is mine, or the state of being addicted to worldly
objects is Mrityu and the absence of that feeling is
Saswatam. And these two, Brahman and Mrityu, O
king, have their seats in the souls of all creatures,
and remaining unseen, they, without doubt, wage war
with each other. And if, O Bharata, it be true
that no creature is ever destroyed, then one doth
not make oneself guilty of the death of a creature
by piercing (destroying) its body. What matters
the world to a man, if having acquired the sovereignty
of the whole earth with its mobile and immobile creation,
he does not become attached to it, or engrossed in
its enjoyment. But the man who having renounced
the world, has taken to the life of the recluse in
the forest, living on wild roots and edibles, if such
a man, O son of Pritha, has a craving for the good
things of the world, and is addicted to them, he may
be said to bear Mrityu (death) in his mouth.
Do thou, O Bharata, watch and observe the character
of thy external and internal enemies, (by means of
thy spiritual vision), And the man who is able to
perceive the nature of the eternal reality is able
to overreach the influence of the great fear (perdition).
Men do not look with approbation upon the conduct of
those who are engrossed in worldly desires and there
is no act without having a desire (at its root) and
all (Kama) desires are, as it were, the limbs (offshoots)
of the mind. Therefore, wise men knowing this
subjugate their desires. The Yogi who holds communion
with the Supreme Spirit, knows Yoga to be the perfect
way (to salvation) by reason of the practices of his
many former births. And remembering that, what
the soul desires, is not conducive to piety and virtue,
but that the suppression of the desires is at the
root of all true virtue, such men do not engage in
the practice of charity, Vedic learning, asceticism
and Vedic rites whose object is attainment of worldly
prosperity, ceremonies, sacrifices, religious rules
and meditation, with the motive of securing any advantage
thereby. By way of illustration of this truth,
the sages versed in ancient lore, recite these Gathas
called by the name of Kamagita, do thou O Yudhishthira,
listen to the recital of them in detail. (Kama says)
No creature is able to destroy me without resorting
to the proper methods (viz., subjugating of all desires
and practice of Yoga etc.) If a man knowing my
power, strive to destroy me by muttering prayers etc.,
I prevail over him by deluding him with the belief
that I am the subjective ego within him. If he
wish to destroy me by means of sacrifices with many
presents, I deceive him by appearing in his mind as
a most virtuous creature amongst the mobile creation,
and if he wish to annihilate me by mastering the Vedas
and Vedangas, I over reach him by seeming to his mind
to be the soul of virtue amongst the immobile creation.
And if the man whose strength lies in truth, desire
to overcome me by patience, I appear to him as his
mind, and thus he does not perceive my existence, and