dulness, sloth and stupor are,’Tis Ignorance hath caused them, Kuru Chief! Moreover, when a soul departeth, fixed In Soothfastness, it goeth to the place-Perfect and pure-of those that know all Truth. If it departeth in set habitude O f Impulse, it shall pass into the world O f spirits tied to works ; and, if it dies In hardened Ignorance, that blinded soul Is born anew in some unlighted womb. The fruit of Soothfastness is true and sweet; The fruit of lusts is pain and to il; the fruit O f Ignorance is deeper darkness. Yea !
