SECTION CCXLI

“Suka said, ’The declarations of the Vedas are twofold.  They once Jay down the command, ‘Do all acts.’  They also indicate (the reverse, saying), ‘Give up acts.’  I ask, ’Whither do persons go by the aid of Knowledge and whither by the aid of acts?’[979] I desire to hear this.  Do tell me this.  Indeed, these declarations about knowledge and acts are dissimilar and even contradictory.’

“Bhishma continued, ’Thus addressed, the son of Parasara said these words unto his son, ’I shall expound to thee the two paths, viz., the destructible and the indestructible, depending respectively upon acts and knowledge.  Listen with concentrated attention, O child, to me, as I tell thee the place that is reached by one with the aid of knowledge, and that other place which is reached with the aid of acts.  The difference between these two places is as great as the limitless sky.  The question that thou hast asked me has given me such pain as an atheistic discourse gives to a man of faith.  These are the two paths upon which the Vedas are established; the duties (acts) indicated by Pravritti, and those based on Nivritti that have been treated of so excellently.[980] By acts, a living creature is destroyed.  By knowledge, however, he becomes emancipated.  For this reason, Yogins who behold the other side of the ocean of life never betake themselves to acts.  Through acts one is forced to take rebirth, after death, with a body composed of the six and ten ingredients.  Through knowledge, however, one becomes transformed into that which is Eternal, Unmanifest, and Immutable.  One class of persons that are however of little intelligence, applaud acts.  In consequence of this they have to assume bodies (one after another) ceaselessly.  Those men whose perceptions are keen in respect of duties and who have attained to that high understanding (which leads to knowledge), never applaud acts even as persons that depend for their drinking water upon the supply of streams never applaud wells and tanks.  The fruit that one obtains of acts consists of pleasure and pain, of existence and non-existence.  By knowledge, one attains to that whither there is no occasion for grief; whither one becomes freed from both birth and death; whither one is not subject to decrepitude; whither one transcends the state of conscious existence.[981] whither is Brahma which is Supreme, Unmanifest, immutable, ever-existent, imperceptible, above the reach of pain, immortal, and transcending destruction; whither all become freed from the influence of all pairs of opposites (Like pleasure and pain, etc.), as also of wish or purpose.[982] Reaching that stage, they cast equal eyes on everything, become universal friends and devoted to the good of all creatures.  There is a wide gulf, O son, between one devoted to knowledge and one devoted to acts.  Know that the man of knowledge, without undergoing destruction,